Traveling with Sonia

The Royal Tour of Mexico

2011-09-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, thanks to the kindness of Jorge Gamboa of the Mexico Board of Tourism, I was invited to see The Royal Tour of Mexico, hosted by Presidente Felipe Calderon, his wife, Margarita Zavala, and Antonio Villaraigosa, the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. Prior to the screening of the Royal Tour of Mexico, there was a reception in the lobby of the Regal Cinema by Staples Center.

To have been invited to this was an honor and I am most grateful to Jorge Gamboa for thinking of me and taking the time to invite me. I am also very grateful to my friend, Naomi Covarrubias, the owner of Naomi's Travel and Life's a Trip for letting me ride with her to the event. As agents, we are not in competition, our client base is different and our areas of expertise are different, but we share information and encourage each other. I respect and admire my travel agent friends. Sylvia Diaz from Far Horizons is another of my agent friends. We all try and help each other and some of the best information I have received regarding tour companies, sale prices, excursions and destinations has been from agent friends, and that, in turn, helps my clients.

Returning to the event, Presidente Calderon is very down to earth and loves Mexico dearly. It was a pleasure to hear him speak on a subject he knows so well. He is aware of the problems that have occurred in some of the cities and did not try and underplay or hide from those problems. However, he stressed, as we as agents do, that the problems are NOT in the places we send tourists to visit.

The film was amazing, starting out in Teotihuacan and the Pyramid of the Sun, going from there to Palenque, Chichen Itza,the State of Jalisco and Puerto Vallarta, Morelia, Michoacan; back to Jalisco and the town of Tequila; on to San Luis Potosi and a cave adventure; including scuba diving in a cenote in the Yucatan and a trip to see the Monarch butterflies in Michoacan. I loved the film! Many of those places I have visited more than once.

I understand there will be a Part II to this film. Mexico is a big country, there needs to be a part II.

What would I have changed or done differently in the making of this film? Probably a lot of things as a travel agent. First, I actually have clients who scuba, and they range from expert divers to people who are only resort certified, so I would probably have left in the part about scuba diving in a cenote. I considered that when my husband and I were staying in Chichen Itza (NOT scuba diving myself, just the possibility that some of my clients would enjoy that). Of course sending people to Palenque, Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza is something I would do for clients and highly recommend. Those are incredible, amazing ruins, proof that a higher civilization that rivaled that of Greece and Rome, once existed in North America.

Visit Tequila in the State of Jalisco...of course! There is even a Tequila Train that is a typical tourist experience.

However, Mexico misses the mark, by a lot, on how to make the most of their amazing tourist attractions. I am an experienced agent, and have lots of years of traveling in Mexico. I would have no idea how to send clients to the cave in San Luis Potosi and have them rappel into the cave. There are some fabulous caves in Mexico, and the first one that comes to mind is Cacahuamilpa, located in the State of Mexico. It is one of the largest cave systems in the world and is a National Park. I would not even have an idea how to get clients to that cave to explore it. Of course you start by flying people into Mexico City...but after that? I have not seen any tours offered nor would I know how to set up a tour.

I am amazed that a small Caribbean island like Barbados is able to have an organized, fascinating, cave tour at Harrison Cave, complete with a tram that takes you far and deep into the cave system and in Mexico I have no way to get people into Cacahuamilpa...or any other cave.

The Butterfly Reserve in Michoacan...my husband is from Michoacan and has never been there. Our niece was lost there overnight. The President rode in on horseback, tied the horses up, and proceed on foot to where the butterflies are...pretty tough hike! My observation is that wherever horses are offered to get to an attraction it is going to be tough going on foot! This from having hiked in to Paricutin and La Tzararacua waterfall...horses were offered, we chose to walk, there is a reason horses are offered!

Somehow, some way, there is a happy medium between what we do here...paved pathway, handrails on each side, ranger AND signs advising not to hold the hand rail in case of thunder storms, portapotty, first aide station...to get to see a natural wonder. This, of course, is an exageration! Hiking in to Devil's Postpile on the back side of Mammoth Lakes you must take a bus to get to the start of the trail. This is to cut down on pollution. From there, the trail is dirt but well maintained and it is what I would consider an easy hike to Devil's Postpile. Yes, there are reminders not to litter...no problem. Mexico could use a lot more signs reminding people not to litter!

Would it not be possible to invest some of the money for tourism into making the trail to the Monarch Butterfly Reserve truly accessible? Would it also not be possible to spend some of the tourism dollars on developing the Grutas of Cacahuamilpa into a true tourist attraction?

The Mexican Government does not always fail in developing a natural wonder to make it tourist friendly. Chichen Itza is a perfect example. It is easy to reach by paved highway. Once inside of the park, there are dirt paths taking you from one amazing ruin to the next. Very user friendly. Not too many years back you could climb the major pyramid, El Castillo, now one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. Climbing El Castillo is no longer allowed. Good reason, too much wear and tear on something that must be preserved. This was a step forward in preserving something wonderful.

Could other amazing wonders in Mexico not be treated with similar thought to the people who will go to visit, along with preserving the ecology of the area and the attraction itself? I would be delighted if I could send people to Paricutin and La Tzararacua. At the moment, I would first have to send them to meet one of our family in Morelia and have that person take them!

Tourism is a renewable resource for any country. Mexico cannot afford to NOT develop it's natural wonders and make them tourist friendly and accessible. Mexico cannot afford to let the current problems kill tourism. As I repeat over and over, on a daily basis, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, Huatulco and Mazalan are SAFE. Mexico City is safe, as in as safe as any large city plagued with poverty can be. What Mexico, as a tourist destination and as a country needs to do is find a way to make these incredible, natural destinations safe and easily accessible. And in this instance, when I say "safe" I am not speaking of drug violence...I am talking about having stairs that are evenly spaced, trails that are smooth, a way to get in and see the attraction without worrying that you may break a leg and have to be helivaked out...IF there were a way to get help!

Please see the movie. It is wonderful, it is beautiful, and the President Calderon is obviously in love with his country. And if anyone with influence in the area of tourism in Mexico should happen to read this, please realize that I love Mexico, too, and that my advice is sound!

Until next time,
Sonia

P.S. Don't forget to check out kiva.org

Casino Royale And What It All MeansTo Mexico

2011-09-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago there was a tragedy in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. A casino there was fire bombed and lives were lost. Because that is a crime new to Mexico the fire bombing generated a lot of attention in the press, both here and in Mexico, and it continues to be an item of interest in the U.S. press. I read a quote on Facebook from a young lady, Susan Marie that states “Terrorism has no face, no race, no religion, no culture nor nation.” I wanted to quote her in this blog and give her credit for the quote, because it truly applies to this situation. Whoever did the fire bombing, for whatever reason they did it, it is terrorism. If we let this sort of thing, far from the resort areas of Mexico, stop travel to anywhere in Mexico, then the bad guys have truly won.

The true reasons for this act of terror have not yet come to light. There was a quick explanation given, but, as layers of facts and non-facts peel away, eventually the real reason will be exposed. This will not make things better for those who lost family and friends, but the truth will be known, as it always is.

What does this mean for tourism in Mexico and, if anyone is interested, what is my opinion of travel there. First, we have a considerable amount of family in Monterrey. There are four families, all nieces and nephews with children, who live in Monterrey. Monterrey, unfortunately, is caught in the cross hairs of a power struggle between cartels. It has always been an industrial city and it is located around 50 miles from the U.S. border. Perhaps Don Porfirio (Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico from 1876 to 1880 and again from 1884 to 1911) said it best: "Poor Mexico, so far from God and so near to the United States."

Our family members have remained safe, something we hope continues. Monterrey continues to be a major industrial city. This is a bad series of events for the people living and working there, and, this too, shall pass. Are my husband and I going to Monterrey to visit? No, probably not any time soon.

We are, however, contemplating a trip to Morelia, Michoacan in December. Morelia, too, is involved in a war with the various drug cartels. We will go, we will exercise all due caution, and we will hope for the best. The bulk of my husband's family lives there and we want to visit them and he wants to go home. I understand and we will deal with it.

How do these problems relate to the tourist destinations in Mexico? It makes people here, who are not familiar with the geography of Mexico, uneasy. Consider this, Monterrey is 50 miles south of the U.S. border, closest to Brownsville, TX. Cancun is far removed from Monterrey, much further south and east. You would have to fly to Mexico City, which is a flight of around 3 hrs., then fly on to Cancun, which is over an hour away by plane. Do I consider Cancun safe...YES! Would I go? Of course!

Do people ever get killed in Cancun? Yeah, probably! People live there...it happens! Does it happen in and around the resort hotels? No! With the exception of the TV producer who most probably killed his wife at a resort hotel. With any luck, he will soon be extradited to Mexico and have to deal with Mexican justice.

Please understand that bad things happen in the U.S. as well. There was a shooting in Carson City, Nevada at an IHOP. Carson City is near where I'm from and, as cities go, probably as safe as they come. If something like that can happen in Carson City then nowhere is 100% safe, and I guess we really should not expect complete safety anywhere. Would I still go to Carson City? Of course!

To get to the bottom line, where do I consider to be a safe tourist destination in Mexico? Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapa-Zihuatinejo, Manzanillo, La Paz and Loreto. Mazatlan I have a few doubts about, but they are minor doubts and I would go there if the opportunity presented itself. Huatulco, great, but there hasn't been much call for it ever. Acapulco...NO! Sorry, Acapulco has had the problems spill over into the tourist zone once too often, I am simply not selling Acapulco.

I have done other blogs on how to stay safe, and my advice remains the same...doesn't matter if you're in Carson City, in Paris, in Mexico or in Jamaica...do not get out of control! That means don't go looking for those bars only the locals inhabit and don't get drunk with them. That also means don't be getting all Cheech and Chong with the locals regarding drugs...it's a business for some of those locals and you don't know which ones...leave it alone!

Other than that, enjoy. The beach cities I have named are fun, relaxing, and full of great deals. They know there is a problem, they are offering attractive specials, they are safe! Enjoy the break you are getting on the resorts because it won't last forever. The problems will diminish and the prices will go back up. Regarding Loreto, Baja California, WOW...safer than anywhere, including Independence, CA where I'm from. It is small town personified, as safe as it gets.

I would post this even if I were not involved in selling travel packages to Mexico. I have heard, all too many times over the course of my life, how dangerous it is to go ANYWHERE, Jamaica, Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, the list goes on and on. And yet I have been to all of those places, with the exception of Spain and Italy, sometimes multiple times, and always returned none the worse for wear. I look forward to many more years of travel using common sense and depending on what I have learned over the years to keep me safe.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. If you would like a luxury vacation at a bargain price, please contact me. Mexico, much like the U.S., is safe. Like the U.S., some areas of Mexico are safer than others...call me to see where you would feel the most secure.

Remember to check out KIVA.ORG

Unitl next time,
Sonia

Barbados...It Rolls Sweetly off the Tongue

2011-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

My flight to Barbados left from LAX on a Wednesday night, bound for JFK in New York City. I am amazed that American Airlines has managed to jam even more seats, even closer together into the fuselage of a plane. WOW...way to go AA!! The flight from LAX to JFK is about 5 hrs., non-stop. Arriving at JFK we (group of travel agents from the west coast and our Barbados Board of Tourism Representative, the very kind and patient Denise Marie) found somewhere to buy coffee and treats and await our next flight that would take us to Barbados. The next flight, still on American, was more comfortable. It takes 4 more hours to get from JFK to Bridgetown, Barbados. What this means is, you don't want to go for a 4 night stay...which is what we were doing. This is a destination that requires a week, perhaps even 9 nights. It's worth the trip, but this is a destination that deserves the time spent to enjoy it fully.

We from the west coast stayed at The Crane Resort. Nice resort! Large, lots of restaurants, a few shops, a charming bar or two, nice lobby...and free wifi. This is not an all inclusive resort. All inclusive resorts are in rather short supply on Barbados, although I think they will be coming soon. The all inclusive resorts we inspected were clean, charming, and rather small. The Crane had a kitchen in every room and the rooms were quite large. I had a large bedroom, small but complete kitchen, huge bathroom, and a private patio with its own family of kittens there in the morning. Nice, comfortable four poster bed and a tv. All in all, a very nice room.

This was a MegaFam, drawing agents from all over the world. All of the hotels participated and took in agents. The Crane, along with the west coast agents, had a group from New York and some agents from the U.K. Several airlines also participated in bringing us all together to see Barbados. Along with American, which I was on, Jet Blue was also bringing agents, along with Air Canada and probably Air France. Agents were there from Brazil and Argentina and I'm not sure which carrier they traveled with, but it was a mass effort by the Barbados Board of Tourism to show off their lovely island.

Our driver to all functions was Carl Bovell, who I would recommend to anyone wanting to go see the island. His phone is 246-427-9702 and his email is carltaxis@live.com.
His card reads Reliable, Efficient, Day or Night, Reasonable Rates and that was all true. He was kind and patient and always there to get us to our next destination.

Our first night in Barbados, after a tour of The Crane, was a party at The Hilton, complete with live music. After flying all night and being in the air 9 hours I can honestly say I was glad to get back to the hotel, but the Hilton's location was lovely and I enjoyed watching the moon reflected on the ocean and seeing the lights from the party play on the water.

What I was most looking forward to was visiting the caves on Barbados. That was our destination on our first full day on the island, and we sent out with Mr. Bovell at the wheel, right after breakfast. The caves are Harrison Cave, there are others, but Harrison Cave has been explored and is set up to receive tourists. There is a Visitor's Center where you purchase tickets to enter the cave, then a set of elevators that take you down about 2 stories to the ground below. From there, you walk to an Interactive Visitor's Center where you can learn about how the cave was formed, who explored the extensive cave system, and what the flora and fauna in the area are. From there, you watch a short, interesting film, and then proceed to an open train that takes you deep into the cave system. The cave system, to say the least, is spectacular! We went to a depth of around 180 feet underground. Nice, steady temperature compared to the heat outside, and a driver/guide explaining what we were seeing as we went forward. We were given several opportunities to leave the train and walk short distances. This was probably my most favorite attraction of all the lovely things we saw and did. This would normally be about a half day tour, and there are shops around the entrance to the Interactive Visitor's Center, as well as places to picnic and a snack shop. If you are traveling with children, this would make a great excursion!

From the caves we went to St. Lawrence Gap, which is the center of restaurants, night life and activity. And there we found The Boat Yard, which is the kind of place you might expect to find Jimmy Buffett hanging out. Places to relax, nice bar with a wide variety of drinks, food, and also where we got ready to march/dance/walk in the Crop Over Carnival. We picked up tee shirts in whatever color we liked, had them "customized" which meant having them shredded artistically, and were then bussed to the start of the parade. The parade was a hoot! Hot sun, high humidity, and lots of beads and music. The Crop Over refers to a time when a given plantation would be done harvesting their crop...hence Crop Over...and there would be food, dancing and parades. We ended the parade at Divi Resort's beach with a bar-b-que and cold drinks. Of course since cane...meaning sugar cane...was the main crop of the island, that means rum was one of the island's biggest exports...and still is. Mt. Gay Rum is from Barbados and is world famous.

One morning and afternoon was spent snorkeling, doing two stops, one for tropical fish and one to swim with the turtles. Beautiful, clear water, great music on the boat, good drinks and a gourmet lunch. Again, this would be at least a half day tour. I have clients who are scuba divers and, as a non-diver, it certainly LOOKED to me, judging by the fish I could see from the boat deck, that it would be good for scuba as well as snorkel. Sport fishing looked good, too. The water is beautiful, Caribbean blue, turquoise and green and the beaches are soft, sandy, and, in the case of The Crane, pink sand beaches.

One morning was a trade show, giving all the hotels, apartments, car rental places and other tourist related business a chance to show us what they have to offer. The surprise to me was that the trade show was held in an airplane hangar...and there was a Concorde in the hangar! One of the remaining Concordes is permanently housed in Barbados. We were allowed to board the Concorde, which was thrilling. It was smaller inside than I had expected, but still had more legroom than the American flight from LAX to JFK!

Because much of Barbados' tourism comes from Canada and England, usually in the winter months and from people wanting to stay for a month or two, there are a lot of charming hotels, including The Crane, where I was, set up for light cooking. Many of the hotels have small kitchens, an area for dining, and are walking distance to markets. Fresh fruits and vegetables are easily obtained and there is a wonderful supply of fresh fish. Flying fish is one of the specialties of Barbados, usually served fried. Macaroni pie, which was delicious, is another specialty. No really strange food here, Andrew Zimmer from Bizarre Foods would be disappointed, but it was all tasty and well served, no matter where we ate.

Drinks lean toward rum based, I don't think I tried anything other than rum concoctions, but they were all good. There is an island beer, but it's not a dark beer, so I didn't sample it.

Barbados was owned by the English and has had independence for a number of years. The island is clean, the people are friendly and kind, and the education rate is high. Roads were in good condition, although I would probably not recommend renting a car, at least not right away, as driving is on the opposite side of the road for us. Over all, the fact that the island is prosperous and well educated means that there is very little petty crime. You feel safe walking around!

Our flight back was routed through Miami. It is about 3.5 hrs. from Barbados to Miami, then another 5 hrs. back from Miami to LAX. Again, this is NOT Cabo! This is not someplace to go for a long weekend or a few days. This is a destination with a variety of things to keep you busy and deserves a week, minimum.

Of course Barbados also offers top quality golf courses for those of you who are golfers.

Our last night in Barbados we were priviledged to be invited to a performance by Fantasia Barrino, however her opening acts were two very talented singers who are locals to Barbados. It was a great performance from everyone and a fitting last nigt on the island.

Having seen Barbados, I am hoping to get to see Dominican Republic soon, along with St. Lucia and Antigua. No plans in the near future, but those certainly are places where I would like to see the hotels and what is being offered.

Please remember to check out Kiva.org

Until next time,
Sonia

"HELP, I Need Sombody" with apologies to The Beatles

2011-06-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

I see I have posted nothing since December. I think perhaps one of my New Year's Resolutions was to post something every other week. And then I decided perhaps I should only post when I have something to say...and so that's the way it is!

In June, 1985, I woke up slumped over my books and purse, sitting on a hard plastic seat in the airport in Tijuana. I looked around and wondered why my flight had not been called. My mother had accompanied me as far as the airport and then returned to Riverside. She and I had flown out of Tijuana before and she knew I would be fine, after all, I was 40 years old and had SOME common sense.

My routine in flying from Tijuana had been to check in, check my bags, go to the departure gate and buy a beer. There were cute little portable bars at each departure gate. There had been very little sleep the night before in anticipation of flying to Guadalajara and spending the night, then taking the bus from Guadalajara to Morelia to go back to school for the summer. The beer was good, the sun blasted through the window in front of where I was sitting, I was out like a light. When I woke up it was an hour after my flight was supposed to leave. I found someone working an AeroMexico gate and asked what had happened to my flight. It had been canceled, no reason given.

This left me by myself, stranded at the airport in Tijuana, my bags already checked in, and this was years before we all owned cell phones.

No explanation was ever given for why the flight was canceled. I met some wonderful, kind people while I waited for AeroMexico to find a flight to put us on. I arrived in Guadalajara around 3am and took a combi to my hotel, where, fortunately, I had a reservation. Since I had NO experience then as a travel agent I didn't know the chances of my bags being with me on my new flight were slim and none. As luck would have it, my bags arrived with me. I wish I knew the names of the people who were so kind to me in Tijuana. They were also trying to get to Guadalajara, they were concerned for me, and they made me feel not quite so alone.

The next time I was stranded was in Honolulu. I was on a FAM trip. We had visited the Big Island of Hawaii and we were flying Delta. There was a representative of Delta along on the trip, as well as a representative from Runaway Tours, the company who had kindly offered the FAM.

Prior to our flight departing, there was a long delay. Then, an electrician boarded the plane. He did something, got off, we taxied out. We then turned around and taxied back. The electrician got on the plane again, did something else, and got off. We taxied out and then taxied back. By now, I really, REALLY wanted off that plane. This was May, 1991. Again, some people probably had cell phones, I was not one of them. I desperately wanted to get off and purchase a ticket on some other airline, ANY other airline, back to LAX. By now I was a travel agent and I knew how expensive that would be. So, I waited to see what would happen next and prayed that we would not be forced to fly on that plane.

We were deboarded, given a meal voucher, and boarded on a later Delta flight. We were allowed one phone call and I was able to reach my husband and tell him I would be getting home very late.

I have been stranded twice more...once in Puerto Vallarta and, if you read my last blog, ALMOST stranded in Mexico City on our own vacation.

It really doesn't matter WHOSE fault it is, the airline, the person who did the ticketing, the weather...stranded is stranded and it isn't fun. The reason I mention my past experiences in being stranded is because I know how I felt at the time. Stranded, no one to call, no help from the airlines or, in one instance, the airport shuttle service...totally at the mercy of luck, wits and the kindness of strangers. I really don't want my clients to have to go through that, so
I give my cell phone number to certain clients. I'm not sure how I select which clients need my cell phone number. I guess it might be a sixth sense that there could be a problem. Obviously, my client traveling in Egypt as I write this has my cell phone. However, other clients have it as well. If you feel unsure and feel you need it, just ask, I will give it to you.

There are some rules that go with having my cell phone number. I have never written or stated those rules until now, but they are worth remembering for any emergency.

First, please, when you call, understand that you are having an emergency and I am not expecting you to call. If I have thought of you at all, it is to think that you are now on your way to a long awaited and well deserved vacation. If you are a friend from Facebook, your phone number and photo will show on my cell and I will know who's calling. If you're not a dear friend or a Facebook acquaintance, there will be NOTHING to tell me who you are. An unfamiliar number on my cell and no special ringtone. PLEASE identify yourself and make sure I'm awake enough to understand. I may be in bed (time differences), I may be getting ready for work, I may be just starting dinner. The one thing I am NOT doing is sitting around waiting for you to call.

Second, if you are stranded somewhere, make sure I know WHERE you are stranded. Yes, you probably told me. I might not catch where you are when you first tell me you are stuck, and I will PROBABLY assume you are stranded at LAX. My bad! Remember, I am NOT expecting you to call and I have no idea you have a problem, let alone what that problem is. Once you have established contact with me by calling, and you need to do that so I know you are in trouble, remember you can also text me. That means I can be on my computer looking for flights and have vital information from you as a text on my phone. I can also pass information you need on to you via text. This saves the problem of trying to understand flight numbers and confirmation numbers over the phone.

If the problem is a canceled flight, please remember you are your own best advocate. Good for you that you called me and I can get dressed an go to my office and try and find back up flights. However, as soon as you hang up with me, call the reservation number of the airline you are flying, while you are standing in line, and see if reservations can find you an alternate flight. You have a good chance that, between us, we can have the problem solved by the time you get to the front of the line.

If the problem is that the view from your room is not what you expected, please don't call in the middle of the night on my cell phone. This is something that can wait until the next day and be worked out. Things don't always go the way we want, some things are emergencies, some are not. I have given you my cell and it is to use "in case of EMERGENCY". However, I had two mothers and their teenage daughters I had booked into a hotel on Waikiki Beach. The hotel was short on rooms and had put the four of them in a room with a king size bed. NOT OK and, since one of the women called my cell during the day on a Saturday I was more than willing to help her out.

Sometimes the problem is a transfer. The transfer company did not show up as arranged, or they are insisting on taking you to a different hotel. In one instance, it really was an emergency that was happening at 4am MY time. I was in my office and working phones by 5am and the problem was resolved. In other instances, there may be nothing I can do other than tell you to take a cab and work on getting you a refund for the missing transfer when you get home.

Everyone should understand that flights get canceled. Everyone should also understand that cruise lines have a schedule to keep. Book the air through the cruise line or book it independently, if you are not at the pier when the ship sails, it will sail without you. I always advise flying in a day early when you are taking a cruise. I have yet to regret giving clients that advice. Yes, it is more expensive. If everything works the way it should, you will need a hotel. However, you will board the ship without the anxiety of wondering if you are going to miss the ship; and you will be well rested. It the worst happens, you have a day of grace to try and get to the ship before it sails. This is one of the reasons I highly recommend trip insurance. Trip insurance also covers trip delays, and may pay for getting you on to the next location of the cruise ship or tour. Trip insurance companies also have hot lines, where the phones are manned 24/7 by people who can help you schedule a flight to catch up to your ship...or straighten out the issue of lost luggage...or do a number of other things. Cruise lines DO NOT have 24 hour customer service, not for me, not for you, not for anyone.

Remember, ships do not wait, and if you miss your ship, you must go to the next port to pick it up at your own expense. Keep that in mind when booking shore excursions as well. Book your shore excursions with the ship and they will probably hold the ship in port until your group returns. Book on line with who knows who and should an accident or emergency occur while you are out on your excursion, the ship will be gone when you get back to port.

It's comforting to have someone to call in case of emergency. A voice on the phone who is advocating on your behalf is the best you can hope for. Please help me help you if you need to call me by being very specific about who you are, where you are and what the problem is. In other words, make sure I'm AWAKE! Last of all, when it is all over and the problem has been resolved, please text me that you are OK. I really would like to know you are safely on your cruise or at your resort or on your guided tour.

Returning to the subject of trip insurance, and borrowing a line from Kaiser Permanente "if you are having a medical emergency"...PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME FIRST! Please call the trip insurance company...and I hope you purchased trip insurance. You can call me afterwards and have me call your family. You can call and tell me what happened. But if you are seriously ill or hurt you should be calling the toll free number on the insurance brochure before you call anyone else. If you didn't take trip insurance there is little I can do to help, other than try and arrange a flight back home for you.

Since I'm heading for Barbados to look at hotels and island attractions at the end of June, my next blog will probably be on Barbados. My cell phone is going with me!

Until next time,
Sonia

When Travel Agents Take a Vacation, II

2010-12-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

So here were in Merida, in a room that was beautiful but apparently had not been completely cleaned, and it was getting on toward 3am. The air conditioning was loud but fairly efficient and the room was getting somewhat cooler. We went to bed.

In the morning, there was hot water, we had had some rest, we had the whole day to explore Merida as our trip to Celestun Nature Reserve and Biosphere was not until the next day. Breakfast was nice and our waiter was efficient and attentive and knew that I needed lots of coffee! The food was good, freshly made, not a breakfast buffet. We ate well and started out to explore. Around the corner from our hotel was a 17th century church, still in use. We walked in the courtyard of the church and looked around, then continued our walk to the downtown area, government palace, cathedral, shops and restaurants. It was very warm, but not as bad as the night before had been. Later in the day we caught a local bus out to a shopping center and had lunch at Cafe California. Cafe California is a chain of restaurants in Mexico, where you can do buffet dining or order off the menu.

Later that night we walked back to the center of Merida and had dinner, cochinito pibil, in the portales at outdoor tables. Cochinito Pibil is the official "dish" of Merida and the Yucatan. Nice chunks of well cooked pork (cochinito) in a not-too spicey sauce; fresh, homemade corn tortillas and flan for desert. A very nice end to our first day in Merida.

Nov. 4 and we were having breakfast at our hotel again and waiting for the guide to pick us up and take us to Celustun Nature Reserve. I had booked this trip for clients a year before and knew I wanted to go myself. Celestun has flamingos. I wanted to see flamingos in the wild.

Celustun is about an hour and a half from Merida, going through Mayan villages with traditional homes and small businesses. Our guide and driver was very informative and gave us time to stop and take photos.

We arrived at the ocean and continued on to Celustun, which is a series of channels and islands, an estuary. Our first stop was to see the flamingos. They are hatched white in color, and get their brilliant pink by eating shrimp. It takes around 6 months for the white babies to turn pink. We boarded a canoe and with a Mayan Indian as our guide and paddler, set out to see estuary. It was incredible! We paddled through mangroves with the guide pointing out fish, birds, huge termite nests, spiders and a great horned owl. Fish jumped across the water in front of our canoe, woodpeckers worked insects out of trees, one of the nicest excursions I've ever taken. The cost of the excursion is around $50. per person, plus a tip for our driver and our Mayan guide, well worth it and with lunch included.

By now, a northern front had arrived and the weather was quite cool and comfortable. Our trip through the estuary had come with short rain squalls, but nothing that disturbed our canoe trip. Temps had dropped from the mid 90s down to a very comfortable mid 70s during the day, probably mid 50s in the evening.

The next day after breakfast we were picked up an taken to Chichen Itza. This was a much longer trip than the one to the estuary. Approximate travel time is around 3hrs. The highway we took is a freeway, nothing really unusual or interesting to see, but a comfortable ride. I had been to Chichen Itza before and enjoyed it, but had no illusions that this would be a luxury hotel. I was hoping our room would be nicer than the one in Merida.

Upon our arrival at The Lodge at Chichen Itza we were escorted to our bungalow, concierge level room. I was amazed! A beautiful room in a group of 3 bungalows. The bungalows have their own private pool, hammock and concierge level comes with appetizers and a welcome drink. Appetizers were a large platter of tacos and antojitos, all Yucatan style. I ordered a Margarita and Jaime had a Bloody Mary....everything was wonderful...beyond expectations! We walked around the grounds of the hotel, then went back to our room and took a nap to make up for the lost sleep due to the very hard bed in Merida. We woke up around 4pm to the songs of what must have been a million different birds, all talking to each other and looking for their nests for the evening.

We walked around the grounds and explored some more, then went to the Sound and Light Show at Chichen Itza. For years I have wanted to attend the sound a light show at one of the ruins. Most of the ruins in Mexico present a night show. I had expected people to be on the ruins, coordinated with the narration and lights. To the contrary, there are no people you can see, only voices and lights. There were folding chairs set up in front of the grand pyramid, El Castillo, the only light was from the moon and stars, so El Castillo loomed up as a giant shadow. The program started and the lights and narration began, it was awesome! The narration is only in Spanish, so you must either understand Spanish or just relax and absorb the overall atmosphere. One of the verses quoted during the show is one I have carried in my wallet for many years, so it was very moving to hear the verse used in the context for which it was intended.

We had dinner in the main building of the Lodge and walked back to our bungalow listening to the night sounds in the jungle.

In the morning, we went back into the ruins to explore all of Chichen Itza in the daylight. We spent most of the day walking and taking photos. This was a much more relaxing way to see Chichen Itza than the day trip I did years ago. There is a sense of awe walking around the incredible artistry that was Chichen Itza. The good...well, the ruins, the silence once you move away from other groups, the amazing architecture. The bad...the vendors. I bought, Jaime bought...very hard to resist buying a few things, but the wave of vendors keeps coming, and coming! I had a hard time concentrating on all that I was seeing because I was constantly interrupted by someone asking me to buy something. I have great sympathy, because these are local people who come from nearby villages to sell their handmade wares...but somehow, there needs to be a limit. Perhaps if one large area were set aside just outside the park for vendors only. That will never happen, but it's an idea!

My biggest regret was not adding on to the nights at The Lodge at Chichen Itza. We could easily have stayed another two or three nights just relaxing and enjoying the bird songs and the people. The waiters were excellent. Helpful, friendly, some of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Having a waiter who had worked for the establishment for 20 plus years was not unusual. Most of the waiters spoke Mayan, Spanish, English and a smattering of other languages including French and German. Chichen Itza is a truly international destination. Braulio, the captain of the waiters, was amazing. Whenever we wanted anything, no matter how small, he was at our side offering assistance. The young man in the gift shop did me the favor of wrapping the wood carving I purchased at Chichen Itza...without being asked, with no other idea than to be of service. Just amazing!

With regrets, we were off to the Riviera Maya the next afternoon. The ride from Chichen Itza to Riviera Maya is fairly long, 4 to 4.5 hrs, going on state routes and some very comfortable highways. The highway passes through small villages and some large towns, so, although long, it was interesting. We were going to El Dorado Royale by Karisma. Jaime had never been to an all inclusive resort nor seen a "swim up" room...we were going to have both!

We arrived at El Dorado Royale around 7pm, tired from the long ride. Our room was a "casita", there are 4 to a block, with two on the bottom, which are "swim up" rooms, and two on the top. We had two jacuzzi tubs, one in the living area and another in the bathroom, and an outdoor shower. LOVED the outdoor shower! When you turned on the taps you would hear birds singing. Step in, look up, and see the sky! What a treat! We had a very private patio (surrounded by gauzy curtains) with our swim up area with two loungers right in front. The patio was large enough for a table and two chairs and a sun bed. We had breakfast there every morning. There were birds joining us waiting for crumbs, and really bold birds coming right inside to join us for breakfast, and a very friendly iguana.

We did NOTHING for three whole days, other than take a shopping trip supplied by the hotel into Cancun. There were sun beds lined up along the beach and, unlike some resorts, there is no charge to use them. The waiter would come by bringing us skewers of fresh fruit, cold from the ice chest he carried them in. Other waiters would pass by and check to make sure we had what we wanted to drink. They were all charming and helpful. Probably my only complaint about El Dorado Royale was the beach. It's a bit rocky and it would have been nice to have river wader sandals to make it easier to walk out to deeper water. On the other hand, neither of us are ocean swimmers and we managed to pick out way out to where the water was chest deep and stand there and enjoy the warm Caribbean. Farther out, we watched people scuba diving and snorkeling.

There are more restaurants at the resort than one can sample in a 4 night stay. This was another place where a couple more nights would have been nice. We enjoyed the Mexican buffet, pronounced good by my husband, who is hard to please when it comes to Mexican cuisine. His favorite turned out to be the Asian Fusion restaurant, where they even did an excellent ceviche. A European influenced international restaurant got our attention one night...lovely food and service. We had lunch one day at the Caribbean restaurant, lunching on three different types of ceviche. What we missed? Well, the French restaurant and the Italian restaurant AND the pizza place, which smelled heavenly every time we walked by. Too many restaurants (all included in the price) too few days.

Drinks were excellent...just tell them what you want in your drink. I had my Bloody Marys with Ketel 1 Vodka; Margaritas were with Hornitos. Although the majority of those beautiful Corona commercials are shot in the area, getting a Corona seemed to be impossible. Beer was Tecate, Sol or Carta Blanca. All are good beers, none happen to be to my particular taste.

Bikes are free for your use at the resort. We really MEANT to pick up a couple and bike around...we just never got around to doing it. There are activities and entertainment and tours, but we just relaxed and did NOTHING and it felt really good!

What I liked best, besides the staff, who were helpful and friendly? NO wrist bands!! And no time share people approached us. Were they there? Probably, but they were in the main lobby and were not aggressive.

I booked this part of our vacation through Pleasant Mexico and they did an excellent job. Our transportation back to the airport in Cancun was there on time and did a fine job.

Once in the airport, we were given our gate. We got upstairs and waited...and waited. There was activity around our gate area and I sat on the floor with my cell phone plugged into a pillar to try and get sufficient charge to have an operating phone when we arrived at LAX. It was past boarding time and I was getting nervous. I walked over and asked and the gate agent said our flight had not yet come in. More waiting, and we have a plane to connect to in Mexico City. Finally, a man came around asking our names and told us our plane was at a different gate and was boarding. YIKES!! AeroMexico and their "guess the gate" struck again!

The flight back to Mexico City was quick and easy and, once there, we went through security no less than 4 times. Our plane back to LAX was on time, although we didn't know what gate we would be departing from for quite some time. We hit the duty free shops, bought water, bought a newspaper and killed time until it was time to board. Back at LAX we were quickly picked up and taken home by Go Fly.

What would I do different, you ask? Well, one less night in Merida; 2 more nights in Chichen Itza and at least 2 more nights at El Dorado Royale...and I would probably NOT fly AeroMexico. I would also pass on the corn sorbet I couldn't live without tasting in Merida.

The hotel in Merida had charm and flavor, two things I was looking for, but I would probably not use it for my clients. We went by the Hyatt several times, it is in a nice location and looked good, and that probably trumps a certain amount of "charm and flavor"! I would send people to The Lodge at Chichen Itza with great pleasure. Best time to go is when we were there, early November through the spring. Go in the middle of summer and the heat would be oppressive.

El Dorado Royale by Karisma...of course I will use for my clients! A wonderful experience. My husband, who is not in the business, commented that even the rooms that are NOT swim up looked very nice. The garden view rooms and regular ocean view rooms looked just fine. Were I to stay ONLY in the Riviera Maya area I would want to do a side trip to Coba (another Mayan ruin and one I have never seen); I would also want to go to Cozumel (wish we had done that!); and I would want to go to Sian Caan, which is much like Celustun, but closer to the Riviera Maya.

If there is a point to this whole story, the point would be this: We (travel agents in general and my husband and I in particular) pay for our vacations just like everyone else. Yes, there are discounts, but some things, such as the hotel in Merida, the trip to Celestun, and the 4 nights at the El Dorado Royale, we pay the same price our clients do. We worry (I worry) when it is OUR vacation about the same things my clients worry about. Is it going to be a nice hotel?...Will the vacation be worth the money we've spent on it?...Will the food be good?...Will the weather be good? Some things can't be guaranteed. Yes, the hotel in Merida looked great...but it fell a little short. Yes, there were some glitches, but not the things I was worrying about (hotels, food and weather!). The glitch was in the airline tickets. It doesn't pay to worry should be EVERYONE'S first lesson. Second lesson, keep calm, no matter how frustrating the circumstances. Third and most important lesson...keep your sense of humor! Nothing is perfect all the time; and nothing is a catastrophe all the time. If you can manage to not spend your time worrying over things you can't control, and you can stay calm and deal with the things you CAN control, you will have a great vacation...we did!
These are wonderful places and the spring would be a great time to go. Call me! If the travel agent liked her vacation, you will, too!

Until next time,
Sonia

Don't forget to check Kiva.Org

When Travel Agents Take a Vacation

2010-12-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

Our vacation this year was to Mexico. The same Mexico you read horror stories about in the newspaper. The same Mexico it is supposed to be unsafe to travel to. The same Mexico that makes the news on TV on a nightly basis. But the Mexico we visited is not THAT Mexico. It is the Mexico where you can still have a safe, cost effective vacation.

Our vacation to Mexico started with me attending a bridal exposition in Cerritos in May. The show was to promote weddings in Mexico and inform us (agents, wedding coordinators, photographers) of the venues offered for weddings in Mexico, which, by the way, are legal in the U.S. and the rules and regs of getting married in different parts of Mexico.

At the end of the presentation my name was pulled in the drawing for the grand prize...1 free round trip ticket on AeroMexico and 2 free nights, with transfers, at Chichen Itza in The Lodge at Chichen Itza in one of their bungalows (concierge level). I sent my husband a text message and told him we were going to Mexico for our vacation.

We decided on going in November, and adding something on either side of Chichen Itza: 3 nights in Merida with a side trip to Clestun Biosphere Reserve and 4 nights in the Riviera Maya at El Dorado Royale. We used our transfers to go from Merida to Chichen Itza and from Chichen Itza to the Riviera Maya.

A couple of months prior to taking our vacation, AeroMexico contacted me and told me they would be closing their Los Angeles office in a few days and it would be nice if I would tell them what I wanted to do with the free ticket. We decided my husband should have the free ticket and I would fly on the Amigo ticket (a discount offered to travel agents only). Now, the "free" ticket isn't completely free. The taxes need to be paid and they are usually around $100. or more. The Amigo ticket is discounted, but is a ticket that requires all taxes be paid along with the cost of the actual ticket. I told the person at AeroMexico what I was looking for, a flight from LAX into Merida and a flight from Cancun back to LAX. The flights we agreed upon were good, both routed through Mexico City, but that was expected. The arrangements were made and the information emailed to me.

I looked the emailed itinerary over carefully and then called regular reservations to get seats assigned. I like an aisle seat, my husband prefers a window seat. Our usual routine is to each get what we like and hope no one sits between us. I called AeroMexico four different times to check out seats and our itinerary. We had a very minor schedule change, but, other than that, we were good to go.

To get to LAX I called the car service I use when I don't feel it's convenient to drive. The company is Go Fly and they are wonderful. We were picked up at home on Nov. 2 and taken to Terminal 2 at LAX. We checked in and the agent at the AeroMexico ticket counter appeared never to have seen an e-ticket before. She wanted some "additional identification". She was holding each of our passports and I explained that was pretty much all we had. She then asked if we didn't have some sort of company ID from AeroMexico. I understood then, and explained that my husband was holding a free ticket and that I was using the Amigo ticket agents are entitled to use. With much laughter all around, she then understood, but seemed to still be confused about what to do with us. Finally, we got checked in and had our bags checked in and headed upstairs to wait for our flight to board.

It is NOT a good sign when the the person at the ticket counter seems confused! We arrived in Mexico City and deplaned, going down to the immigration hall and on to baggage claim. Passing through immigration and collecting our luggage we went on to customs. I looked at our bags and saw they were only checked through to Mexico City...NOT a good thing. We decided our safest plan to have our bags arrive with us in Merida was to go upstairs with the bags, check in again, and have the bags checked through to Merida with us watching. So...onward and upward!

We found someone to check us in upstairs and she seemed to hesitate a great deal with my husband's ticket. I explained, yet again and in Spanish, that his ticket was FREE and I was traveling on the Amigo fare. The agent mentioned something about waitlisting and I explained that, no, neither of us were wait listed. These were confirmed seats. More hesitation and a lengthy trip to speak with another agent. Then the four of us, me, my husband, the agent we were dealing with...and yet another agent...examined the free ticket again. As luck would have it, the FREE ticket was not due to leave Mexico City for Merida until Nov. 4, while my ticket was to arrive in Merida on Nov. 2. I then explained, at length and in Spanish, about calling and reconfirming multiple times; about checking in at LAX, about conversations with the representative in the Los Angeles office, which had now been closed for two months. All to no avail, the tickets were not the kind you could use to fly stand by, even though the flight to Merida was wide open, and it was my fault for not catching the error when it first happened...despite reconfirming 4 times and not having anyone else catch the error.

At this point, those of you who know me, know that I was having a very hard time being civil. Being polite at all times in business dealings in Mexico is a necessity, and it was going through my head that I really needed to remain calm. With some bickering back and forth the agent agreed to go and talk to a higher power and see what could be done with my husband's ticket. Whoever the higher power was, he or she decided my husband should go with me to Merida that night, and the tickets were fixed, luggage sent off to be boarded on the plane and I was scolded once again. I then requested the return portion of both tickets be checked to make sure we had confirmed seats on the return...we did.

We were now free and clear. I was now concerned we might miss our flight, as the transaction had taken a great deal of time. We got to the departure hall and found our flight on the board, but no departure gate was listed yet. We sat a while, happy that disaster had been averted. Went to a farmacia and purchased two bottles of water and talked about the possibility of needing Pepto for later, deciding we really didn't need another thing to carry with us.

Back to checking the flight on the boards, no departure gate yet. I walked up to a gate agent and asked about our flight. They directed me to an information desk. We walked over and checked and found our flight was delayed but would be soon arriving and then departing for Merida. Hummm, sounding like Jamaica..."soon come". We looked for a place to eat and decided on the busiest restaurant/bar. The food was OK, not like the restaurants there used to be in the Mexico City airport, but OK nonetheless. I asked for a Margarita and was given a list of flavors that sounded like we were at Baskin Robbins. I explained a classic, regular Margarita, frozen, with salt, would be just fine. The waiter insisted I should order two and give one to Jaime because they were two for the price of one. With great patience and a smile I explained that Jaime did not really WANT a Margarita, but I certainly did, and one would be just fine. The waiter persisted and explained they were two for one and I should have two. The waiter is fortunate he escaped with his life. I snarled at him and told him to forget the Margarita and just give me a Coke like my husband. Lucky man!

VH1 was cranked up full volume in the restaurant with no one listening or paying attention except us. I was enjoying the music videos but could not hear announcements of departing flights, it was getting late, and I was getting nervous. I told my husband we needed to finish eating and get back out to the departure hall. Once again in the departure hall, there was no sign of our flight. I found a flight crew sitting around and asked if they were the crew for Merida. They were not, their flight was going to Cancun and it was delayed coming in. I was beginning to sense a pattern here!

We waited some more. At this point, my biggest fear was that our flight would be canceled and we would be forced to spend the night in Mexico City. First, I would lose one night's deposit at the hotel we had in Merida, but, far more important, I was not sure I would be able to get our tickets validated again for the next day. We waited some more and my husband went to the men's' room. I walked up to another gate agent and asked about our flight and was told a gate was assigned. I could see people assembling by the gate and the boarding call was being given...and my husband was in the men's' room. Hummmm...so I went in the men's' room and told him to get a move on, we were leaving! At a certain age, and I AM that age, I figure it's more important to catch a flight than to worry about who else might be in the men's' room!

We boarded the plane, hours past our scheduled departure, and were off to Merida and unexplored territory. Neither of us had ever been in Merida and we were both curious about what we would find. I was also curious about the chances of our hotel being open when we arrived.

The plane landed in Merida around 1:30am and we disembarked to a heat beyond anything I had imagined. I knew it would be humid and by November, I thought some of the heat would have abated. It must have been 90 degrees at 1:30am with 85% humidity. The air was practically liquid. We still needed to claim our luggage and get a taxi to our hotel, which was in the center of town. Getting a taxi means lining up outside the airport and buying a ticket, then lining up and waiting for a cab that is designated as "yours". Finally, in the dark and humid night, we were on our way to our hotel. We pulled up in front of the hotel at 2:20am. It had been a very long day. The cab driver rang the bell at the entrance with no response. I was hoping he wouldn't dump us and our luggage and leave and he didn't. He said not to worry, someone would answer and in a few minutes they did.

Walking into the hotel lobby I was pleased to note that it looked just like the photos I had seen on TripAdvisor. Very Mexican colonial, a fountain, a cozy little lobby bar that doubled as a breakfast room, and the desk clerk had our reservation. On the spot I reserved our excursion to Celestun Biosphere, and then we were shown up to our room. I had reserved the Master Suite. The photos on TripAdvisor were beautiful, and the room looked just like the photos. A small living area, marble steps leading up to the very large bedroom, nice size TV, beautiful bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and dual shower heads. And at what must have now been 2:45am all I wanted to do was go to sleep. The air had not been put on, so the room was hot and stuffy. We turned on the air. It was very loud...I no longer cared! Then, I noticed the wilted boutonniere on my nightstand, a damp towel on our chair, the maid's tip still uncollected in an envelop...and two empty Coke cans, not ours, in the bathroom wastebasket. I called the front desk and the young man came back up to our room. He took the towel away, but didn't seem terribly upset that the room had been used. At this point, I didn't care.

My husband decided he needed a shower before he could sleep. There was no hot water. He is FROM Mexico and should know by now, the hot water tank (the boiler) is usually turned off late at night, not to be turned on again until early in the morning...he took a cold shower. The bed was beautiful but hard...and we both slept until morning.

This is part I of a two part blog on our vacation. Please stay tuned! All I can tell you is that our vacation got MUCH better in fairly short order, and I decided it was probably best not to ever send non-Spanish speakers on AeroMexico flights routed through Mexico City. I also freely acknowledge that the person at AeroMexico who booked my flights was probably under a great deal of stress and I don't blame her for our difficulties. I got a vacation, she got a pink slip. "Fixing" the problem in Mexico City was difficult, but it got done. Sometimes, you have to remember if you are actually on a vacation...you won!

Until next time,
Sonia

Remember to check out Kiva.org

What Was I THINKING!?

2010-10-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

FAM trips are what travel agents take to see hotels, resorts and destinations they hope to sell to clients. FAM trips are usually partially paid for by airlines, resorts, hotels and tourist boards. FAM is short for familiarization trip. It all sounds so neat and clean and easy, doesn't it? We (agents) take a trip that is low cost, usually being paid for by our agency or out of our own pocket. We look at the beautiful hotels, we dine at their expense, we participate in fun activities...and then we come home and sell, sell, sell...and everyone goes home happy!

A MegaFam is offered by one resort company, Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple, who are owned and operated by Gordon 'Butch' Stewart. Mr. Stewart is Jamaican, from Kingston, and has an interesting back history. I think he has done a great deal for tourism in Jamaica and in other Caribbean islands as well. He is dynamic, a larger than life personality. So, what would agents expect from Mr. Stewart? Why, a MegaFam, of course!

There have been several MegaFams leaving from California in the past, but this is the first one I decided to try. It was not inexpensive, $399. for a mere two nights at Beaches Turks and Caicos, but I would get to see three resorts: The new Sandals Emerald Bay, Beaches Turks and Caicos, and Sandals Royal Bahamian. I was dying to see all three properties, so I bit!

First, breaking my #1 rule, there were to be roommates. I am old enough to NOT enjoy slumber parties. If I do a FAM I want to be GUARANTEED a room to myself. This is NOT a vacation, it's a work trip. I value "alone time" to collect my thoughts and not be required to visit, make small talk or listen to complaints. If it sounds like I'm somewhat of a "diva" it is because I AM! I take my profession very seriously! However, I really wanted to see these resorts. My roommate was to be an agent I know casually from seminars. She is nice and is a friend of a friend. My roommate-to-be got a bad cold/flu, so another friend of mine went in her place. That was even better. We have traveled together before and if I have to have a roommate, I would choose her. Rule #2, I prefer smaller FAMS where it has been pre-determined by IATA card or word from the vendors that all agents going actually sell travel. YTB "agents" and other that are simply part of some multi-level marketing scheme do not sell travel, they "sell" action in in MLMs and have no good information to share with other agents. With 162 agents on the chartered flight, some were not involved in selling anything other than action in their barely concealed "pyramid" programs.

Next was getting to LAX to board the plane. We left Riverside at approximately 8pm, having heard no seats were to be assigned until check in, we knew it was important to get to the airport early, and our flight was departing at 1:29am on Monday. We were in line by 9:30pm. The line was long when we arrived, but it got much longer as more and more agents and industry people arrived.

The flight left on time, I slept off and on, we landed in Great Exuma, Bahamas with a tropical storm. The wind was blowing, the sea was churning, and dark clouds were gathering, and we needed to see the golf course BEFORE we started our site inspection. Fortunately, it was a drive around the golf course and not a walk, and then we were at the hotel. From that point, we divided into groups of 10 or 12, each group with a guide, and proceeded to walk through the resort. It's a large resort, we got to see many room categories, and to walk through many of the public areas. We even got to walk onto the sand for a group photo, with sand blowing into my mouth and eyes as we stood there for the shot. Is there a better way to see and judge a hotel? Not really. This gave all of us a look at different room categories, at the grounds and the pools and the restaurants and pubs. Nice property! We then were seated in one of the conference halls, heard the presentation by the resident manager and other officials, had a buffet lunch, and headed back to the plane that would carry us on to Turks. By now it was raining.

Our plane took off from Great Exuma for the rather short flight to Turks. It was now raining hard, but I had been up for around 24 hrs and I sleep well on planes. The last thing I heard was that we would have to circle the airport in Turks and wait for the storm to let up before we could land. At that, I was out like a light. I have no idea how long I slept, but I heard we circled the airport for at least a half hour. When we started to land, finally, I woke up fast. I am hardly ever scared flying, but that startled me and woke me right up. We landed in the rain and it was a long walk to the terminal building.

Now, crammed in a shuttle with a driver who considered silence a curse upon society, we were on our way to Beaches Turks and Caicos, which is a family resort. We drove through puddles big enough to hide a small car, and pulled into the beautiful driveway of the resort in heavy rain. Out of the shuttle, tip to the driver, and up to our rooms. At that moment, we were free to change, relax a little, go to dinner at any of the restaurants and enjoy the resort as though we were guests...and it was only about 8pm! My roommate and I decided to try Schooners, which is the a seafood restaurant. Good choice! We had some of the best red snapper I've ever eaten, done to perfection. From there, we moved on through the rain to the chocolate and martini bar. Short stop there for dessert and we were off to see the disco, Liquid. OK, now we are just running on adrenalin, because we have been up well over 24 hours. Short stay at the disco and we were back in the room and finally asleep. Next morning would start early!

Next morning we needed to take our Sandals Certification Class. That meant being up, dressed and ready to listen and take notes by 7:30am. There was coffee (not enough!) pastries and fruit to take to our places, which were already equipped with notebooks and a workbook. Hands down, this was the BEST certification class I have ever taken! It was long, running around 5 hrs., but the speaker was excellent and brought to light many good points about sales in general. GREAT class and, although the time did not fly by, it held my attention for the entire class.

Next was lunch at Mario's, buffet style. OK, by now I was kind of hoping to order off a menu, have someone wait on me, and maybe, just MAYBE, bring me a drink. No menu, but I did get a Bloody Mary. More group photos were taken and we were off and walking. We did a walking tour of the whole resort, Caribbean Village, French Village and Italian Village. It is a very LARGE resort. The walking tour took 2 hrs. 45 minutes. I now was sure which village I would most like to put clients in, what restaurants were available, what ALL the pools looked like, and how a table set up on the beach for an intimate dinner looks (beautiful!). Fortunately, we weather had cleared and it was exquisite, warm and sunny with bright blue sky and fluffy white coulds...and NO rain!

The next few hours were ours to use as we wished, dining where we wanted, doing a little shopping and postcard writing, checking out the disco again, and back to the room because we had to be packed and ready to leave at 6:00am.

6:00am came quickly and we were checking out and lining up again, back to the airport, and on board for the short flight to Nassau, Bahamas. Arriving in Nassau it was blazing hot. The trip to Sandals Royal Bahamian was interesting, with a very informative bus driver pointing out the sights and points of interest.

Sandals Royal Bahamian was a lovely surprise and not what I had expected. We did a walking tour, which included the gym on the 6th floor with the most beautiful ocean view I've ever seen in a gym. The sun was brutal and we were walking outside to see as much as possible of the grounds. Great hotel! Upon entering one of the rooms I immediately knew which client I would like to have stay there, which is the purpose of these trips.

From there it was off to the ferry dock and on to the ferry and over to Sandals private island for a beach party. By now, I was seriously starting to wilt! I was not nearly as interested in the beach party as I was the possibility of getting home and getting to sleep in my own bed. The beach party is done once a week. If I were a guest at Sandals I would enjoy the entertainment and the food and ambiance. The music was great, the entertainment was fabulous...but I was wearing out.

Sandals let us try out their spa services. Any of us who wanted could get a short sample massage. It was wonderful. Made me feel like a new woman for a few minutes and eased the pain in my hip. Then, as a special surprise, Gordon Stewart, "Butch", came to speak to us in person. I have seen photos of him many times and have seen him speak on film at presentations. This was the first time I ever saw him in person. Very exciting! He had good things to say and a positive outlook on tourism that matches my own.

From there, on to the ferry, back to Nassau, back to the buses, back to the plane and back to LAX. We landed in LAX on Wednesday night, around 8:30pm.

That is a FAM. Was it typical? Yes and no. Yes, in that FAMS are usually short and fast paced, seeing a lot of resorts and learning a lot in a short span of time. Some FAMS include more activities. I have gone on a snorkel excursion, gone horseback riding, and done 4 wheeling on FAMS, as well as taken excursions to some interesting places. I tend to love those FAMS the most, because I can tell my clients what there is to do other than stay at the resort.

It is not typical to go on a FAM that includes 162 agents on a chartered flight. Usually I am flying on regular, commercial air, and there are 5 to 20 other agents on the trip. There is time to compare notes with other agents, which is a great source of learning about the industry. There was really no time on this trip to talk to other agents. Besides my roommate, I knew two other agents on the FAM. There was no time to compare notes.

Would I do it again? Well, I probably wouldn't go back to Turks and the Bahamas, having now been there, unless I could stay longer and see more. I have heard about the possibility of anothe MegaFAM, I would have to give it serious consideration. A little slower pace might have been nice!

FAMS are wonderful. Seeing a destination is really the only way to be able to describe it to a client, and the only way to be able to guide a client to the perfect vacation spot.

For those of you who think travel agent trips are all fun and lounging by the pool...think again! This trip was not for the faint of heart, but was worth all the stress in so many way. I understand Turks and Caicos offers great scuba diving, as do the Bahamas. If you are interested in learning to dive and live in the Riverside area, check out Wiley's Scuba Locker.

Please remember to check out Kiva.org.

Until next time,
Sonia

Seldom At A Loss for Words...

2010-10-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Of all people, I am seldom at a loss for words...however a couple of things I read lately have left me pretty much speechless. In Letters to the Editor of the L.A. Times about a month ago someone wrote in to complain about airlines allowing small pets on planes. Now, only very SMALL pets are allowed in the cabin area of the plane (the pet must fit UNDER the seat in front of the owner in its cage and be able to stand up in the cage). There are only two pets allowed on any one plane at any given time, and the pet owners pay a very high price to take their pet along for the ride.

No sooner had that letter come out than someone else wrote in wanting to ban all cologne and fabric softener people on planes...so if you used fabric softener on your clothes, or spritzed on cologne before leaving home you would not be allowed on the plane.

Well, if we're just going to get militant about it all...let's ban children under the age of, say, 15. No crying, no kicking the back of the seat in front, no listening to video games. While we're at it, let's also make passengers sign an agreement that they WILL NOT lean their seat back while the plane is in flight.

Can anyone think of anything else? No eating garlic before you board...or beans...or broccoli?

Really, although flying is not as comfortable as it was a few years ago and there are some new rules and regulations, let's not all go crazy! People need to get their pets safely from place to place. Parents need to fly with their children for the same reason. And,although some perfume can give me an instant headache, I would not want to see people banned from flying for that or for using fabric softener on their clothes.

If any of you find yourselves in a situation where you are sitting next to a person who is too, shall we say...fragerant..., try to go quietly to the flight attendant and ask if they could possibly change your seat.

Some of the things people find to complain about leave me speechless, which is no easy trick!

Please remember, before you harbor hard feelings about something for your entire vacation, go find someone in authority and ask for what you need. If you don't like your room at a hotel, go to the front desk and ask if it could be changed and if you could see some other rooms. Although I think it is less likely to work, you could do the same thing on a cruise. Go to the Purser's Desk and ask if their are other cabins you might be able to see and perhaps switch with your cabin. This does not mean you get to go from a standard room to a suite or from an inside cabin to the penthouse suite. It simply means you have an issue with your room/cabin and you would like to change for another room/cabin of the came price category. Sometimes, you might be fortunate and get a total upgrade, but don't expect it...that is not really what you are asking for.

Travel is educational, travel is fun, travel will change the way you see the world...but you have to put some effort into traveling. A good attitude and the ability to flex are essential. Remember, patience will go a lot further in getting what you want than demanding special treatment.

Some of the thing you can do to make your travels a little easier: 1. ALWAYS give your correct name as it appears on your drivers' license or passport...even if you have to take the document out and look at it. I'll wait while you check...I have time! However if you tell me your name is Jane Ann Smith...and then remember later on the correct spelling for your first name is Jayne, it is serious. Documentation is now being checked and no room is allowed for mistakes and spelling off by a letter or two. 2. Check where you are going. Unless you are going to the same place every year, check and make sure WHERE you are going. This sounds too simple, but a client of mine booked her ticket 3 months in advance, only to find out 5 days prior to flight time that she had picked the wrong city in Florida. Her ticket had her going to the Florida Panhandle...she needed to be on the west coast of Florida near the tip. UnOh! too far a drive to just slap a car reservation in there and call it a day. She had to spend an additional $265. to change the ticket, I had to spend 3 hrs. in the office on a Saturday making it happen. As long as I'm home and can come in I truly don't mind...but how stressful for my client! While we're on bad choices for a destination, please remember many states have towns with the same name. I'm from Independence, CA...don't even get me started on how many states have a town named Independence! I once sent a priest to Lafayette, Louisiana...he needed to go to Lafayette, Illinois...who knew!! 3. It helps to mention the STATE where the town you need to go to is located. I now try and remember to ask as well. Fortunately, airlines were much easier to deal with when I made that mistake and they graciously allowed me to fix it without charge...but that would never happen now!

Children do not get discounts on domestic air fare. Sometimes they don't even get discounts on international air fare, but if you are booking a package, every often children will get a discount at the hotel. Tell me when there are children in the package and give me their exact age at time of travel. Some packages are very generous and give a discount up to 17 years...I need to know because I want you to get the best price there is.

Considering all the problems, flying is still a good way to get where you're going and really is not all that bad. Plan ahead, be well prepared for waits (bring snacks and buy something to drink after you clear security in the airport). Remember that rules for boarding are different in different countries. In Jamaica I did not have to remove my shoes to go through security. In Mexico I was not allowed to board with water I had purchased after I went through security in Puerto Vallarta, while in Morelia I was allowed to board the plane with water bottles we had filled at my sister in law's home. The rules don't make sense, but please don't argue. Accept that different countries have different rules.

Mexico has it's own problems with timeshare people. When you arrive at most of the beach cities (excluding Manzanillo), time share people will INSIST they are your transportation to your hotel. You need to get through all of the timeshare people and exit the airport. There you will find the people responsible for transporting you to your hotel. Your transportation is PRE-PAID with your package. DO NOT let anyone tell you you need to pay for transportation to your hotel or you need to attend a time share presentation.

Go with a good attitude and an open mind and you will have a wonderful time. Go with the idea that people who used fabric softener should be banned from the plane and you will only make yourself miserable.

Until next time,
Sonia

Remember to check out Kiva.org

What's Good About Cruises?

2010-09-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I went to San Pedro to see the Coral Princess, which was on a journey of 20 plus days from Vancouver, Canada to Ft. Lauderdale, FL., transiting through the Panama Canal. The Coral is a beautiful ship which began service in 2003. It boasts lovely,inviting public rooms, a grand casino, two theaters and "movies under the stars", which is a Princess trademark.

In the last few years I've had a few complaints about the food on Princess ships. We were served lunch on board and both the food and the service were very, very nice. If every meal is done with that much care and quality, there isn't much to complain about.

Princess has a reservations only restaurant called Sabatinis Trattoria which serves both lunch and dinner. The charge to dine there is $20.00 per person. Looking at the ambiance and the menu, I would most certainly choose to have at least two dining experiences there, lunch and dinner. The buffet area, for which there is no additional charge, was lovely. Clean, airy and light, and looking very appetizing, the buffet looked like an excellent dining choice as well. With Princess you have a choice of early dining, VERY early dining, late dining, or free style dining. I am sure I would choose free style dining. You are able to dine at any dining room from 6pm until 10pm. We are not early diners, like to do things on shore, and that would work best for me. For those who want to always have the same wait staff and be at the same table, it is wiser to choose a fixed dining time.

Lunch was served to us in the Bordeaux Dining Room which was well lit and had a nice range of table sizes.

All of the closets in all of the cabins I saw were generous with space to hang out your clothes. Even the inside cabins had ample closet space. The inside cabins were not designed to my liking. I have seen better design of inside cabin space on other ships, but I must admit the closet space was generous! The outside cabins (with picture window) were quite nice. Balcony cabins could have been a little larger, but, as a friend pointed out, you can open the divider between your balcony and the cabin next door, assuming you have friends or family in the cabin next door, and have double balcony space...probably not recommendable if the people next door are total strangers!

Mini suites were quite nice, and the suites were lovely. The suites had large balconies and I could most certainly see sitting out on the balcony and watching the scenery drift by on an Alaska cruise.

Movies under the stars are something new that I believe both Princess and Royal Caribbean are offering. Think drive-in (for those of you old enough to remember drive-ins) but without cars.

There is an adults only pool on the Coral Princess with a jacuzzi on either side. VERY nice! The adult pool was beautiful! There is also a family pool and that seems to give everyone what they need, from time with the kids to time with other grownups.

There is a full service spa on board, they offer Bliss products among others. There is also a full service casino. Since I'm not especially lucky at games of chance I know where I'd be!

There is a very nice coin op laundry on board. Several washers and dryers, a board and iron. Now that airlines charge for the first bag and still more for the second bag, that is a really nice thing to have on a ship. You can take fewer clothes, cut down to one bag, and do a small load of clothes when you need fresh undies or a clean tee.

Speaking of cruising, I had the pleasure of booking a friend of mine on her very first cruise. Her daughter was in charge of making the arrangements and we discussed Princess vs Carnival. The daughter and her husband had sailed with Carnival before and liked it, so we ended up booking the Carnival Spirit doing a 7 night Inside Passage Alaska cruise.

Princess and Carnival are owned by the same company. They are both good ships with good service. Carnival's years of being the Party Ships are long over and Princess's reputation of being a little stuffy is also unfounded.

What I would like to pass on are my friend's observations as a first time cruiser. She loved the food and the service, and that is a given on most cruises. The cabin steward did different towel animals every night, he was kind and available when needed. The ship had lots of public areas that were comfortable and convenient.
The shows were good, the cabin was comfortable, and there were entertaining things to do.

What my friend did not like was finding that most of the ports seem to be tourist traps. Too many jewelry stores, too many people pushing you to buy and trying to convince you they have the ONLY good prices, not enough historical things to see and do. At one port, which is one of my favorite places, Victoria Island, they came into port in the evening and were there such a short time they didn't get to see all of the sights Victoria has to offer.

Unfortunately, my friend is correct in her observations, and this does not just apply to Alaska. Cruises are lovely and you can unpack once and see several ports in a short time...excellent for that purpose. If you want to see an area in depth, get a feel for the flavor, history and people, perhaps a cruise is not what you want to do. This would be true for Alaska, Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean...so pretty much everywhere! If you are on a guided tour, ANY guided tour, and the guide tells you he is taking you to a place that has the BEST widgets (fill in the blank for any arts and crafts/jewelry/liquor), the ONLY widgets made out of the finest silver, these widget prices are so good there is no need to bargain...RUN! It is one of the least favorite things of tourism. If you are wanting to buy arts and crafts of an area, any area, you really need to be in that place for a while and look around. It might be you are only in a place for a week, if you look, listen and ask questions, you will find out where the true craftspeople are located. You may need to bargain, you may need to pay what the item is actually worth, but you will get to know the people and the place a little better for that.

The exception to this is river cruising, where you tie up in the town and you can walk off the ship into the town and wander around at will. Our river cruise was tied up for 3 nights in Rouen in France. We might not have felt like natives, but we had an opportunity to wander off on our own and see more than the prescribed tourist sites.

In no way does this mean cruises are bad, it just means you need to make sure I know what it is you are looking for...the chance to see several ports and have a small sample of each; or the chance to know an area in depth.

Priness cruises deserves a big thank you from the travel agent community for inviting us on board and letting us see the ship. I will be very confident in recommending Princess and feel that I am comfortable recommending cabin catagories. Carnival Cruise Lines gets a big Thank You from me for taking such good care of my friend and her family. We have know each other for 51 years and it was certainly my honor to get to help plan her vacation.

Next stop for me will be a FAM trip to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. I will be going with Sandals and Beaches Resorts and I will get to inspect Sandals Emerald Bay; Beaches Turks and Caicos; and Sandals Royal Bahamian...you KNOW you will be hearing all about THAT trip!

Until next time,
Sonia
Please check out KIVA.ORG

Let's All Be Safe Out There

2010-08-16T00:20:00.001-07:00

People worry about going to Mexico and Jamaica, then they go, have a wonderful time, come home safe and wonder why they worried.

Safety should be something we pay attention to everywhere, not just when we are on vacation. We all know there are areas of most cities here in the U.S. where we wouldn't go walking alone at night. We know we should use our seat belts when we drive and not talk on the phone or text while driving. We know if we are out hiking we should be careful of old mine shafts, ticks and rattlesnakes. Those are all pretty basic things we are careful about.

However, think about the things that happen when you go on vacation. Do you pay attention to the emergency directions given by the flight attendant at the start of the flight? You should. Do you leave your seat belt on throughout the flight unless you get up to stretch or use the restroom? You should. I will admit to not always listening to every word the flight attendant has to say, but I always leave my seat belt on for the whole flight. I may loosen it a little, but I am belted in.

On to the other things that come about when we travel. More and more, all hotel rooms have an in room safe that is free of charge and where you control the combination...use it! When you are not using your camera, keep it in there. When you are not needing your cell phone, keep it in there. The same for extra money, extra credit cards and your passport and jewelry. If you are not using those items, keep them locked away with YOUR combination. If you are staying in a place that doesn't offer an in room safe then you need to travel with fewer at risk items and keep the items you do have safely out of sight, or, if there are safety deposit boxes at the front desk, use those.

Think about the things that could happen without becoming obsessive about it. I keep my jewelry to a minimum when I travel. If I'm traveling for business and I know there will be a dressy occasion, I will have something appropriate to go with the outfit I will be wearing...but it will NOT have sentimental value and it will not be something expensive.

Shoes! WHOO BOY! Shoes are a MAJOR issue for being safe while you travel! Europe and Mexico are full of cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks. Even here in the U.S. not all sidewalks are created equal. Comfortable shoes are a must, and if there is a heel, it should be a low, supportive one. There is nothing worse than being on a trip with feet that throb and ache because you decided you would rather suffer for fashion than wear comfortable (read ugly) shoes. When you go to beach destinations you might want to have shoes that will go in the water and protect your feet.

Sometimes comfort and safety are one and the same. Twisting an ankle or worse because you tried to wear heels on cobblestones ranks as a safety issue. So does catching a horrible cold when you know, at some point, you are going to have to fly (please don't ask me why I know some of these things!). It's important to learn how to layer, especially in Europe in the fall. A waterproof coat, similar to a trench coat, is a good idea. If it's raining but not especially cold, you can wear the coat over a tee shirt and jeans. If it's raining AND cold you can layer on a tee, a sweatshirt AND the waterproof trench coat. I mention a trench coat because they look dressy enough to go to a museum or a nice restaurant, and they can double as a robe because of length. Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean in the summer means rain. Anything from an all day rain to a heavy thunder storm in the afternoon. You may be out shopping or on an excursion when the storm hits. In that case, a trench coat would be too much...so consider for those destinations having a windbreaker. It can go over a tee and shorts and keep you dry. A windbreaker with a hood is best, and windbreakers are light and take up little space in your suitcase. Nothing is worse than leaving healthy, having a wonderful vacation, and returning home with the head cold from hell.

Money! Keep it out of sight as much as possible! A long time ago I guided a small trip into Mexico. An older gentleman on the trip kept yanking out a wad of bills at every stop and shouting "How many francs is that?". I tried to explain to him that doing that was neither polite nor smart, he continued to do it...not a good idea, although we managed to keep him safe on the trip. Many companies, Travel Smith and Magellan among them, offer really excellent handbags and fanny packs with steel cable running through the straps. It looks like a good idea to me, although I own neither. My personal choice is to use no handbag or fanny pack at all, keep money in one front pocket and a credit card in the other and carry a small camera (inexpensive) that is in a case with a loop that goes around my wrist. If I'm on a travel agent trip, a FAM, I usually DO take a purse. I need a place to put business cards and carry my own business cards to hand out, but I try to keep tabs on my purse at all times.

Travel light. The fewer things you take the fewer things you have to keep track of. One trick is to take old underwear and tee shirts and just leave them in the wastebasket when you check out of the hotel. Although I don't do that, it seems like a good idea. Again, Travel Smith and Magellan offer very light, quick dry undies that you can rinse out at night and wear the next day. It IS a safety issue to keep track of your luggage. You and you alone are responsible for your things, and you need to keep an eye on them...fewer things, less work, more time to play!

Travel with a few first aide items. I have a few key items I take with me, one being large bandages. Once you are out of the U.S. just TRY getting a bandage large enough to cover a scrapped knee or elbow. The only bandages you can find in Mexico are just big enough to cover a small paper cut. Your favorite brand of headache remedy is good to stock, and I always have a couple of tea bags somewhere in my carry on. I did a FAM trip in England once fighting off a sore throat the whole way by drinking hot tea at night from the tea service that was in each hotel room. If your throat is bothering you there is nothing more comforting that hot tea with honey and it will even help you sleep. In England and Ireland, tea service complete with biscuits (cookies to us) is standard in each room. However, nice to have your own tea and be able to soothe your throat if you need to.

Pickpockets are rampant in Europe, be vigilant. There a hundreds of ways to distract you and separate you from your money, handbag, credit cards, camera and/or laptop. Be aware at all times. It helps if two people are traveling together and watch each other's back, literally.

Your passport is valuable document and you need to be careful with it. Again, put it in the room safe when you are not needing it for the airport. You should also make a copy of the front page of your passport (the page that has your picture) and store it someplace other than where you have the passport itself. If, in the worst case, your passport is stolen, taking a copy to the nearest U.S. Embassy will make replacing it quickly a great deal easier.

Credit cards! Be aware that not all countries only publish the first four digits or the last four digets of your card on your receipt. In many places, the WHOLE NUMBER of the credit card appears on the receipt. DO NOT just toss receipts in the trash. Tuck them in your pocket, take them back to your hotel and tear them into tiny bits, or store them in a safe place so you can track your expenses when you get home. Always remember to notify your credit card company when you will be out of the country and making purchases...and be sure to notify them when you are back home again.

Although, with so many cautionary tales, it sounds like it might be hard to relax and enjoy your trip, it's really quite easy. Develop a system, don't take too much "stuff", wear appropriate clothing based on your destination and relax and enjoy. As long as YOU know you're prepared for whatever happens you will relax and have a good time.

Until next time,
Sonia

Be sure to check out Kiva.org

Help!! I Need a Vacation!

2010-06-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

We, as a nation, seem to be over stressed, over achievers, forever and continually connected to jobs and family by our electronic leashes (cell phones!). When we are not on the phone, we are texting, checking email, facebooking, and trying to get more done than ever before in less time. We have lost our "off" buttons and are in sad need of at least locating our "reset" buttons again! What's for dinner? What time does the store close? Can I make it to the bank before it closes? I need an oil change but I have to take kids to soccer practice. You get the picture! There is no DOWN time anymore. Good news is in short supply and bad news spreads like wildfire.

We all need a vacation, from work, from school, or just to break our daily routine and get out of a rut. How we take the vacation depends on so many different factors.
For some, a vacation is going to see family. For others, a vacation is staying home and catching up on housework, for still others, a vacation might be going camping.

When you call me or come in to see me and tell me you need a vacation it can mean so many different things. Maybe all you need is a plane ticket and a car rental because you are going to see family.

You may not even talk to me, because it's a road trip or because it's a road trip with camping involved.

Consider this. If you call or you come in and talk, we may be able to discover what a vacation really means for you.

I tend to be an over achiever when it comes to road trips. If I get as far as Santa Fe, New Mexico, I really think we should go on up to Durango, CO, because, after all, it's just a little farther. And you know where it goes from there! As long as we're all the way up in Durango we really should go over to Telluride because it's not THAT far away. I have to force myself to spend time in some of these places and use them as a base to see local attractions. However, once I have made the commitment to the idea that you really can't see EVERYTHING in one road trip, I dedicate myself to seeing as much as possible in a given area...sometimes to my husband's despair! Vacation means GO to me. See as much as you can, do as much as you can.

On trips for travel agents, FAM trips, we are expected to be ready and waiting at a given hour to go to breakfast; go horseback riding, get on the catamaran, go to dinner, go for drinks...whatever is on the program. There really is no time to sleep late or skip an excursion or dinner. Activities are mandatory. I have never had a problem with that. We are being shown things that may appeal to our clients and I welcome the opportunity to try various activities...while drawing a firm line at parasailing and zip lines!

People are all different. It takes me several days to unwind from work and actually relax. Three nights in Cabo with my husband is not enough, because on the third day I am just really starting to relax. When I have people ask for four nights in Hawaii or two nights in Cabo I try and tell them they should consider the time on the flight to the destination and the flight home. Flights are no longer relaxing experiences. Honestly, the flight to the destination is no longer part of the vacation, it is now work! Get ready, pack appropriately for TSA inspection, keep moving, take off your shoes, take off your belt, stand in line, wait...move...wait again. Find your seat, wait for instructions. Hungry? Want a meal?...too bad, it'll cost ya!...and it WON'T be good unless you happen to be sitting in first class!

With all of the work of getting to the airport, getting on the flight, the flight itself, and getting from the destination airport to the hotel, how can we feel like we've had a vacation if we are only there for two nights and then have to pack up and do the whole routine again in reverse?

Try and determine, with or without my help, what kind of a vacation would really help you de-stress and relax. If you need more time to relax, let's pick somewhere you can get to on a shorter flight. Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, Seattle, all are destinations that are around two hour flights, San Francisco being only an hour.

If your budget won't permit going to Cabo for 5 nights, consider going to San Francisco for 4 nights. Or perhaps you could go to San Luis Obispo for 5 nights. Remember that California is a beautiful state with lots of things to explore. Lone Pine, Independence, Bishop and Mammoth can all keep you busy for a week...just ask me what you need to see! They are 3 to 6 hrs. away and there are more hotels, motels and condos that are nice but low cost than you will find in beach cities. You actually CAN make a 5-6 night vacation fit a small budget.

The same holds true for a 3 to 4 night cruise. If you go off season, which means not peak summer travel, you can have a small cruise for a small price.

The most relaxing vacation I have ever taken was on a river cruise in France. We sailed from Paris to Normandy and back with Uniworld. Avalon River Cruises and Viking River Cruises, to name two others, offer similar itineraries. The advantage? We only unpacked once...the sales pitch for ALL cruises! The bigger advantage? All shore excursions are included in the price of the cruise and if you don't feel like taking a particular shore excursion, there is no pressure. You can walk into town on your own and really relax instead. River cruises tend to tie up in towns, not far from the center of town like ocean going vessels do. One day on our cruise we were really tired. We had breakfast, went back to the cabin and took a long, mid-morning nap, and THEN we walked into town and explored on our own. We could be with people on the cruise, or get lost and go off on our own...it was totally OUR choice. River cruises do not have casinos on board, or big entertainment productions, or a large spa. They have excellent food, well prepared and with much variety, interesting speakers telling you what excursions are being offered the next day, and very little glitz.

If you LOVE glitz, go for the large, blue water cruise ships. Very often a good buy if you go slightly off season. Due to all of the major cruise lines continuing to build ever larger and more spectacular ships, there are also some spectacular deals out there.

For honeymooners, and for just about everyone else as well, I like all inclusive resorts. Again, do you REALLY want a lot of stress about how and where to dine on your vacation? All inclusive resorts offer all of your meals, snacks, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), gratuities, non-motorized water sports, and entertainment...all for one price! Pick a destination, pick a budget, we find the perfect place, you pay me, I pay the packager, and WE'RE DONE! You just go and have a great time! No worries about where to eat, what to drink, who to tip...it's all DONE!

For all inclusive resorts, I recommend several islands in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica. NO all inclusive resorts in Hawaii, but there IS a very beautiful all inclusive resort in Florida, Club Med's Sandpiper.

Call me or come in and talk to me. Tell me what would help you relax and revive. We will find something that meets both your expectations AND your budget.

Until next time,
Sonia
P.S. Please check out Kiva.org

"A Good Buy Is About Value Not Price"

2010-06-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

I stole the above quote from Julia Scott, who blogs about saving money on groceries, gas and movie tickets, among other things. The minute I read the quote I knew it applied to what I sell as well, travel!

Let me give you a small example: Southwest tickets to El Paso are running $275. per person...but I can find tickets for you on Continental for only $200. per person. Sounds like and easy choice, right? Are you planning on taking check through luggage? On Continental taking a check through bag will cost you at least $25. for the first bag and $50. for the second. On Southwest, both bags are free. Found out you really can't go to El Paso after all? Southwest will let you change dates and only charge you the difference in price, if there is any. Continental will charge you a minimum of $150. to change the tickets PLUS any difference in price. It gets worse. You were going with your brother to El Paso, now he can't go at all, but your best friend can go on just those days. Sorry, Continental will not let you change a name on a ticket...but Southwest will, no problem, no charge (other than a fare difference if there is one).

So now, which is the best buy? If you absolutely are going to make the trip and you are only taking carry on luggage, Continental, of course. If you are checking through baggage; or not sure if you will make the trip; or not sure if the person going with you will make the trip, the $275. fare is suddenly a much better deal.

It works that way with a lot of things in travel. Unfortunately, Mexico is plagued with "The Curse of the Time Share Vendors". They are everywhere (except Manzanillo). They are in the airport, they are on the streets, and, worst of all, they are in the lobby of your beautiful hotel.

They all want to sell you a time share, and they make it sound so remarkably user friendly and a great value. Time shares work for some people. I know perhaps two families who have actually managed to use their time shares well. For most people, you are purchasing something that will cost you money and make your life more difficult.

For the cost of purchasing and maintaining the average time share, you could treat yourself to a lovely vacation to any destination you choose at least once a year. Pick a destination, pick a hotel, have your flights, transfers and trip insurance included and you have a vacation.

With a time share, you must reserve the time share far in advance of using it....sometimes, for prime time, at least a year in advance. Then you have to worry about air fare to get there. Air cannot be booked a year in advance, so you must start the process of checking air fares with me or on your computer once a week or more to find the right price, IF you find the right price.

I can tell you where the air fares are lowest and we simply book your vacation there! No worries about the time share being available. No worries about trading your time share for the one where there is less costly air...we just book a vacation and you can pay it off over time...simple!

Two sad time share stories. Clients were so excited because, after much struggle, they had booked their time share in Cabo for the week of New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve 1999. WooHoo...gonna party in Cabo like it's 1999, except they forgot to book their air fare. When they started looking, the only air fare available was over $800. per ticket and not available for the days the time share was booked. To even get that air fare, they would have had to fly in two days early, get a hotel, and then stay two days past their time in the time share, getting another hotel. They scrapped the trip, too much money.

Sad story number two was a woman who was thrilled because she was able to get her time share in Cancun, stay a week, and then follow that week with another one at her time share in St. Maartin. Lucky break! Until she found out the cost of air fare from LAX to Cancun, then to Miami, then to St. Maartin, then back through Miami and then back to LAX. The air fare alone was enough to pay for a whole vacation.

Cruise vacations vs all inclusive vacations are another area where you must weigh your choices carefully. There are some great cruise buys. And a cruise can be a perfect vacation with great service. However, do you like to have a few drinks during the day and evening? Remember, each and every alcoholic drink is a cost item on a cruise. Also, don't forget the tips on a cruise ship...because the cruise line sure won't let you forget! Your credit card is charged for tips as soon as you board the ship. Love your sodas? Extra cost on a cruise. And don't forget shore excursions...that's another cost item. Don't drink alcohol or sodas? LOVE iced tea? Factor in the cost of the tipping to the cost of the cruise and the cruise just might be a great deal for you.
Cruises have special restaurants that are an extra cost. For example, to eat in the special dining room on Carnival Spirit, and that IS a lovely dining room with special menu, the cost is $35. per person. Not interested in a special menu and special atmosphere...no problem!

Compare the above to an all inclusive resort. At the all inclusive resorts I recommend, everything is included, all the tips, all the alcohol, all the specialty restaurants, some excursions. Perhaps a better value than the cruise. Even at the best of all inclusive resorts, there is always a special wine list and it is a cost item to order a bottle from their special wine list. That really isn't too great a problem for most people.

However, not all all inclusive resorts are created equal! I am aware of some that have special menu items that cost extra....extra for lobster, extra for the good steaks, extra for this and that. I prefer NOT to send people to those resorts! I also prefer to use resorts that are totally all inclusive, as opposed to those you can book with or without a meal plan. My exception to that rule is Royal Plantation in Jamaica. Book it European Plan (no meals) or book the meal plan, called the Royal Plan...it's ALL good!

When I book your vacation I try and explain the choices carefully. Look for value in what you are purchasing and consider your life style when you make the choice. Not everyone who goes to an all inclusive resort is looking for unlimited alcohol. All of the fancy drinks with fruit and umbrellas...boat drinks...can be made without alcohol. They are cool, refreshing and delicious...and if you are paying for them drink by drink they are almost as expensive as the same drink WITH alcohol! If you love those fancy drinks without alcohol you still need an all inclusive resort, because the cost can mount up very quickly.

Consider value when you are looking for your vacation. We can discuss what value means to you and which places I consider to have the best value. Right now, at this moment in time, I am seeing my best prices in Mexico at all inclusive resorts; on cruises; or in Hawaii (no all inclusive resorts there). If you were hoping for Tahiti I would really recommend a cruise, prices being what they are in Tahiti and no true all inclusive resorts being available there. Fiji, however, has some marvelous all inclusive resorts and is often a much better value than Tahiti.

Share with me what you most like to do on your vacation; what you are hoping to find on your vacation; and what your budget is. I will help you find something that works for you!

Until next time,
Sonia

As always, don't forget to check out Kiva.org

A Love Letter to Cabo

2010-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Casa Dorada, Alaska Airlines, and the Mexican Board of Tourism I was once again in Cabo San Lucas. My trip was with other agents and was from May 21 to May 25...and it was wonderful!

The weather was perfect, low 90s during the day and probably dropped to mid to low 60s at night. There was some wind, but who cares when you're in Paradise?

Cabo in the area of Cabo San Lucas has grown so much I hardly recognized it. There is a WalMart, a Sam's Club and a CostCo. Last time I was there there was only a small Mexican supermarket. Now there is everything, which makes staying in a NOT all inclusive resort very user friendly. Casa Dorada hosted my stay, and I had a beautiful, 1 bedroom suite with a full kitchen, living room, dining area, 1 bedroom, huge bathroom, and two balconies...one just off the living room and one from my bedroom. WiFi is included free starting June 1.

Other great properties that offer one and two bedrooms and full kitchen are Villa La Estancia and Villa de Palmar...to name two I like a lot.

There are now hotels of every level that stretch from the airport in San Jose de los Cabos to the town of Cabo San Lucas...and beyond. For those who golf, there are many courses of all playing levels and costs. One of the most famous is the one next to The One and Only Palmilla.

For those who fish, as is said in Spanish, "No se diga mas!" LOTS of great fishing and it is very easy to arrange for a day (or several) of fishing. Many of the hotels will cook your catch for you.
The seared tuna we had at La Esperanza was caught the day before...and you could tell how fresh it was. The food in Cabo is fabulous! In the town of Cabo San Lucas there are restaurants of all styles, types and prices, just as there are bars of all types. Of course there is a Sr. Frog; Cabo Wabo is still there, although I heard it has been purchased by Sky Vodka. Squid Row is there, still. Of course you can find Starbucks, but you can also find a lovely Italian owned restaurant that serves deserts and martinis. There is shopping on the beach from the vendors...bothers some people, I love it! There is a shopping mall with Tiffanys and Cartiers. There are club stores, banks with branches in the U.S., there is pretty much everything you can think of to make you feel like you never left home...but there is the beach and the ocean and the feeling of sun and relaxation that you can only find in Cabo...the best of all worlds and a two hour, non-stop flight from LAX.

This was a wonderful FAM trip, because I was allowed to see and sample a little of everything. We took an outback trip in a Mercedes Benz 4w/d vehicle...you can see a photo of it here. Kind of like an old Dodge Power Wagon...but bigger. This took us out in an undeveloped part of Cabo to look at plants and animals and hike a little. We stopped and tasted some tequila and our guide, Polo, explained to us the ritual for salt, lime and tequila as though he were a Zen master. Trust me on this, and I have had SOME experience, buy good, sipping tequila and forget the lime and salt routine! And no, good tequila is NOT Cabo Wabo brand OR most Jose Cuervo! Look for Don Julio, Tres Generacions, Cazadores or Herredura...all are from good to excellent.

There is so much to do in Cabo. Of course the usual beach stuff...parasailing, horseback riding on the beach, beach volleyball, jet skis and the glass bottom boats and sunset cruises.

However, go closer to the airport, to the town of San Jose del Cabo, and you will find something closer to the true feeling of being in Mexico. San Jose del Cabo has a pretty, clean town square with a church and government buildings. It is calm and peaceful and has shops with everything from high end silver jewelry to inexpensive souvenirs, and in amongst all of that, some real, high quality art pieces. There are also some wonderful restaurants. One night, we went to a restaurant called Tequila to dine. You walk into the restaurant and out into a beautiful patio with tables and chairs and the sky for a roof and trees with mangos hanging off them covering it all. Very romantic, excellent REAL Mexican food, a great place to relax and unwind...and there is no pressure to rush your dinner. It is the Mexico I remember and have always loved.

Across the street from Tequila is a real French bakery that also sells ice cream. YES, I wanted to go! NO, I didn't! This was not only a hotel viewing trip, it also seemed to be the eating/drinking tour! I couldn't have eaten one more bite!

The town of San Jose del Cabo is about a $5.00 cab ride from the beautiful Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe, which is all inclusive. I would still splurge one night and go dine at Tequila...some things are priceless.

Parts of Cabo, most parts, actually, do not have swimable beach. Hotels located on Medano Beach (where Casa Dorada is) do have swimming beaches. Most of the beautiful beaches are open ocean and there is strong undertow and rip tides. If you are told not to swim in the ocean, heed the warning.

Other beautiful hotels I visited were La Esperanza and The One and Only Palmilla. Neither are all inclusive, both are expensive...and worth it. Of course we were invited to see Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe again and have lunch with them. I loved the hotel as much this time as when I saw it in January. It is big, it is beautiful, and their food is remarkable!

We had a wonderful snorkel trip to Chileno Bay. The trip leaves from Cabo San Lucas Marina and is about half a day, including snorkel time and lunch. The food and drinks were, again, wonderful. There is nothing like sitting on the bow of a catamaran, drink in hand, listening to The Eagles coming off the sound system and watching the world go by. It was a really "Jimmy Buffett moment"! And did I snorkel?? As a matter of fact, NO! I am a desert girl and I don't swim in the ocean, not even too crazy about pools, and hate getting my face under water...but I love being on small boats and I loved the trip and would do it all over again just for the fun of being out on the water.

Other things to do include a zip line adventure, hiking, whale watching in season, turtle release in season, and swimming with the dolphins and other dolphin programs.

If this sounds like a love letter to Cabo, it is. However, as in all love affairs, there is always ONE THING about the beloved we would change if we could. My only complaint about Cabo, and, unfortunately, most of the beach destinations of Mexico, is the time share people. They are everywhere, they are pushy, and the are relentless. All you can do is say no. Time shares are seldom a good buy. For the amount you pay for your time share, plus maintainance and other charges, you could have a lovely vacation where ever you choose, whenever you choose. Would I not go to Cabo because of this? No, I would go anyway, but I would be firm but polite with the time share people...as often as I needed to be.

Signs to watch out for are people offering you free transfers (transfers are ALWAYS included in my packages); free trips, free dinners, free breakfasts. Nothing is really "free" if you have to give up several hours of your valuable vacation time to listen to a time share pitch.

So, go, have fun, do all the fun things there are to do...and be polite but firm to the time share people.

Until next time,
Sonia
P.S. Check out Kiva.org

Memories

2010-05-02T20:35:00.001-07:00

We make memories when we travel, and even when we don't. Life is about the memories we make and those we choose to keep. There are memories of smells and tastes, picking peaches and the memory of the smell of fresh peaches. The memory of the smell and taste of campfire coffee. The memory of the smell of sun dried towels fresh off the line.

Memories I have of where I used to live are with me daily. I remember how a storm looks coming in over the Sierras, and the smell of the rain when it hits the desert. What the setting sun looks like when the last rays hit the Inyos and turn the mountains into shades of deep velvet blue and gold and purple. The first rays of the sun hitting the tops of the Sierras and turning them pink and the mountains looking fresh and new every time. The smell of woodsmoke the first cold nights in October and the crisp snap of fall in the air.

We are the editors of our memories. I have edited out some of the less than happy memories from my many years living in the Owens Valley. I choose not to remember the times the wind blew half the dry lake up to Independence and beyond; or the sound of the wind howling around the house. The memories I keep are wind free and only remember the beauty I saw on a daily basis.

When you travel, the memories you make will be worth far more than what the cost of the trip is. Some of the best memories I have of my father are of trips to Nevada and Utah looking for ghost towns buried away at the end of dirt roads.

There are memories of Morelia I share with a friend who was in language school with me...and memories of Morelia I share with my husband. If you asked what my favorite memory of Morelia is, I would be hard pressed to choose only one, but I remember a particular morning seeing the cathedral in the center of the city bathed in pink light. It is made of sandstone, and the morning rays of the sun turned the cathedral a beautiful pink color. Traffic had not gotten heavy yet, and I had a few minutes to enjoy the view.

My husband and I saw Ireland under the best of circumstances. His favorite memory would possibly be of an Irish stew we had one night in a pub in Dublin. The beef was braised in Guinness and it was heavenly...and will never taste the same anywhere again as it did that rainy night in that pub in Dublin. However among his favorite memories are also the castles we saw and the smell of age in them, the green, clean hills, and the ancient stone houses. My favorite memory would be the rainbows over fields and rocky points all along during the trip. Another favorite memory would be the library in Trinity College...you have to see it to realize how long there have been libraries and how important they are.

In Paris I will always remember the view of the Eiffel Tower at night, lit up and beautiful beyond belief...and the tinkling sound of the fountain in the courtyard below our window. . One afternoon in Paris we came across a parade crossing a bridge over the Seine. That would be my husband's favorite memory. He remembers how happy and intent on the parade the people were, and how the music was different than any he had heard before and the overall joy of everyone who was there that day.

My first trip to London was with a group of travel agents. It had been a long day, as our flight got in around 11:30am and our rooms were not available yet. We were taken on a three hour city tour, and by the time we came back to the hotel, although we could check into our rooms, there was no time to rest before dinner. Looking out of the hotel window I could see snow falling past the street lights and melting before it hit the ground. We were taken to Hampton Court and brought in through the carriage entrance. With the cold, the lightly falling snow, and the dim lights in Hampton Court it made a lasting impression.

We had so much fun on a trip to Cabo San Lucas staying in Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos and walking into town every day. I would say my best memory from Cabo is sitting on the balcony in the morning with fresh made coffee and looking out to sea. It was a truly a vacation.

Jamaica is one of my favorite places, although one I have always been to with other travel agents and not with my husband. My favorite memory of Jamaica has to be floating down the Martha Brae River on a bamboo raft and the peace and quiet of the forest and the river and all of the birds and small animals that abound there.

My point in all of this is to remind you all that memories are the things that bond husbands and wives and children and friends together. Remember when you are booking your vacation you are making memories that will be with you for a lifetime. Tell me what you really want your vacation to be, so I can help you choose the best place for you. Tell me if you want to discover new things and have new experiences, or if you are looking for complete peace and quiet and a chance to recharge your batteries. Remember that not all of the memories I have mentioned are "cost items". Sometimes, it is not what you purchase while you are on your vacation that makes the best souvenir, it is what you see and remember. The stress of flying to your destination is soon forgotten, edited out of your memory bank like the March winds of Inyo County. What remains are the good memories of places you've been and people you've met...and hopefully, like me, a special memory or two of times that can never be recreated and can only be remembered and enjoyed over and over.

Until next time,
Sonia
Remember to check out Kiva.Org

"We're Going, No Matter WHAT"

2010-03-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

Travel insurance exists in various forms. Several companies I use who put together vacation packages offer "cancel for any reason" trip insurance. Cruise lines offer insurance. There are separate travel insurance companies not affiliated with any specific cruise line or company.

The purpose of this discussion is not so much to delve into the different kinds of insurance, although I will touch on that, as to look at the value of travel insurance compared to the cost.

Frankly, I am one of the least likely people to purchase travel insurance. I think I purchased travel insurance for our EuroStar tickets because it was relatively inexpensive. However, I didn't insure our river cruise in France, which was much more expensive than the EuroStar tickets to take us from London to Paris. Some insurance I ALWAYS take, read on and see why!

Since I am not always quick to purchase insurance, I seldom insist clients buy it for themselves. I can think of only one family who I insist purchase insurance. After I learned their medical history, this after they missed a cruise, I pretty much refused to sell them vacations unless they took insurance. They have booked around 6 vacations with me, at least half of those had to be canceled due to chronic health problems.

Insurance is fairly costly, however the total price of a cruise or vacation is far more costly. When people have spent their limit on a vacation I often have them tell me "We are going no matter what". OK, works for me! I would probably say the same thing. This from the agent who fell DOWN the up escalator at LAX and, bloody but unbowed, went on the trip anyway.

Falling down at LAX caused me to seriously re-think what I tell people about insurance. Events on Thursday caused me to think even harder about insurance. My husband was returning to work at his office after his afternoon break. One door into his building was blocked by someone doing clean up. The other door appeared to be open and available. He went through, belatedly noticed rolled up carpet, attempted to step over it but was off balance. He has a torn Achilles tendon, and yes, it could have been much worse and we are grateful it was not, and he is in a cast from toe to knee. Can't drive, would not be able to fly for very long distances, would not enjoy a cruise because his movements are fairly limited. What if we had been going on a vacation?

Most vacations start at around $2,000. That is a pretty basic vacation price for two people. What if you simply couldn't get on the plane? What if it were a cruise, but you know you wouldn't enjoy the cruise because you are unable to move around comfortably? Are you REALLY prepared to gamble that much money? If you purchase the insurance and you are unable to go, you get ALL of your money back, except for the cost of the insurance. Didn't buy the insurance? Mostly, you're stuck. A few companies will work with me and allow me to try and re-book your vacation for a later date. Cruise companies seldom are willing to re-schedule, you just lose the money.

Cruise companies will sell you insurance but it is for "medical reasons only". That means if you, your travel partner, or someone in your immediate family or the immediate family of your travel partner becomes ill, AND you can provide a doctor's letter or hospital information, you get your money back or you get, at the very least, a voucher to take the cruise at a later date. Your money is not lost.

Packagers who put together vacations that include air, hotel and sometimes car to places like the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, South Pacific or other surf and sand destinations usually offer what is known as "cancel for any reason" insurance. You get right up to the date of travel and have a flat tire on the way to the airport. At that point, you call the 800 number that is in your travel documents and tell the company what has happened and inform them you are not taking the trip because a set of new tires costs more than your entire vacation did and now you have to replace ALL your tires. No problem. You lose the cost of the insurance but you get all the rest of the money back...no questions. You didn't even need to make up that last little story about having to buy new tires!

All this is going through my mind as I look at my husband on crutches and confined to quarters for a while and wonder if I would have been smart enough to buy us travel insurance. They are called "Accidents" because we don't know they are going to happen. If we knew they were going to happen we would call them something else! Who knew the roll of carpet in front of the door at work would be there? Who knew he would see it too late to step over it? These things happen in a flash and are often not preventable. I would rather know I could get the bulk of my money back and have my vacation at a later time, than to think I had lost our vacation money permanently and had nothing to show for it. I insure our house. We insure both our cars. It is not pleasant to pay either of those items, but the house and the cars are major investments and need to be protected. After you have paid me for a major vacation are you really prepared to gamble the money?

This brings us to insuring rental cars and my own personal experience. Obviously, everything I know about travel I have learned the hard way. I was always told your regular car insurance would cover your rental car, there was no need to buy that pricey rental car insurance they always try and force you to take every time you rent a car. So, I picked up a car in Flagstaff, AZ from a company who shall remain nameless. It was to be a short trip. We flew to Flagstaff, picked up a car, drove to the Grand Canyon and then over to Ashfork, AZ. This was in the pre-cell phone days, so I was driving across a giant parking lot looking for a pay phone. I was looking so hard for a pay phone I failed to see the doghouse size boulders marking a dividing point in the parking lot. I scraped the drive side door, hard! The car could be driven, it was just hard to open the driver's door. No problem, I have a great car insurance company that I have had for 46 years. Oh, WAIT! My personal car insurance DOES NOT PAY for the time the rental car is out of service?? OH MY! The car company sent the rental car to Phoenix, AZ to be repaired. The car was out of service a full two weeks. I was charged for every single day the car was out of service, just as though I were renting it. The bill was well over $800. No recourse, just pay it, please. Ask your car insurance company if they would pay the charge for that set of circumstances. My guess is, their honest answer will be NO! I no longer rent a car without taking the car insurance offered by the car company. If it ever happens again, I was to be able to drop the car off, give the car company my sincere apology (and nothing more!) and walk away.

Travel insurance not offered by a specific tour company or cruise company is based on the age of the people traveling and the total cost of the vacation. The older you are and the more expensive your vacation package or cruise, the more the insurance will cost. However, it is insurance that will cover emergency medical evacuation, loss of baggage, flight delay, hospitalization, any number of things.

I have guided groups of people into Mexico and done guide work in the Copper Canyon area of Mexico. Sometimes, the group was my own. Other times, I was working as a free lance guide for a packager. The packager, who is still in business and has a great reputation, was very insistent that clients either take travel insurance or sign a waiver saying they did not want it. I really didn't think too much about it at the time. It was only walking through the trails around Divisidero and Creel and taking people on hikes that the full realization hit me. Anyone falling and breaking something in that area would need to have helicopter transportation to the nearest hospital, which was several hundred miles away. Not all the people taking trips are in the best of health or are sure footed. There are people with medical conditions, some unknown until there is an emergency. The Copper Canyon tour takes you through country that is at an elevation of around 8,000 feet. A fall, heart problems, any sort of trouble and you will find yourself hundreds of miles from the nearest doctor or hospital. I don't want to hazard a guess about the cost of being helicoptered out of a wilderness area, but I know travel insurance would cover it.

Guided tours vary in what insurance is offered. Some only will let you cancel for covered reasons (medical); a few will let you cancel for any reason. If you are canceling a trip and the insurance will only let you cancel for medical reasons, please be prepared to work with your doctor and fill out all the paperwork. That is the only way you will get your money back.

If this gives people a reason to consider taking insurance I am glad. I still tell people insurance is optional and I can't force anyone to take out insurance. However, as the travel agent, I really do worry when clients cut corners by not taking insurance. They are accidents. They DO happen. They DON'T always happen to other people.

The above information is a very rough outline of what insurance covers. When you are booking a trip with me, please ask me what the insurance covers and we can do a thorough discussion of which insurance, if any, would be best for you. However, "We're going, no matter what" simply doesn't always work.

Please don't forget about KIVA.Org

Until next time,
Sonia

When Did I Become a Senior Citizen??

2010-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I knew when I used to write Senior Coupon Books for airline tickets by the time I became a senior those advantages would be gone...and so they are! No more Senior Coupon Books, no more Senior Discounts (except for Southwest Airlines and a few international carriers). Seems like a cruel twist of fate!

The next thing to take into consideration is exactly WHO is a senior? Go to a restaurant and you will see you only have to be 55 years old. Go to Southwest and the minimum age for a senior is 65 years old. I am sure, with every business offering discounts to seniors, there are variations on the theme.

Cruise lines are often still offering discounts. When you call me to book a cruise, please remember to tell me if you were EVER in the military, if you are 55 yrs. old or older, and where you reside. There are often discounts for cruises for seniors (55 yrs. and older); active military or former military (you must have served at least two years and have an honorable discharge) and based on where you reside. California residents may be receiving a discount that residents of some other state don't receive. Not all cruise lines offer these discounts, and not all cruise lines that DO offer these discounts offer them for every sailing. Occasionally, there is even a discount offered for police and fire personnel. Usually, and that is a very broad term, the cruise lines most apt to offer a discount are Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise lines.

Past passenger numbers also will often result in a good discount with a cruise line, so it is good to remind me if you have sailed before, and with which line you sailed.

However, back to seniors...YIKES!! Suddenly I AM one...with no idea how that happened. I don't feel different, but I have now passed the magic number so that even Southwest will give me a discount.

I was talking with Tony Wiley, owner of Wiley's Scuba Locker, and happened to ask him where most of his client base came from. Surprisingly enough, many of his clients are seniors. I have no doubt one has to have a sense of adventure, among other things, to scuba dive. It seems like seniors are in better health, more fit, and have more of a desire for adventure now than ever before. Seniors also have more time and often more disposable income to fulfill their dreams. People who wanted to dive in their youth but had neither the time nor the money now have a little of both and are on their way to making their dreams come true.

This is really a good thing. Sitting in front of the TV and worrying about the status of the world and the economy is not healthy and doesn't help make things better. Going out and doing something different and exciting makes you know you are alive and still a viable part of humanity...and I speak from experience! Many of us didn't do some things when we were younger for fear we would do them badly or we would look foolish trying to do them. That fear is gone now for many of us. I have looked foolish doing a lot of things...especially when I was younger and mistook "cool" for what actually was actually pretty foolish. At this stage of my life I'm not nearly as concerned with being "cool" and also not as concerned about looking foolish. Foolish would be wanting to do something and never trying.

The conversation with Tony made me think of seniors I have known and what they are capable of doing. One woman, for many years in a row, made the trek from somewhere in the vague area we of the Owens Valley call "Down South" up to Lone Pine to climb Mt. Whitney. The last year she climbed she was, I believe, either 86 or 88. Friends of mine climbed Mt. Whitney this last year and they are 55 and 75 respectively.

On one trip I made to Cabo a woman was celebrating her 86th birthday by going para-sailing.

Obviously, seniors scuba dive, and THIS senior went horseback riding in Jamaica last year!

One of my more daring friends is going on an Alaska cruise in September and has not ruled out the possibility of going on a zip line ride. She is also not ruling out the possibility of having a wheelchair so that when the waits are long and there is lots of walking and waiting, she will have a place to sit and rest a while or be pushed along by family. She has a breathing problem. She is being safe, smart and adventurous.

For those of you who think you are too old to enjoy traveling, please think again. Travel will not make you young again...would that it could!...but it will fill you with a sense of wonder and open your eyes to new places and new ideas like nothing else I know.

Travel is available for everyone, young and old, from the most adventurous to the least. There are guided tours, cruises, independent travel. Within each of those categories are additional things you can add to make the trip more or less adventurous. You can go whale watching, learn to kayak, go horseback riding, climb a pyramid, scuba dive, snorkel, fish, climb a bridge, bungee jump, para-sail, rent bicycles and ride down a volcano, go white water rafting, take a zip line ride, tube through a cave in the dark, take a yoga lesson by the ocean; the choices are not only endless, but they are open to all of us who have passed a certain milestone in life and don't care if we don't look like a model while taking that yoga lesson. If you aren't up for scuba lessons...learn to snorkel. Don't want to bungee jump? Perhaps a bike ride is something you could try.

Of all of the things listed above, some are things I simply wouldn't do, not because of age but because of fear! I have no desire to bungee jump and I don't think you'll see me para-sailing any time soon...but I have been white water rafting in Utah and would do it again. I have seen and climbed pyramids in Mexico, but will not be on a zip line any time soon. I've taken a yoga lesson and thought I would perhaps like to try yoga. Out of all of the choices, most people my age will find a few things they are interested in trying. We are a different generation and we are more open to trying things and experiencing something new and exciting. My mother, who was very active well into her 70s thought it was rather unseemly the elderly woman from Southern California kept climbing Mt. Whitney. She thought the woman was a "publicity hound" and was only doing it to draw attention to herself. Perhaps. But perhaps she really enjoyed the mountains and the challenge.

While it was grand to sit on the terrace of Royal Plantation and have high tea, it was a lot more fun to realize I could still get up on a horse and be able to walk the next day!

Opportunity for adventure is knocking for all of us. Please give me a call and let's see what kind of adventure we can find for you. I promise, it won't remove wrinkles but it WILL make you feel younger!

Don't forget Kiva.org Helping others help themselves makes you feel younger, too!

Until next time,
Sonia

Why Would I Go Back to Cabo?

2010-02-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

My last trip to Cabo San Lucas was September 9 or 10, 1992. I remember the date quite well because I was sitting on my beautiful balcony at Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, looking out to sea and having my early morning coffee...and wondering who I had booked in Hawaii. September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki was hitting the island of Kauai full force.

My husband and I loved Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos. We could walk into town in less than 5 minutes, there were restaurants on the beach with delicious fish, rice and beans; small restaurants to have a full breakfast; shopping; a small super market to purchase coffee and pan Mexicano (pan dulce), milk and other supplies. Previously, I had stayed at El Presidente in August 1986, and there wasn't much around the hotel back then, so Pueblo Bonito was wonderful...no cab ride necessary to shop or dine. Knowing the difference between San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, I always recommended people stay in Los Cabos, to have easy access to shopping and dining; or to stay in the all inclusive Riu Palace. Cabo San Lucas has the swimable beaches, San Jose del Cabo does not (rip tides are a problem). So, easy decision for my clients, Cabo San Lucas it is!

My how things have changed! January 22 of this year I left LAX to see the grand opening of Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe. That hotel is located 20 minutes from the airport in San Jose del Cabo. It is an all inclusive property, newly constructed, state of the art. But, it is in San Jose del Cabo, not my usual choice at all.

The flight from LAX to Cabo is two hours and, while I usually opt for an aisle seat, the scenery from the plane window is beautiful. You follow the coast line down to Cabo, I believe following the Sea of Cortez. Certainly coming back we came up the Sea of Cortez and I recognized various islands I had seen a year ago in November on a trip to Loreto.

Transportation from the airport in Cabo to the hotel was 20 minutes. Of course, leaving the airport, which has been greatly upgraded from when I was last there, you must still walk past desk after desk of time share vendors who will try and convince you that THEY are your transportation to your hotel...on the condition that you listen to their two hour presentation. Exit the airport and look for your transport service. I will have booked you with one of three companies and you will know who you are looking for...and they will be looking for you! Sorry, timeshares are the plague of Mexico and the ONLY airport I have been to that does not have them seems to be Manzanillo! Manzanillo, whatever you are doing to keep them out, keep doing it!

WOW! Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe is a mouthful, but what a hotel! The lobby is huge, very open to breezes and sea air. We were quickly checked in and went to our rooms. This was a FAM trip, so it was travel agents only and there were at least 40 of us, along with our lovely hotel sales representative, Dorita Scott, who does such a great job bringing me specials at Barcelo Hotels.

My room was a swim up room. This is a first for Cabo, and a first for me as well. Cancun has had swim up rooms for years. Jamaica has lots of swim up rooms. This is the FIRST hotel in Cabo to offer a swim up room feature, and my first time ever to be assigned to such a room. I opened the door to my room and found a state of the art bathroom, complete with rain shower, European style hand held shower, and Jacuzzi tub. There was a mini bar, filled with water, beer, juices and snacks...of course it is all included...no charge! The bed was beautiful and, looking beyond the bed, there was a table and chairs and then the sliding glass doors....which opened directly into THE POOL! Two loungers were in the pool, which, when you first step in is quite shallow (not over my ankles). WOW!

There are several reservations only restaurants: Asian Fusion; Spanish; French; steak house; Italian, to name a few. If you are a Premier Guest, which you are when you stay in a swim up room, you may dine at a reservations only restaurant every night...but you MUST make a reservation, no charge. If you are a regular guest I believe you may dine at a reservations only restaurant only 3 nights out of a seven night stay. Our dinner that night was in the French restaurant. The menu was excellent and the food well prepared and presented. There is also a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an emphasis on Mexican food.

The next morning we had our hotel tour. To get a full tour of the hotel took roughly 3 hours of walking and observing. There is a great children's area; the spa is brand new and state of the art; lovely areas for cocktails, including a martini bar to have a drink while you wait for your reservation at one of the specialty restaurants...and of course, except for the spa, it is all included in the price.

There are multiple pools and they are all beautiful. One pool faces the ocean and has a sandy beach. Another pool has islands in it with table and loungers. Drinks and snacks are brought to these little islands of tranquility and several couples can sit on one island and visit. Unlike some hotels, there is no extra charge for the service. One area has a pool bar, but with a different twist. There are actual tables and chairs sitting in the water. Request your snacks and drinks from the bar and they will bring them to you while you sit with your feet in the water....much like the pool with tables and chairs in it at Rick's Cafe (Negril, Jamaica). VERY nice. The children's area has yet another pool, with imaginative figures to play on while in the water.

We were given a choice of two excursions, whale watching or a Hummer Adventure. Since on my trip to Loreto a year ago I had what I considered the best ever whale sighting, I opted for the Hummer Adventure. LOVED IT! I am from a place where 4w/d and dirt roads are pretty usual, and I have had bone jarring experiences riding for a day through both Saline and Eureka Valleys...where you just want a break from never ending washboard roads. We took some roads in the Baja outback that were pretty bone jarring, never felt a thing! The Hummers were up to the task of washboard roads and washed out roads. The terrain was interesting for me, lots of different types of cactus, great views of desert hills and when we got up high enough, some beautiful views of the ocean. Baja really is a place of contrasts.

One of the Hummer Adventures takes you to a hidden waterfall where you can hike down to the pool below and swim. Another adventure lets you release baby turtles into the ocean. The turtle eggs are cared for until they hatch, then the babies are released into the sea. This, of course, is a seasonal offering, as is whale watching. There is also a zip line adventure, deep sea fishing, sunset party cruise and shopping. While the hotel is all inclusive, all additional activities are at a cost.

Would that I could have done it all! The agents who went whale watching came across a pod of whales and had a wonderful time observing the whales and watching them play in the Baja waters.

On the way back to the hotel after our Hummer Adventure (cost about $121.00 per person for a half day outing), we drove through town. The town is DARLING! There are beautiful little shops, restaurants, coffee houses, all clean and charming and very colonial. I don't remember the town being so pretty before. Unfortunately for me, there was not time to explore the town. I understand a cab ride from the hotel into town is around $5.00 I would definitely spend that to have an afternoon at leisure walking around town.

Within the hotel itself there are at least two small stores dealing in sundries. I was able to purchase both stamps and postcards. Postcards are just now arriving, so the mail coming out of Cabo is about a week faster than mail from Manzanillo. Postcards sent out of Manzanillo took a month to reach the U.S. There is also a jewelry store with absolutely stunning silver jewelry. The price for the piece I especially liked seemed high to me, which would be my reason for wanting to prowl the stores in town. I am sure if I had been able to look at the shops in town I would have found a piece of silver I HAD to bring home...fortunately for my bank account, there wasn't time.

On my last day, before leaving for the airport, there was time for a spa treatment. The spa is modern, clean, has wonderful lounge areas to wait before your treatment begins or relax afterward. My attendant, who gave me a facial, was Monica. She had studied in Puebla and was quite good. Most certainly I would recommend her to anyone interested in a facial. The spa is not quite finished, but it soon will be and it is going to be stunning in every way.

There is sufficient to do in San Jose del Cabo to keep a family entertained for an entire week, and this resort IS family friendly. If you only have 5 nights to vacation, that would be sufficient to do a lot of activities. The fact that the flight from LAX is so short gives you more time to spend on your vacation. And, when it is finally time to return to the airport for your flight home, that 20 minute ride BACK to the airport is a real pleasure. You got to spend every available minute of your vacation time at your resort, not riding a shuttle to and from your hotel.

Would I go back again? Most certainly! I now wonder what took me so long! The weather in January was beautiful, warm, blue sky, fluffy clouds. I sent clients toward the end of January and, except for one afternoon rain storm, they also had a great time and beautiful weather. When NOT to go? Usually August and September run the risk of more rains. Although hurricanes have been known to hit Cabo, they usually have spent their full force on mainland Mexico before they reach Cabo.

If you are an ocean swimmer, San Jose de los Cabos is not for you. You need to be in Cabo San Lucas where there is swimming beach. There are also small swimming beaches at two hotels in the San Jose del Cabo area. If you are a golfer, the WHOLE area is a golfer's paradise. If you fish...you came to the right place!

Loved Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe...please call and ask me about booking your vacation there!

Until next time,
Sonia

Don't forget about Kiva.org I managed to help fund a loan to Haiti the other day...they need our support.

The Art of the Vacation

2009-11-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Several things have happened recently that have made me want to write about how to actually HAVE a vacation. Unfortunately, some of the things making me want to write about this have happened to me. Having a vacation you enjoy requires effort. Not just the physical effort of making the money, making the plans, coming to see me, arranging the days off and the pet care and all the other things that go into a vacation; but it is also having a mental attitude that you will have an enjoyable time, "no matter what". It is the "no matter what" part that sometimes hangs people up.

Your vacation is yours to do with as you please. You have paid the money, you have worked to have the time off, you have either chosen a vacation spot or asked me for my advice and expertise in picking your vacation spot...why would you NOT want to have a good time?

Starting with my own recent misadventure, I blogged about my trip to Manzanillo and, for all intents and purposes, you would assume I had a wonderful time. Let me share with you how my trip started out.

I went to check in at Alaska Airlines and couldn't check in at the kiosk. No problem, I went to the ticket counter and the woman working the computer could not find me, either. All of this has to do with what we must now put on airline tickets. They must be EXACT, the same as your passport or driver's license, whichever you are using for id to check in. This being an international flight, it was my passport, which the woman now had in her hand and STILL couldn't find me! The problem, and yes, she did finally find me, is that my name was put in using my middle name as a hyphenated last name. I use my maiden name as my middle name. How you are put in the computer determines how I, or the person at the ticket counter, can find you.

Well, no harm done. The young lady found me and I was checked in, with my suitcase checked on to Manzanillo. Now I had to find The Board Room, which is the VIP room for Alaska Airlines frequent fliers. That was where we were all to meet..."all" being the group going on this FAM trip.

Directions to The Board Room were vague at best. There was a stairway by Starbucks and an elevator by Burger King. OK, found both, decided on the elevator because I still had a purse, bag with the L.A. Times and a bottle of water, and was kind of hoping to get in the VIP room and find the ladies room. I got out of the elevator and found myself in no man's land at LAX. No one to ask for further directions, a few people who were apparently passengers pulling suitcases behind them, that was about it...BUT, there were two escalators, both going up. I decided, much like Alice in Wonderland, who I was starting to have sympathy for, to go up one of the escalators. About four steps up, I decided I should not be on the escalator and should go back and retrace my steps on the elevator. Most adults would realize, at that point in time, it was a very bad decision. For whatever reason, I didn't see the problem with going back DOWN the UP escalator.

I crashed. No other word for it...went down like a box of rocks on my left side. The stairs on the escalator chewed up my elbow and my shin, but I didn't even realize that at the time. A very nice lady came up behind me and held on to my purse. A paramedic from Canada came out of nowhere and help me stand up when I reached the top. I finally found The Board Room...and they had no idea who I was or that the group of people I was with were to arrive. The young man at the counter pointed me towards the ladies room and I cleaned up as best I could, by now realizing that I had a lot of blood coming out of my elbow and had some bad gouges on my shin, looking much like I had been run over by a small 4 wheel drive vehicle. A young lady also working the desk at The Board Room brought me antiseptic towelettes and bandages and helped me cover the gashes on my elbow.

WOW! I'd never started a FAM trip quite like this before. On behalf of Alaska Airlines, let me say here and now that this was ENTIRELY my fault. I did something very stupid. Yes, they should have The Board Room better marked, that is the only place I can find any fault. The young man who didn't know about the group I was with had been on vacation for two weeks and had not checked his email when I walked in, bloody but unbowed. He found the email and came to tell me he had and apologize. No apologies necessary, again, MY fault. If you get a chance, skip going down the up escalator. Those are the only "words to the wise" I can offer!

But wait...there's more! For a fleeting moment, I thought about just driving back to Riverside. When a FAM is put on, many companies spend a great deal of money taking us to these destination and showing us what we need to know to offer them to our clients. That is money they have no opportunity to get back if there is a last minute cancellation. Easy decision, really, I was going on the FAM, wounded or not.

We got to Manzanillo after a really nice flight. Alaska service, even in coach, is very good. I had a Bloody Mary on the way down, that helped the pain in the elbow. Manzanillo airport is small, clean, easy to navigate...good stuff. The highway to the hotel zone in Manzanillo was a pleasant drive, pretty scenery, not too far. Remember, I am in a van with quite a few people and trying hard not to bump leg or elbow...but I'm OK!

Now we are at the hotel and go through the check in process. Again, they made it easy and pleasant and I now have a room key and can try and get cleaned up. The hotel is large, to say the least. Two towers, grand lobby that is on two levels, very clean and bright...all good stuff.

Once in my room I decide I had better grab a shower before dinner and try and look like something the cat wouldn't drag in. Great shower, large bathroom, things are "lookin" up!"

Dinner that night is in a palapa by the ocean and dinner, with a medicinal Margarita for stress relief, is good...and then the power goes out. OH BOY! There was dim light from candles on the tables and normally, that would be great, but I am faced with the prospect of getting from the restaurant back to the hotel in the dark without managing to fall again. In my purse I carry a small flashlight, about the size of a credit card. With that, I was able to light the way back to the hotel for several of us. Some were going to hang out and go to the disco. I passed on that. I decided it was time to get some rest and be ready for the trip to Colima the next day, and maybe change the bandages. Since we were without power at the restaurant, some parts of the hotel were also without power. The elevators from the ground floor to the lobby were not working. OK, UP the marble staircase...yet another chance to prove I really could remain upright on a slippery surface! I went to the first elevator I saw and took it to the 7th floor, the elevators from the lobby up had electricity.

Great! I am now on the 7th floor and nothing looks familiar and I can't remember my room number. The agent who has the room next door to mine is not with me, he opted to go to the disco. I wander around, totally lost, wondering how much worse the day can get before it is finally over. Now I have no idea where the elevator I took to get here is...WOW...and I'm the travel agent! I find a door open with music coming from the room and knock. The people in the room let me use their phone to call the front desk and find my room number...I'm in the wrong tower! OK, back down to the lobby, over to the right elevator, up to my room...good grief! I'm finally on a roll here! I get into my room and there is NO electricity! At that point, I call my husband in Riverside and tell him the events of the day, and then the lights in my room came back on.

Now, if you read my post on Manzanillo, you will know I had a really great time. I DID have a really great time. The decision belongs to the person and my decision was to make the trip, get the most out of it I could, try not to be a burden on the other people on the trip, and have fun. I did!

Mine is an extreme case, hard to imagine having a day that went as badly as mine did, but it happens. The choice is yours. If nothing is broken, patch yourself up and keep moving...or throw in the towel and go home. My choice was to move forward and hope for the best.

I have had complaints about the view from a hotel room; about murals on a ship wall that were considered "indiscreet"...they were not totally nude and were by the spa; I have had people complain about rude service people. I have acknowledged the problems and did what I could to resolve them. But, the bottom line is this. It is YOUR vacation. If the room service waiter or the maid, or the cabin steward or the front desk person snarls at you, it is not OK. Lodge your complaint then and there, at the time of the incident. Go to the appropriate person and make a complaint and get on with having a good time. There is no excuse for rude service, but there IS the possibility that someone just snarled at that person and they are having a bad day, too. That is not a good reason to start a chain reaction and ruin everyone's time. If things don't improve and you really have sound reason to complain, then by all means call me and let me see what I can do about changing your hotel or lodging a complaint or doing whatever is necessary to make things better, but keep your own attitude upbeat and move forward with your plans and your vacation fun. No vacation should ever be ruined by the attitude of one person. You are in control of your vacation, and should refuse to let anyone bring you down.

Some things you might want to consider in light of my adventures. Having a small flashlight is pretty darn handy! I always travel with a small tube of Neosporin + pain relief and I have never needed it before, sure glad I had it with me this time. Bandages of the normal size were easy to find in the hotel gift shop or at farmacias in Colima, what was impossible to find was the larger bandages that will cover bigger wounds. I will add a pack of those to the suitcase from now on. If I don't need them, another traveler may. I had Tylenol Extra Strength in my purse, needed that. I purchased Bengay, spelled Bengue in Mexico, at a farmacia in Colima. Bengue eased the soreness and helped me sleep well my second night at the hotel. Being a little prepared is a good thing and, while I don't recommend taking your entire medicine cabinet from home, having a few things with you can ease you through some rough spots.

Things don't always go as we plan or as we would like, be somewhat prepared and make an active decision on how life's little glitches will affect you. My advice, my very PERSONAL advice, is to keep going and decide things will get better. When my husband called I told him all of the bad things that had happened, and then I told him I was sure the next day would be better. It was!

One of the good things on my trip to Manzanillo was meeting the Travel Editor for Watchboom.com, which is directed toward baby boomers. Please check out Watchboom and look for my blog on shopping in Mexico there. It should be appearing in January, along with the Travel Editor's article on Manzanillo.

As always, please check out Kiva.org.

Until next time,
Sonia

Magic Pueblos of Mexico and Manzanillo, Too

2009-11-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

On November 14 I left for Manzanillo, Mexico, with a group of travel agents, people from the Mexico Tourism Board, a representative from the Manzanillo Tourism Board, a tour operator, a travel writer and the representative from the hotel where we had been invited to stay, Barcelo Karmina Palace. This was a typical FAM trip, go look at hotels and see where my clients would enjoy staying and what the area has to offer.

We flew out on Alaska Airlines, about a 3 hr. non-stop flight to Manzanillo. Alaska is one of my favorite airlines in that it offers wide leather seats and ample leg room. The airport in Manzanillo is small but well organized, with NO time share people waiting for passengers to exit baggage claim. The sun was shining, it was around 85 degrees, and we left for the hotel area.

The road leaving the airport had banana plantations on either side, and we connected to the main highway heading south, going past roadside stands selling salt and coconuts, both major products of the state of Colima, which is were Manzanillo is located.

Arriving at Barcelo Karmina Palace they did a check in for us with cold drinks in an area just off the lobby. The lobby is vast and well appointed, lots of comfortable seating area, lobby bar, just a nice place to hang out. My room was large, huge bathroom with double sinks and a full tub and walk-in shower; sleeping area with a comfortable bed and television, sunken living room with balcony with full ocean view, another television, mini-bar and comfortable seating. Lots of closet space and lots of hangers. Nice start to the trip!

Dinner that night was in a palapa by the ocean, so great views to go along with a good dinner. The weather was beautiful for dining out. In the morning, we had one of the very best breakfast buffets I have seen. Most important to me, GREAT coffee. I don't know if it was grown in Colima, but it was really, really good.

Barcelo Karmina Palace has an excellent gift shop with reasonable prices; nice spa and Alma, my spa therapist was great! There is a gym, several different places to dine (all included in the price), multiple swimming pools and beautiful grounds.

After breakfast, we were on our way to the Colonial cities of Colima and Comala. This was an added bonus to the trip. No hotels to inspect, just two Colonial cities to get to know and a trip to a museum. There is an active volcano just outside Colima, and the road to Colima gives great view of the volcano. The road through the town of Manzanillo passes upscale night clubs, restaurants, WalMart and Home Depot. Shortly after passing the new port facilities in Manzanillo and the downtown area, we entered the toll road.

The toll road to Colima is two lanes in either direction, easy driving, not much traffic on a Sunday. It is one of the places in Mexico I would actually recommend renting a car for a day and driving to Colima, Comala and Nogueras. I had the same experience in Loreto, Baja California. I would see no reason NOT to rent a car and drive up to Mulege while in Loreto.

The toll road to Colima is lined on either side with plantations. First, there are acres of plantations of coconut palms. Then, acres of key lime plantations. Behind the plantations to the east are mountains. There is some mining in the state of Colima, a good deal of agriculture, and the port. Colima is a small but prosperous state.

Colima itself is clean and easy to drive around, with a main square and a church and businesses branching off from the main square. On the main square is the home of former president of Mexico Miguel de la Madrid. We stopped and looked in the church, where a Mass was being held, bought ice cream from the street vendor and did a little shopping, and from there we were off to Nogueras, a former plantation and the home of the artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. The road to Nogueras was somewhat harder to drive, being more of a country lane, but not heavly trafficked or difficult to drive, just a rougher ride. The museum was quite interesting, with Rangel Hidalgo's paintings in one room and another room devoted to amazing pre-Hispanic pottery. Colima is famous for it's pottery dogs in often charming poses. The pottery work done by the pre-Hispanic peoples of the area is imaginative and done of fine clay. An amazing amount of work in the museum has been found in relatively good shape. There is a gift shop at the museum that offers reproductions of Rangel Hidalgo's paintings, either suitable for framing, or on coasters, coffee mugs, mouse pads...just about everything you can imagine.

From the plantation we were off to Comala and lunch! Comala is a pretty little town, designated as one of the Magic Pueblos of Mexico. There are 33 Magic Pueblos (Pueblos Magicos) throughout the country, so named for their unusual historical or religious significance, a heritage that has been preserved over time and reasonable access from major cities or other tourist destinations. Comala is small, clean, and of historical significance. We had lunch in the portales by the main plaza. The food was delicious, the beer was cold, and the company was interesting. It was a really great day and visiting Colima and Comala were definite, unexpected, highlights of the trip.

We inspected several hotels. Besides Barcelo Karmina Palace, where we stayed, we were welcomed at Las Hadas, where the movie 10 was filmed. Las Hadas is still romantic and luxurious, but it is not all inclusive. Tesoro, which had lovely beach views from every room we inspected, has the advantage of being able to offer adjoining rooms for larger family groups. Tesoro is all inclusive.

We also visited Club Maeva. Club Maeva has an excellent children's program and, after dinner in their "reservations only" Italian restaurant, they allowed us to stay and watch their entertainment. They put on a great show! The performers are all people who work at the resort and they do a completely professional job singing, dancing, and providing entertainment for all ages.

Leaving Manzanillo we visited our guide Hector's ranchito, Rancho Pena Blanca. He provides guided ATV excursions and has a small blue agave plantation where he shows how tequila is made and does tequila tastings. The tequila we sampled was excellent, although he does not bottle tequila on his rancho. Well worth doing either the tequila tasting and/or the ATV excursion.

Our last day, on the way back to the airport, we were taken to Grand Bay Hotel at Isla Navidad. Grand Bay is a Wyndham Hotel, about 25 minutes from the Manzanillo airport, and about an hour north of the Manzanillo beach area. Definitely, Grand Bay Hotel is one of those places you just have to experience to believe. It is a beyond beautiful hotel. We inspected many rooms, from the least expensive to the Presidential Suite all of the rooms were flawless. Grand Bay is located on a 27 hole golf course, and there is a small motor boat that takes you to Barra de Navidad for shopping and casual dining. Barra de Navidad is in the state of Jalisco and Isla Navidad is in the state of Colima.

We were served lunch at Grand Bay Hotel and the lunch was as lovely as the hotel. The hotel is a destination...it is not the kind of place where you can walk out the front door and go shopping. For that, you need to get in the motor boat and go to Barra de Navidad. The boat ride is 2 pesos, so not a budget breaker! Grand Bay has a fabulous spa, the golf, areas to relax and regroup, everything you could wish for except "action". There are several beautiful restaurants, but no disco. If you are going for disco and dancing and meeting other singles...think Manzanillo! If you are looking for complete relaxation and pampering, think Grand Bay.

I really did not want to leave Grand Bay. I could have stayed for a week with no problem! However, all good things end. From Grand Bay Hotel we were off to Manzanillo's little airport and the Alaska flight back to LAX. I checked to see how much it would be to upgrade to first class (my birthday was last Monday, so I decided, if it wasn't TOO expensive, I DESERVED it!). Upgrade to first class was $104., so I flew home first class on Alaska and enjoyed another excellent meal and a Bloody Mary in a REAL glass...life is good in first class!

Manzanillo and Isla Navidad are wonderful, safe destinations. There is enough of a variety of hotels to be able to offer something for everyone...families, couples and people looking for mild adventure. Please come feel free to discuss which hotel would be right for you. I have photos and can give you first hand information.

In the meantime, please remember to check out Kiva.org.

Until next time,

Sonia

What's so great about Royal Plantation?

2009-10-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to see a ship docked in Port of Los Angeles. What has that got to do with Royal Plantation? Well, quite a bit, at least for reasons of comparison.

I am not going to name the ship or the cruise company. It serves no good purpose to say negative things about a company that, for one reason or another, did not meet my expectations. I may mention these things and name names if a client wants to book that particular ship, but, for the moment, that serves no useful purpose.

We (the agents invited to inspect the ship) were only shown a couple of cabin categories. We saw suites and mini suites, on one deck only. When I stayed at Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, I was not staying in their most expensive room category. In fact, I was staying one level over their LEAST expensive room category...and my room and the view from it were beautiful, to say the least. When we did a formal inspection of the property, every room category we looked at, and we saw several, were equally good. Compared to the ship I was just on, I felt like we were treated to a fair overview of the resort.

Lunch on board the ship. This is a cruise company known for it's great cuisine. Our presentation before lunch was by a master chef who is in charge of all the chefs on this particular cruise line. I have dined on one of this cruise line's ships before and it was lovely, to say the very least, like eating in a fine restaurant. This time, the service was sorely lacking and the food was quite ordinary. I had salmon, I can actually do better salmon at home...that's not good. Water was spilled on the table when the waiter poured my glass of water, it was not mopped up nor was there an apology about the mess. I was given a clean wine glass because the one on the table was quite dirty. The other agent dining with me was not so lucky and her wine glass looked rather like the cat washed it! There were other things as well, silverware that didn't look overly polished, no bread unless it was requested, then no butter until it was requested. All of those things seem quite small...until you have paid top dollar for a cabin on the ship and are expecting service to match the price.

On the drive back to Riverside from Los Angeles I was thinking about why I was so disappointed in this particular ship experience. I believe it is because I have only been back a month from Royal Plantation. Every meal at Royal Plantation was simply the best. Especially our final night, when we dined at their "reservations only" restaurant, Papillon. All of the meals I had would be included in a Royal Plantation package that includes the Royal Plan. Royal Plan makes the package an all inclusive resort, except for the champagne and caviar bar. If you wish the champagne and caviar experience, that is additional.

The Royal Plan is the plan I was invited to enjoy while at Royal Plantation, so everything I had would be what one of my clients would have as well. Again, EVERY meal was spectacular! On Jamaica night we had jerk chicken, jerk pork AND lobster off the grill. There were other dishes as well, but those were the stand outs...especially the lobster off the grill. Service was outside on the terrace, the sea was calm, the weather was perfect, and the entertainment was fabulous. Wine or any other drink you wish has only to be requested...no additional charge. Because of years dealing with migraines, I seldom drink wine anymore. However when in Jamaica my favorite drink is a Dark and Stormy, which is dark rum with D & G ginger beer. It goes quite well with lobster!

The next night was Mediterranean night. You were able to order from a menu and service and food were excellent. Music on the terrace was romantic and perfect for dancing.

In the room every night was a breakfast menu you could hang on the door...again, no additional charge. You could have a full breakfast, or you could have bread, juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate or milk...or ALL of them! Of course, no charge for this! You picked what you liked and picked the time you wanted it delivered. I would order coffee, bread and juice and have it brought to my room as early as possible. I would have my coffee and read a great Tony Hillerman book I had brought along, then take my shower and go down to breakfast. Breakfast was on the terrace and could be ordered off the menu or you could go to the buffet. Since I had already had part of breakfast, I did the buffet. That meant some fruit and more coffee and a yogurt and a chance to visit over coffee with the other agents who were on the trip with me.

Lunch was at the beach cafe. Again, everything included. The menu at the beach cafe was varied and well prepared. Service was excellent. There was a trio of musicians one afternoon at the beach cafe who were not only entertaining, but made great background music playing local instruments. The beach cafe has a little bar and the bar and restaurant look out over the beach and the blue Caribbean water, so you truly feel relaxed and well cared for.

Dinner at Papillon was a production. There was wine paring, again, I am not really a wine drinker, but I did sample what was recommended and appreciated the information given with the wine pairing. Whatever any of us ordered we considered just about the best we had ever had. I ordered sea bass...it was exquisite! There were no mistakes in the service and everything is done with so much care and courtesy. Of course Papillon is also included on the Royal Plan, but you need to make reservations in advance.

Our second day at the resort we went horseback riding. I have never ridden on an English saddle and had not been on a horse in 33 years. What impressed me was how well cared for the horses were and how careful the people running the horseback concession were. The company that took us out is called Hooves, and they took excellent care of both the guests AND the horses.

Considering the length of time that had gone by since I last boarded a horse, I was sore almost as soon as I got off! With that in mind, I had made an appointment at the spa for the next day. First, we had to inspect Sandals Dunns River, then I got to have my spa appointment. The spa was great! I am a spa junkie, and I try and do one spa treatment per FAM trip. I would be hard pressed to decide if I liked Royal Plantation's spa better than Grand Velas spa in Puerto Vallarta, but, in the end, Royal Plantation would win by a hair! I was so sore when I walked in, and felt so much better when I walked out! One of the things I note about spas is if there is a shower in the treatment room or if you have to wrap up and shuffle off to a shower somewhere else. The shower was in the treatment room, as it is also at Grand Velas. The signature sent at all Red Lane Spas is lemon grass. It is a clean and refreshing smell, and every time I smell it, I am magically transported back to Jamaica.

Royal Plantation does afternoon tea on the terrace overlooking the ocean, and that was where I headed as soon as I left the spa. Tea is served at 4pm, overlooking the ocean on the beautiful terrace. There is hot tea, scones, cream, jam, cookies of various types, and nut bread. The tea service, although not as formal as some I've seen, was perfect for the Caribbean! Relaxed and relaxing, and, of course, included in the Royal Plan.

There are water toys that are also provided. You can go out on the glass bottom boat, there is wind surfing, water trikes, and what Royal Plantation doesn't have, you are free to enjoy at Sandals Grand Ocho Rios or Sandals Dunns River...and the transportation to those resorts, which are only minutes away, is also free. You could actually walk on the beach from Royal Plantation to Sandals Grand Ocho Rios.

After dinner in the evenings there was live music and dancing on the terrace. If that was not enough, again, you are free to use the shuttle and visit Sandals Grand Ocho Rios or Sandals Dunns River. I looked at the nightclub at Sandals Dunns River and thought it looked like it would be fun. The rule is, if you are at Royal Plantation you my go to either of the Sandals I have mentioned at no charge and enjoy all they have to offer. Those Sandals guests, however, may not go enjoy Royal Plantation.

A rather old travel agent saying is that Royal Plantation is "for the newly wed or the nearly dead", meaning there is a predominance of elderly and of starry eyed newly weds. I had inspected the property before in 2002 but did not stay there, so I rather bought into that idea. Imagine my surprise staying there to find there was a wide mix of couples. There was a young couple from England; a very much older couple from Canada...and couples of all ages in between. A very nice mix of people who all seemed to be having a good time. I heard NO complaints the entire time I was there. Royal Plantation is not a "couples only" resort, but they do have an age requirement. Guests may bring their children or grandchildren, but they must be age of 18 or over...no small children. There is no children's pool nor children's program.

Arriving and registering at Royal Plantation you are greeted with a iced wash cloth that smells faintly of eucalyptus to refresh your face and hands after your trip from the airport to the hotel...and a glass of champagne. In the spa you are given a chilled wash cloth that smells faintly of eucalyptus as well. Along with the lemon grass, the sent is fresh and clean and makes you feel more refreshed and relaxed at once.

Sandals Dunns River is also beautiful and I was pleased to see how much I still like the resort, having originally inspected it in June, 2002. Many renovations have been done since I was last there and many new attractions have been added. Among the new attractions, a brick oven for heavenly pizza that is served all day long...and gelato carts. The pool is still beautiful, the beach is wide and has lots to do, and the restaurants all looked new and attractive.

In the end, the service at Royal Plantation spoiled me. The service I saw, or lack there of on the cruise ship, does not compare to the service I received at Royal Plantation and at my short visit to Sandals Dunns River. I would like for all my clients to feel as I did, valued and cared for and, perhaps, spoiled. If the cruise ships have dropped their prices so much they can no longer afford to give that type of service, then let me introduce to you a "land cruise" at Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica or, starting in early spring next year, Royal Plantation in the Bahamas!

As always, please check out Kiva.org to assist people in developing countries and earn some money back while helping others.

I will put photos from Sandals Dunns River and Royal Plantation on my blog very soon...stay tuned!

Until next time,
Sonia

Hawaii Calling

2009-09-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

If you have been on my facebook page you will know I went to a show in Newport Beach put on by the Hawaiian Visitor's Bureau. If all tourist boards were able to put on programs such as this one, we would all have more vacations booked!

What a wonderful amount of information the Visitor's Bureau compiled. I now know there are 150 miles of hiking trails on the Big Island....and 81 accessible beaches on Maui! We also learned about moonlight zip line trips and sunset zip line trips, star gazing programs on hotel roofs, the lavender fields on Maui, Volcano winery on the Big Island, with wine with a hint of macadamia nut.

More important, we learned a little bit about the history and culture of each island, what you might expect to find, cool things to do, what golf courses are like, how the beaches are, and where the locals eat.

We also learned Hawaii is in need of visitors and the hotels are working hard to bring you back to Hawaii. There are spectacular deals on so many hotels, everything from 5 star to 2 star, as well as better air fares than I have seen in a while. With the hotel prices running so low, it really makes it a worthwhile destination.

If you want an island wedding there is a great wedding coordinator on Maui, Rev. Kolleen Wheeler, aloha@maui-angels.com She is also on facebook. Email her and she will send you to her website...or find her on facebook.

Remember, to get the best vacation price out there, you really don't want to book your vacation to go tomorrow! Think ahead, always take "cancel for any reason" insurance, and think of going in October, November, early December, mid-January, February...if you book NOW, and May, which is always good for prices.

Hawaii has beautiful beaches and lots of history. The snorkeling is good, scuba is good, there is horseback riding, hiking, an active volcano, helicopter rides, Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, museums, botanical gardens, surfing, lots of golf, spas, almost anything your heart desires.

If you go with a condo you will be able to save a little on meals out...and there is a Costco on Maui!

Inter Island air is always a cost item, so don't try and do too many islands on one vacation. If you have 10 days vacation doing two islands is a reasonable goal. If you have 7 days vacation doing two islands becomes a lot of packing, unpacking and running to the airport. For a 7 day vacation, better to do one island and do it well!

Each island is different. Kauai is lush and tropical; Oahu is busy and fun and has Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Visitor's Center; Hawaii (the Big Island) has a dry side and a wet side and an active volcano, and the painted church; Maui has beautiful beaches and is busy, but not TOO busy and has great condos; Molokai has golf and mule back rides and a lot of history; Lanai has only two hotels, but they are very elegant and upscale.

Now is the time to consider your summer vacation for NEXT year. I am able to get prices on the condos and hotels, although I don't have air fares yet for anything beyond June 2010. We can book land only and add the air fare when it is available.

Consider Hawaii....if you haven't been for a while you need to go again. They have added so many wonderful attractions. If you have NEVER been, now is the time to go.

Don't forget to check Kiva.org

Until next time,
Sonia

Jamaica on My Mind

2009-08-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the photos I added, I have been going through my Jamaica file and thinking about all the places I saw and what their vacation potential is. Switching to a digital camera made a big difference for me, because I can now post my photos to my blog. I wish I had had the camera when I was in Puerto Vallarta last time.

Jamaica is offering some great specials. Looking at the photos I took, I really enjoyed my stay at Round Hill a lot. The weather was as perfect as one can hope for in October, the room was simple and beautiful, and the view was stunning. There was no TV...big drawback for some guys, my husband being one of them, but not a problem from my point of view.

At Round Hill there is a library/game room/TV room that was comfortable and with a full ocean view. You can go sit for a while and watch TV, or pick up a book, or enjoy a board game or cards. You can also go to the beach bar and sit with your feet in the sand and a drink in your hand and watch the waves or the sunset...works for me!

This is a great time to look for good deals on vacations. I am seeing good prices carrying over into next year...even for Spring Break. Now is the time to start looking for deals and getting good prices locked in. Remember, you can make small payments and have it all paid for well in advance of your vacation.

Hawaii has come way down on prices. I still love the all inclusive resorts best, but I just discovered a great deal at the Outrigger Regency on the new Beach Walk in Waikiki. The price was peak Spring Break and for four adults. The price included a one bedroom with living room and kitchen, round trip air, transfers, flower lei greeting, and insurance and the grand total for four was just over $4,000. So peak time and only a little over $1,000. per person for a week's stay. With a kitchen you can have drinks, snacks and even a meal or two and save a great deal, compared to going out every day to eat. The hotel is new, looks lovely. The only drawback I can see is that it doesn't offer a pool...but it IS right by the beach!

I am getting similiar good prices for Cancun over Spring Break...particularly some of the Riu properties. Among offers out there to tempt consumers are discounts on spa services, although Riu is not offering spa discounts, Place Resorts is!

My best last minute deals for right now have been at Riu Santa Fe in Cabo. There is a great low air fare to Cabo, and adding that to a package at Riu Santa Fe is just unbeatable. Riu Santa Fe is totally all inclusive.

Cruises continue to be good buys, even over Thanksgiving week. Remember, Carnival has a brand new ship doing the Mexican Riviera (so NO air fare involved!) Sail date for Thanksgiving is Nov. 22-29.

Tomorrow I will be attending a cocktail party at the Marriott in Irvine and will hear about more good deals out there for Cancun. I am anxious to hear what the hotels are going to offer. Please keep checking my blog to see what I learn tomorrow night (Aug. 6).

Dominican Republic is also offering some very attractive prices, particularly Dreams.
Properties in Dominican Republic are usually all inclusive.

Please enjoy my photos of Jamaica from October of 2008. I will bring you up to date with new offers from Cancun.

Remember to check out Kiva.org!

Until next time,
Sonia

Places of the Heart

2009-07-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

I got to thinking about the last house we stayed in on our family vacation, Casa del Rio in Three Rivers, CA. It was such a wonderful experience and a place I would recommend to anyone interested in relaxing with nature, in visiting Kings Canyon and Sequoia and in seeing the Sierras from the west side and, perhaps, exploring some of Highway 49 and the Gold Rush country.

However, there have been other wonderful condos we have rented as well. One that comes to mind is Flanigan's Villas in Moab, Utah. Again, a really wonderful place to stay if you like nature. As in Casa del Rio, just outside of Sequoia, Flanigan's Villas are just minutes from the entrance from Zion National Park. Zion is so beautiful, it deserves several days of hiking and exploring just to really get to know the park. There are deer, wild turkey, rabbits and all form of wildlife and native plants. Flanigan's makes a good base to go and explore more of Utah. It is an easy drive from there to Bryce Canyon National Park, as well as to Lake Powell. There is a one bedroom condo (where we stayed) as well as a two bedroom condo suitable for families. There is a wonderful kitchen, sunken jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, luxury bedding with a view into Zion when you wake up in the morning. The website is flanigansvillas.com

Another vacation we took was to Moab, Utah, where we stayed in Moab Springs Ranch. Great kitchen, balcony running in front of both bedrooms, park like area in front of the condos with a creek running through, patios off the living room with a bar-b-que and table and chairs. You can book this by going to moabcondorentals.com and clicking on Moab Springs Ranch.

Moab offers more outdoor entertainment than can be listed in one posting! There is whitewater rafting on the Colorado, just minutes from Moab Springs Ranch. A tour of Canyonlands in a 4wheel drive vehicle, followed by a jet boat ride further down on the Colorado. Rock climbing, mountain biking, golf, horseback riding, ATV adventures, TomCat adventures and a Hummer ride up Slick Rock to watch the stars are among the adventures offered...along with Arches National Monument and Bridges National Monument. You could easily spend a week in Moab and not get to do everything!

In contrast, from Moab we went to Durango, CO, which is still one of my favorite places. As I picked Flanigan's Villas and Moab Springs Ranch, I chose our condo in Durango looking at photos on the internet and using a condo booking website. The condo we rented in Durango, whose name I have forgotten, was not great. It wasn't horrible, just wasn't great. When dear friends of mine went to Durango after our vacation, I put them at Residence Inn, which I was wishing I had booked for myself for our Durango visit.

Durango has the train which goes to Silverton, CO. It is a narrow guage, through some of the prettiest country you can imagine along the Animas River. The best time to be there is when the aspen are turning color, toward the end of September. Durango is also a great place to base for side trips to Telluride, Ouray and Mesa Verde.

I have stayed in some great condos and rented houses, I have stayed in some great hotels...there is no "one size fits all" for anyone. I enjoy the right hotel or condo equally. It really depends on the situation.

In Jamaica, I have seen a lot of beautiful places, both hotels and villas (a villa is usually someone's vacation home they rent out when they are not using it). Right now, my favorite Jamaica hotel is Round Hill. The only drawback to Round Hill is that there is a TV ROOM...there are no TV's IN the rooms! My husband wouldn't be happy! I was there with other agents and thought it was great. Dream Wind was one of my favorite villa locations in Jamaica, but there were several others as well. Round Hill also has private villas which are stunning, as does Tryall. Tryall probably offered some of the most spectacular views from their selection of villas. Villas in Jamaica come with staff.

My favorite hotel in Puerto Vallarta has to be Grand Velas. It is so beautiful and is located in Riviera Nayarit. Great setting, great spa, great food...and lots of activities to enjoy.

In Ireland we especially enjoyed Old Ground Hotel in Ennis and Heaton's Guest House on the Dingle Penninsula. The major attraction of Heaton's Guest House was their killer "house porridge" in the mornings...steel cut oatmeal with a shot of Drambuie...starts your day off just right!

Hotel Castille, a Starhotel, in Paris was just right for the night before a river cruise on the Seine. Our room had a courtyard and fountain below, windows you could actually open to catch the cool evening air, and a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.

Last but not least, I do love Boulder Creek RV Reort in Lone Pine. They have RV hookups and it is, in fact, an RV park. However they have a few of what they call "park models". Like a small mobile or modular permanently in place. These are available for rent at reasonable prices. There is a small store that is well stocked, breakfast available in the mornings (but far better to go to the Alabama Hills Cafe and have a REAL breakfast), a pool, areas to bar-b-que, and a fire pits. Go to bouldercreekrvresort.com

The point of all of this is that sometimes it's good to have help to find your "places of the heart". If it is something I can arrange for you, I will. If it is something I can only give advice on, I am happy to do that as well. Not every place I have stayed has been a success. I can also help you stay clear of places I would not go back to, and help you decide which would work best, a condo, a home rental or a hotel.

Please remember to check on Kiva.org

Until next time,
Sonia

Family Vacation

2009-07-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Usually, a family vacation for us is to go somewhere and take our two parrots (conures) along. This time was different.

My reunion was in Independence, CA, over 4th of July. To be exact, from July 2 thru July 5. My sister in law from Morelia, MX and her husband have long talked about how they wanted to see "MY" mountains and "MY" pueblito (as in Independence, which is, indeed, a pueblito!), so we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to show them the Eastern Sierra and some National Parks.

They flew into Ontario from Guadalajara on June 30. On July 2, I left alone in my car to go home to Independence for the first function of the reunion. July 3 my husband came up in his car with his sister and brother in law and we got two rooms for them at Comfort Inn in Lone Pine.

The first night I spent on my own at the Mt. Williamson Motel in Independence. They do a great breakfast, included in the room rate, and are almost more like a bed and breakfast than a motel. No pool, no spa...but air conditioning and TV and very clean...and with a great breakfast. Comfort Inn in Lone Pine also includes breakfast and is fine...about what you would expect a Comfort Inn to be.

On 4th of July we did the usual Independence activities. My reunion group had a float in the parade, a float, for us, being a very old tractor pulling a wagon with hay bales...Hey! It works! We threw candy at the kids as we went down the main drag of the town. The main drag is called Edwards St., but is actually Highway 395...the Grand Army Highway. There was a craft show on the Courthouse lawn, as there always is; bar-b-que in the park, as there always is, and it was hot, as it always is on the 4th of July. There is a new restaurant in town on the west side of the highway, Hooligans. They have a nice selection of beer and do pizza, salad, sandwiches, and are clean and comfortable. In the old days, we would all have headed to the Pines Bar after the parade. This time we all met up at Hooligans for a cold post parade beer.

The night of the 4th my sister in law saw her very first rattlesnake up close and almost TOO personal...she thought it was dead, I yanked her back.

On July 5th we headed up to Mammoth in two cars. Of course we stopped at Meadow Farms Market to buy smoked pork chops and bacon. For those who love jerky, they have the very best...and they will ship whatever they have to your door. Check out their website! http://www.smokedmeats.com/

In Mammoth we stayed for three nights at Snowcreek Resort. It is west of the Von's store (for those of you who know Mammoth). Snowcreek is nice. We had a two bedroom, two bath unit on a bottom floor. Very comfortable and easy to get to and from during our outings. For Mammoth I used Mammoth Front Desk, which is quite a good website and very easy to use.

We took the visitors to see Twin Lakes in Mammoth; of course Convict Lake; the June Lake Loop; Bodie; Twin Lakes west of Bridgeport; Lake Mary and Devil's Postpile. What did we leave out? Well, would have been nice to take them to Mammoth Hot Creek, but we just ran out of time. There were lots of beautiful waterfalls, July is a great time to go as there was still some snow in the mountains and there was still plenty of runoff.

After three nights in Mammoth we took two cars once again and headed out through Yosemite over Tioga Pass. We stopped for lunch at the Whoa Nellie Deli, which is part of a Mobil Station just as you turn on to the Tioga Pass Road (120). Incredible fish tacos!

After driving all the way through Yosemite and out the west side of the park we got to Groveland, CA, which was the location of the next condo we rented. The condo was in a tract developed for vacation homes and second homes and I had booked it through VRBO, which is a place to go to look at condo and home rentals. The condo was two bedroom, but was only sorta kinda two bathroom. Pots and pans in the kitchen looked like they had either been picked up at yard sales or were things that the owners MIGHT have had scheduled for a yard sale but decided to use in the second home. It wasn't exactally what I had in mind, but the price was right and the location was OK. There was also a great Mexican restaurant in Groveland, Cocina Michoacana, which almost made everything alright!

So, after having really a whole, full day in Yosemite going to Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite Valley Falls, seeing El Capitan and Half Dome, we were heading down to Sequoia National Park and Three Rivers. My only comment on Yosemite, which as a native Californian I love dearly, is that there are way too many people there in July!

Leaving Groveland and heading for Three Rivers I was a little worried. I had rented a private home for us there, and I knew the home also appeared on VRBO, although that was not how I came upon it. I had inquired at River Dance Bed and Breakfast in Three Rivers about availability and found they were full...but the owner's daughter owned a second home near by that she was willing to rent. I contacted the daughter and we arranged for me to rent the home for two nights. However, after the place in Groveland I will admit I was nervous. Planning for myself, my husband and two parrots is one thing. Planning to introduce your favorite parts of California to relatives from another country is a whole different ballgame! I wanted the house to be nice, especially because it was our last stop.

We found the house with no problem, after picking up the key at River Dance Bed and Breakfast, which looked lovely and smelled even better! As we pulled up to the house I thought it looked OK...nice enough but not special. As soon as we unlocked the door and walked in I knew it was SPECIAL. What a place!! For anyone who wants to do Sequoia, you gotta go and you gotta stay HERE! This is the email for the owner, edjacobo@sbcglobal.net and her name is Laura Jacobo and by all means tell her I sent you!

There were two beautiful bedrooms with a library/game room with a trundle bed, in case you had 3 couples or children. Full, formal, dining room. Double fireplace. Breakfast room looking out toward the river. Beautiful rec room with big screen TV, exercise equipment, comfortable seating and a big coffee table with books relating to the area. The kitchen was to die for! Professional grade fridge and range (GAS range...I was so tired of electric by the time we got there); every type of pot, pan, plate, glassware and serving dish you could ever need. Professional grade microwave, dishwasher, toaster and coffee maker. A beautiful gift basket waiting for me with red wine and chocolate, pasta sauce and pasta, and white wine and cheese in the fridge. I had truly died and gone to heaven, but the best was yet to come! There is a full deck facing the river across the entire back of the house. The deck had a full, complete, outdoor kitchen! Gentle slope down to the river and you could walk out into the river. There were chairs along the bank of the river, picnic tables there as well, and a fire pit. I didn't want to leave the house! We had two great nights there and were all sad to leave. I hope to go back again soon and will plan on spending at least 5 nights. http://www.vrbo.com/127091 connect to the link and you can see where we stayed and how to reach the owner.

Of course we went to Sequoia and looked at the big trees, which as as beautiful as I remember from our last trip there. The weather was nice the whole time. As soon as we crossed over the Sierras we lost the wind.

The time from Three Rivers back down to Central Riverside is about 5 hrs., taking Highway 99 down to 58, and then taking 58 east to 395, which brings you back to the 15.

Our total time gone was about 10 days, counting my reunion. What would I do different? I would most certainly spend more time in at the house in Three Rivers. For anyone interested, email Laura or give me a call and I will put you in touch with her.

For all who helped with the reunion in Independence, thank you all so much! I will be sending a letter to the Inyo Register thanking everyone who helped. For all who came to the reunion, thank you even more! We were all so happy to see you and to have a chance to visit with you.

As always, please remember to check out Kiva.org

Until the next time,
Sonia

Happy Honeymoon!

2009-06-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

At this time of year I am usually helping people plan their honeymoons. Doing that is one of the things I enjoy most. It is always satisfying to help a couple plan a honeymoon that they will remember forever.

Right now, the really good deals are cruises, Cancun and Jamaica. Cruises are going for next to nothing, Cancun has some spectacular deals (check out Riu Caribe, I can't BELIEVE the prices I'm getting there!), and Jamaica has great deals as well. For Cancun and Jamaica I really believe in all inclusive properties. You are on your honeymoon, there is no need to have late night discussions on how much to tip! Tips are included! There is also no need to worry if the romantic dinner will tank the budget for the rest of the vacation...romantic dinners every night at no extra charge. In many cases, room service is included as well.

Hawaii is also offering some unbelievable deals compared to last year. There are no all inclusive resorts in Hawaii, but I do have a variety of hotels that include daily breakfast.

Air fares to Europe are lower than I have ever seen for summer travel, but be aware Europe can still be an expensive destination when you need to buy most of your meals and pay entrance fees to museums and attractions.

So, there are great places to go and the prices are right. When and how should you start planning?

The first thing to do is apply for your U.S. Passports (see additional information on that at the end of this blog), then come and see me and get information on the various destinations that might interest you. I will send you out of the office with books on cruises, Mexico, Hawaii, whatever destination you are considering. Decide what the budget is and where you would like to go and let me know. I will then work at putting together a package that will meet your needs.

Doing this 6 to 8 months in advance of the wedding is a good idea. Recently, people have been waiting to plan the honeymoon until about a month ahead of the wedding. Unfortunately, wait too long and those great deals are gone. Space fills up on planes and cruise ships and then the fabulous prices are all gone and you are looking at spending much more than was necessary.

Remember, you can hold your honeymoon package with a deposit and pay as you go along. That takes some of the strain off of your cash flow. There is no interest fee for paying for your vacation in this way. Also, some of your wedding guests might like to contribute towards your honeymoon. Please go to our newly revised website (reach it by going to eurotvlint.com) and you will see we now have a bridal registry.

There are honeymoons to fit every budget...even if the budget is quite small. Everyone deserves a honeymoon and now is the perfect time to take advantage of the low prices. This also applies to people who would like to celebrate an anniversary. Remember, at many resorts I can also set up renewal of vows....AND if you want a destination wedding I am happy to arrange that as well.

Several incredible resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Jamaica and Cancun offer free weddings. In Maui I know a great wedding planner who can arrange everything. She is Colleen Wheeler and is an ordained minister. Her weddings are beautiful and go for hundreds of dollars less than using a wedding planner at a hotel.

Congratulations to all of you out there who will be married soon. Do come and see me and let's get to work on a memorable honeymoon.

PASSPORTS! In order to visit Mexico, Canada, Caribbean Islands or anywhere that is NOT the United States, you will now need a passport. Even cruises departing from and returning to the U.S. now require passports. Brides, get your passport in your PRESENT name. I will book your honeymoon with your new husband's name and your PREVIOUS name. Later on, you can always get the passport modified to reflect your new name. Passports may be obtained through specified U.S. Post Offices (see the USPS website) or, here in Riverside, at the Passport Office, Riverside City Hall. This is VERY important! If you do not have a valid U.S. Passport you cannot travel outside of the country!

Remember Kiva.org Check out their website.

Until next time, Sonia

Where the Deals Are...

2009-06-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Right now, I am seeing amazing prices to Cancun! Riu Caribe, 7 nights in August, coming in at an amazingly low rate. Same for Hotel Marina El Cid Riviera Maya.

Unfortunately, Puerto Vallarta has not dropped prices as much as I would like, and it's making Cancun a better destination.

Jamaica has some great prices, too. Even high end properties like Sandals and Couples have brought prices down considerably and Sunset Beach and Sunset Grand are offering great deals, lower than I have seen in years.

Cruises are also a good value. A 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise is costing less at peak season than it used to cost in low season, making this an excellent time to sample cruising. The cruise ships are not only viying for your business, each one is trying to out-do the other with what they offer. The

How Far to Fun?

2009-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to West Covina to pick up a friend and take her to Ontario Airport. On the way to West Covina I passed two billboards, easily visable from the freeway, asking How Far to Fun? They are sponsored by an Indian casino, can't remember which one, but I thought they were catchy...a good "hook".

However, they also made me think. For my clients, exactally how far do you have to go to have fun?

Fun, like so many other things, starts between your ears! If you decide you are going to have fun...you will! I just had clients return from Puerto Vallarta, they had a wonderful time. They went with the idea it was going to be a great vacation and it was. Other clients wanted a 4 night cruise. They have done this cruise before, and it is only to Catalina and Ensenada, so I tried to interest them in something different. For them, the price was what counted and no matter where I sent them they were going to have fun! As luck would have it, the price of the 7 night cruise to the Mexican Riviera dropped dramatically, so they will be having fun for 7 nights instead of only 4. They have done the Mexican Riviera cruise before, but they will have fun because they have decided there is no reason not to have fun.

People who go with the idea things will go well and they are going to have a good time do have a good time. Instead of looking for things to complain about, like "it rained all day long one day"..."the maid didn't come in and do our room until 5:00pm"..."the maid came in and did our room 3 times a day and it bothered us"..."the snorkel boat left late and we didn't get to do our other excursion we had planned for the day".

First and foremost, speak up while you are actually ON the vacation. Weather can't be helped, it is what it is. However if the maid comes in too often or too seldom or too late...tell someone at the front desk and see if it can be corrected. If your room or cabin is not cleaned properly, again, tell the front desk or the purser's desk and see if the situation can be corrected immediately instead of letting it cast a dark cloud over the whole vacation.

If your cabin/hotel/condo is not as lovely as you would like...but it was what you were able to afford...either resolve to put more money into your vacation next time or decide it is great to be on vacation and if you are not in a 4 star property, at least you are on vacation.

Look at your destination and how look it takes to get from where you are to where you would like to be...how far the fun is from where you are. If you only have 5 nights to spend on vacation, look for destinations offering shorter flight time. From Los Angeles, good short flights to go Loreto, MX; Cabo San Lucas, MX; Puerto Vallarta, MX; and Manzanillo, MX. and Cancun, MX. Remember your flight to Hawaii is going to last 6 hrs. Your flight to Puerto Vallarta is a scant 2.5 hrs., and Cancun is only 5 hrs., and those are all non-stop flights.

Go to Jamaica and you will now be changing planes. What used to be a non-stop flight now requires a change of planes somewhere, which eats into your vacation time. Hawaii is 6 hrs. If you only have 5 nights vacation, that starts to seriously eat into your vacation time in the islands. However, stretch that vacation one more night and it will still be enough time to feel as though you have had a real vacation.

No way to stretch the vacation time? Consider a 4 night cruise to Catalina and Ensenada...or consider the 5 night cruise from San Diego which also goes to Ensenada. Consider Seattle, which is a short non-stop flight from Ontario, CA, OR from LAX. Consider Portland or San Francisco. Both are short flights from any airport in Southern California. All of the above cities have great tourist attractions, fabulous food, and all price ranges of hotels. Lake Tahoe is wonderful at any time of year, and prices in summer and fall are much lower than during ski season. Lake Tahoe requires a flight to Reno, then renting a car, not a problem at all. Hotels and condos are abundant in Lake Tahoe and you might even consider a night or two in Reno.

Other ideas for short vacations are, of course, Las Vegas, where you can see great shows and even rent a car and go to Grand Canyon. Phoenix, AZ has fabulous hotels and especially low summer prices. San Antonio is charming and fun and is a great fall, summer or even winter destination.

Mexico has the best prices I have ever seen right now, cruises are also offering incredible deals. Now is definitely the time to plan your vacation while those good deals are still out there. When the economy improves, and it seems to be getting stronger bit by bit, those deals will be gone again for a very long time.

Remember KIVA....earning interest on your money and helping someone build a buisness in a developing county. My first KIVA loan is already paying back.

Until next time,
Sonia

It's Only Stealing If They Catch You!

2009-05-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

For everyone who feels they deserve a vacation, no matter how bad the economy is, now is certainly the time to take one. I opened my email yesterday morning to find this ad from Palace Resorts in Mexico:

BOOK A TRAVEL PACKAGE FOR YOUR CLIENT NOW FOR AN AIRFARE DISCOUNT OF UP TO $400 AT OUR DESTINATIONS IN MEXICO: CANCUN/RIVIERA MAYA, COZUMEL AND RIVIERA NAYARIT*AND RECEIVE UP TO $1,000 IN VALUES WITH THE PALACE PASSPORT*PLUS, COMBINE THESE WITH OUR OTHER AMAZING PROMOTIONS*:
KIDS 17 AND UNDER STAY FREE
FREE SCUBA DIVING
FREE SPORT FISHING TOUR
$200 GOLF & SPA CREDIT

The above is an excellent offer, and is due to the dip in tourism in Mexico due to the flu virus. Offers like this will definitely help people decide a vacation is in order, because these are beautiful, all inclusive resorts, and any threat of flu virus is pretty much out of the picture.

There is such a thing, perhaps, as TOO MUCH information, and I think that was the case with the virus. Yes, people died. When you compare the number who died to the number of people who die from flu every "normal" flu season...it was pretty small numbers. The big thing seemed to be this flu being out of season...and the more Internet news hits can panic people, the better for...? Sales?? Hits on a web page?? Don't know, but I think this was blown out of proportion and I think if I were offered a trip to Cancun tomorrow I would be on that plane!

There are a lot of deals out there I consider steals...cruises, Jamaica at Christmas time, Mexico, Hawaii...prices that are seldom seen and when the economy improves will not be seen again for a while. Here are a few examples.

If you are not interested in Cancun, the deals are still numerous. Royal Caribbean has remarkable prices on their Northwest cruise, making port in San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria, Canada. Nice itinerary, incredible prices! Two people in a BALCONY cabin for just over $1,500 for 7 days. Of course inside and outside cabins are even less expensive.

Last year, in a move that made sense only to airlines, fares to Hawaii were raised to the highest levels I've ever seen. For the price of a ticket to Honolulu you could probably have flown to Paris. Of course that pretty much put a dent in tourism for Hawaii for all of last summer. This year, since people quit going to Hawaii in droves, the airlines in their infinite wisdom (probably run by the same guy who ran GM) decided to drop prices. As a result, fares to Hawaii are way down, and hotels are giving great discounts as well. This would definitely be a great time to book Hawaii...ANY island.

Hawaii does not have all inclusive properties...the only drawback I can see to going there with a family. 20 years ago when I started working full time as a travel agent I went on several FAM trips to Mexico and saw all inclusive resorts and was not impressed. As the years have passed and all inclusives have been refined, I have changed my opinion and have become VERY impressed. Hotels that once offered only buffet service at all inclusive properties now have gourmet restaurants and fabulous food...French cuisine, sushi, Italian cuisine, local dishes, and fabulous desserts. Drinks are top shelf...no more "domestic drinks only". Jamaica has great all inclusive resorts as well that offer the same excellent dining. Jamaica was my first introduction to what an "all inclusive" resort could be...and Mexico does not disappoint, either.

If I were going with children I would definitely want to go to Beaches in Jamaica or to one of the Palace Resorts in Cancun...or to Beaches in Turks and Caicos. Those resorts, along with Grand Velas and Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, set the standards for family friendly resorts. One of the great things about an all inclusive when you travel with children is that the kids can eat WHENEVER they want...as little or as much as they want. This saves a great deal of money in the long run. Little ones always want to eat...until the food comes! At an all inclusive they can have little snacks all day long...no charge.

For people NOT traveling with children, almost without exception I would recommend going to an adults only resort. The one exception is Grand Velas in Puerto Vallarta. Their children's program looked so appealing it would be hard to believe kids would want to be anywhere else...and they would be lavishly entertained there.

Europe has good prices, the euro is still ahead of the dollar, but not as much as it was a year or two ago. Air fares to Europe, even for peak summer travel, are way down. You need to be willing to change planes once each direction, but I have seen fares round trip to London for as low as $900. per person...AMAZING!

The deals are out there, just waiting to be taken. It may involve a little compromise on dates and times. It may involve being flexible on your destination...if Mexico doesn't work think Jamaica...and if you love adventure and beach, think about Belize and/or Costa Rica. If that doesn't work think about Hawaii. Mexico, Hawaii and Jamaica, along with Costa Rica and Belize, are still the least expensive beach destinations for people in California.

Two things worth noting: My goddaughter, Caitlyn Lombard, graduated Saturday from CalState University Monterrey Bay. I am VERY proud of her!

My first Kiva loan, to a woman in Peru, is starting to pay back. Please check out Kiva. You earn interest on the money you loan, you can re-invest...or you can take your money out. I gave Caitlyn a gift certificate to Kiva so she can experience the joy of giving, make a little interest on her money, and know she is helping someone who DIDN'T get a chance to go to college.

I am now on Facebook, and a link to my blog can be found on my Facebook page.

Until next time,
Sonia

"I Read the News Today, Oh Boy....."

2009-05-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Borrowing a bit from the Beatles and Sir Paul, I read the L.A. Times today and had quite a bit of food for thought.

First was the blast at Carnival Cruise Lines in the Business Section of the paper...of all places...for their handling of a 7 night cruise on Carnival Splendor bound for the Mexican Riviera (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan). Apparently, the cruise docked in Cabo, which would normally not be the first port, then turned and headed north for San Francisco. The Captain came on the loudspeaker and explained due to the outbreak of flu in Mexico there would be no ports of call there and the new ports of call would be San Francisco, Victoria and Vancouver (Royal Caribbean is offering San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria, by the way). There would be no refunds for people who were unhappy with the new itinerary. There would be a stop in San Diego and anyone who wanted to disembark the ship could do so, returning home at their own expense. The cruise care that is supposed to protect anyone unhappy with a Carnival Cruise could not be utilized, the rule being, "if you are unhappy with ANY aspect of your Carnival cruise, you may get off at the first FOREIGN port and Carnival will fly you home at THEIR expense and return your money". There was no foreign port made for people to disembark, therefore, the cruise care did not apply. No vouchers were given for future cruises, no refunds were given....passengers were unhappy. To add insult to injury, travelers going on LATER cruises with Carnival were offered vouchers to cruise at a later date, up to, I believe, December of 2010.

Hummmmm, maybe a little ham handed, but let me tell you what I think. First, if you read the fine print on the cruise book it will tell you, they (the cruise company) can change their itinerary for any reason and you are still under contract to sail with them. The decision of where to go is theirs and theirs alone. The fact that you only BOUGHT the cruise vacation to see a particular island or area does not really matter. The cruise line will direct the ship to where they deem is safe and convenient....for them!

Now, think about this. Carnival may have not handled the situation with great diplomacy, but they were truly between a rock and a hard place. There were people who only wanted a vacation...San Francisco and points north would work for them just fine. There were people who only wanted their money back, but had come from a great distance (as in NOT from Southern California) and would also expect to be flown back to their homes early...at no expense to them. Had Carnival done that, refunded money and flown those home who needed to go home, how would the people still on board who were happy with the new itinerary feel? They would want something, too, just for toughing it out.

I don't have the answers for how this should have been handled. I can tell you this. From the aspect of dealing with a cruise line and taking care of my clients, Carnival is one of my favorites. I have a great sales rep, Jackie Casas, who has helped me out numerous times...which really means she helped out my clients. I trust Carnival to "make things right" when necessary. The story in the Business Section of the L.A. Times today was not good publicity for Carnival and I think there might be consequences for the decisions that were made. We will see how it all turns out. But remember this. Had Carnival decided to stick to their original itinerary and even ONE person got a bad head cold...that person would have been on the phone to their lawyer and ready to sue the cruise line for putting passengers' lives in danger for going into an area that could possibly have the flu virus. As it was, people were on their phones trying to reach lawyers (and probably travel agents) and wanting to sue for the change in course...can't win situation!

The flu itself is, perhaps, not as bad as was reported. That particular flu virus is here in the U.S. now, as well as all over the world. A client asked if he should go on his trip to Mexico. He was in a good position, flying on frequent flyer miles and staying at a friend's house in Cabo. I was not sure what to tell him, and told him to think about it one more day. In the meantime, that night I asked my husband, who is from Mexico, what he would do. He said he would cancel the trip and go at a later time. I emailed the client the next morning and told him just that. He was able to have his miles returned to his account...no harm done. That is probably the best solution many people will see from this problem. Would I go, right now, May 10...yup! I would take my chances and go. The flu is here in the U.S., if I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it...here or there. I would not give up my vacation.

So now, on to the next big revelation in the L.A. Times for Sunday, May 10. This was in the Travel Section, the ON THE SPOT column by Catharine Hamm. Someone had written in to see what could be done about their problem. They had booked a time share in Cancun and tickets to get to Cancun on Continental. The vacation was set for August of this year, but with the flu being out there, they were terrified to go. The girl was writing the letter and, apparently, her boyfriend has a health condition that would make him especially vulnerable to the flu virus. She had called Continental and they had told her she was NOT getting a refund on her tickets and, with August still a long way off, it would be better to wait and see what happens next. However, her timeshare had to be canceled NOW or she would get stuck with charges.

I am not a big fan of time shares. A very small percentage of owners of time shares are able to make them work out for vacations and I would guess a great deal of time and money is wasted once one purchases a time share...unless you can drive to it!

Catharine Hamm told the woman she would probably NOT get her money back from Continental and suggested various types of insurance for buying plane tickets that might (or might not) cover some of the cost of cancellation. I was not in agreement with that answer, although perhaps it was what the writer of the letter was searching for.

My advice would be to go ahead and cancel plans for Cancun if you were uneasy, but turn around a pay the penalties and use your Continental tickets to go somewhere else. Continental's tickets, like all the other airlines, are good for use up to one year from date of issue...along with a penalty for change. The woman could have used those tickets to go to Hawaii or Florida...or canceled them and used them next year when she felt any danger of flu was over. As far as the time share, it might have been possible to change that to Hawaii or Florida as well.

Had that been a regular vacation, not an attempt to use a time share, and had it been booked with me, there would be "cancel for any reason" insurance included in the price. Sometimes the insurance does not cover the airline tickets. If the company is using what is called "published" air...tickets that are bought for the least expensive price...insurance will not usually cover a cancellation. The tickets are still good for up to a year, though, and all the money you have invested in the hotel portion of the vacation is given back to you...less the insurance. If the air is "bulk" air, which is always my preference, then you get everything back except for the cost of the insurance. No hit, no foul, no error...you get your money back.

I believe I now have my Facebook page linked to my blog...or something like that??? I will try and get a photo on the blog and on Facebook, since I was told if I didn't put a photo on Facebook it was "cheating". The person that told me knows tons more about Facebook, blogs, computers and probably most everything else in the modern world than I ever will, so I gotta believe him!
I also have KIVA linked to my Facebook. Please don't forget about KIVA it is a very satisifying way to invest a very small amount of money and help someone to have a better life.

Until next time,
Sonia

The Good, The Bad and the REALLY Ugly...or YIKES!

2009-04-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

Where to start. I guess, start with the least important and work our way up...or down as the case may be.

First, about 3 weeks ago there was a letter in the L.A. Times Travel Section in the "On the Spot" column written by Catharine Hamm. The letter asked how to get the best deal on a cruise. Ms. Hamm recommended finding a travel agent who only worked with cruises and would have special offers, and, if you didn't have a travel agent, to inquire who your friends used. At that point, I should have written, but I let it go. The next week someone wrote and asked how to find a travel agent, since they "didn't have any friends". Ms. Hamm responded with another column suggesting the person go find an agency and request to see a list of satisified clients...this was one of several suggestions.

At that point, I emailed Ms. Hamm and said I, as an agent for 19 years, would not provide a total stranger with a list of my clients, happy or UNhappy. I suggested several other things someone shopping for an agent might do. I also stated that we ALL have access to the "best" deals cruise companies offer, and that some agencies who only deal in cruises are unable to run airline tickets in case the client needs air apart from that which the cruise line offers.

Ms. Hamm responded to my email and said she was going to use some of it in the "Letters" part of the travel section. I asked not to be taken out of context, but was pleased she felt my statements important enough to publish.

A week later, there I was in print in the Travel Section of the L.A. Times. My little letter, now cut down to a slim paragraph, only stated I would not give out a client list...PERIOD. There was no mention of me being a travel agent, no mention of where I work...I just don't give out a client list. Hummmmm, I said to myself....what kind of business might I be in??? Perhaps a high priced hooker to the stars? Maybe a dealer in rare coins or antiques...or contraband???? I emailed Ms. Hamm and suggested it might have been a good idea to list my profession and not leave it up to guesswork...she said "they were in a hurry and under a deadline." Well, there you go. Watch out what you ask for! I requested my remarks not be taken out of context...and there they were...in no context whatsoever. So, if you happened to read that little tiny letter to the Times, yes, it was me. And yes, I was talking about travel. SIGH!!!

On to the next item, a good bit more serious. One of our valued companies went under a week ago today. Since they had become much more difficult to reach it was not a complete surprise, but they had been in business for 40 years, and their sales rep is a very good person who is now out of a job and embarrased he did not see this coming. Fortunately, I only had one booking with this company, far enough in the future (like towards the end of May) that I had time to work things out. The best part, my clients paid with a credit card.

Please, protect yourselves, ALWAYS pay with a credit card. The card my clients happened to use was American Express. American Express is NOT always accepted world wide. If you carry American Express I would stongly suggest having a backup card, such as a Visa or Mastercard. However, American Express came through in a big way for these people. The company who went bankrupt HAD paid for the airfare for these clients...so they did not lose their air and the seats I carefully picked out are still there. The part never paid for was the hotel and transfers. Several other companies have offered to help all agents holding bookings with Happy Vacations (the company who went under) and those companies are waiving fees and extending final payment dates and doing whatever they can to help our clients preserve their vacations.

The moral of this story is this: ALWAYS pay with a credit card. If you don't have one...get one! You should pay big purchases with the card, even if you have cash set aside for the item being purchased. Remember, instead of writing ME a check, write yourself a check and pay back the card IMMEDIATELY, but put the purchase on a card! I think most cruise lines and companies I deal with are in good financial shape. This company had recently been purchased by a larger conglomerate. From that point on, which was AFTER I made my decision to book valued clients with them, I think they started having problems. It is always a good idea to use your credit card when paying for travel...please remember that and protect your investment!

Last of the problems we face this week is the Swine Flu epidemic in Mexico. Frankly, that is more a concern to me than the reported drug cartels and their violence. I don't expect my clients to EVER be in danger from drug cartel problems in Mexico. Those problems do not happen in or near the major resorts I use.

Flu virus is a whole different problem. It is already in the U.S., as well as in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. I just asked my husband "If we had a vacation planned for Mexico RIGHT NOW, would you want to go?"....His response..."No, not right now". Unfortunately, I think his response is the safest. Does this apply to cruise ships. No, I think not. However I might not venture very far off the ship.

At this point, no sign of the virus has been reported in Ensenada or Puerto Vallarta. There is a POSSIBILITY of one person ill in Cabo. I have heard nothing regarding any of the other ports or of Cancun and Riviera Maya. Hardest hit, of course, is Mexico City. So far, all cases here in the U.S. have been fairly mild. Still in all, it is no fun to be sick on your vacation and this is one of many reasons I ALWAYS recommend including "cancel for any reason" insurance with your travel package.

Right now, some airlines and packagers are waiving penalties for a small window of time, from April 25 to May 6 travel dates. If you are scheduled to go now, I would probably start checking to see what the rules and regs are for rescheduling your trip. If you are scheduled to go from mid to late May and onward, I would recommend waiting to see what happens next. If I were on a cruise with Mexican ports I would carry on with my vacation plans. Cruise lines have been prepared for this sort of emergency for several years and have stations all over the ship with hand cleaner. They also have taken to serving passengers at the buffet instead of letting passengers handle the serving spoons. A cruise ship is probably your safest mode of travel to Mexico for the next week or two.

If you are going to Mexico now, and if it is a trip you choose not to put off, by all means, do as they keep suggesting on the news...KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN! Travel with a bottle of hand sanitizer and use it often! Keep your hands away from your mouth and face. Wash your hands when you are able to and use the hand sanitizer in between. This virus is transmitted via contact with humans or with objects. If someone is sneezing, stay out of their range. If you are sneezing, please cover your sneeze/cough. I don't really believe this is the big pandemic the press loves to talk about, but I do feel caution is needed. I would hope that by mid-May there will no longer be a flu problem.

Last of all...I guess the YIKES factor, there was a major eathrquake in Mexico. The epicenter was about 50 miles away from Acapulco in a small town. Some homes IN the small town collapsed. Two people died...from heart attacks. Mexico City was shaken, as usual, but no buildings were damaged and no one was hurt. Enough is enough! Please, SOMEBODY, give Mexico a break!

Until next time...remember to look up Kiva on the web if you really want to help people in developing countries. If you can't find them, contact me and I will send a link.

Sonia

How to Make a Difference

2009-04-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

I have clients who do not want to go to Mexico or Jamaica because they "Don't want to see poverty and poor people. It is too depressing." Unfortunately, poverty exists, and there isn't too much I can do to shield my clients from seeing poor people.

In other posts I have talked about how I, personally, deal with this issue. My opinion is, in promoting tourism, people in the area are more apt to be able to raise their standard of living...street vendors in Mexico and Central America; rafts men and crafts people in Jamaica; the people who serve your meals and clean your rooms....all of those people benefit from tourism.

In the past I have read about a group call KIVA. It is people who extend small loans to people in other countries to help bring them up out of poverty. KIVA covers the world, from what I can see., and you can choose the area, the gender and the purpose of the loan you might wish to extend. The basic loan one grants is $25.00. The stories of the people needing the loans and what they can do with a small amount of money are a view into another way of life people in the U.S. sometimes don't understand...and that's a good thing!

Living in Morelia and going to school, the woman I rented a room from made money to support her family by selling clothing from a spare bedroom. Other women were involved in selling shoes from their homes, or milk or cheese or tortillas. The ladies selling shoes had styles and sizes which were not available in local stores. My shoe size, 9 1/2, could almost ONLY be obtained by dealing with one of these independent merchants selling from home. That was my first introduction to what a difference a small amount of money could make in a person's standard of living.

I have made loans through KIVA. Choosing who will be the recipient of the small amount of money I can offer is interesting and heartwarming. When those loans are repaid, I plan to use the money to "pay it forward".

I have attached a link for anyone interested in looking into this project.

Kiva - Loans that change lives

Until next time,
Sonia

What Should I Bring Back?

2009-04-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

What's good to buy? What should I bring back? How much money should I take with me?....the questions go on and on and sometimes don't have easy answers.

If I am going to Mexico I am probably coming back with a piece of silver jewelry. No matter how often I've been, no matter what I say I won't do...I will probably come back with at least one piece of silver and it will be stamped on the back Mexico 925, indicating it is real silver. I try and stay away from knick-knacks, having brought back treasures from Mexico for years, but sometimes my good resolutions are not enough to keep me away from vendors. In Loreto, along with two beautiful pieces of silver jewelry, I came back with a woven blanket. The blanket is work from Oaxaca... I didn't care that it was not local to Loreto, it was pretty and looked like it would be useful, and it is, it is on our bed! I also found an unusual pottery frog to hang on the wall...although he is still living in my carry-on at this moment.

In Mexico, I don't purchase silver from beach vendors or sidewalk vendors...but I DO purchase pottery and blankets from street and beach vendors. Bargaining is expected, even in some of the silver shops I use. I will bargain more with a beach vendor than I will in an established shop and my first question in an established shop is "Is that your best price?". If they tell me it is, I will move on to look at other pieces and then move towards the door. If no offer is forthcoming to lower the price, then I know it IS their best price and I have to decide how much I really want the item. Beach and sidewalk vendors expect to bargain and I will usually make an offer somewhat lower than the stated price and see what happens next. The blanket I bought on the beach in Loreto I paid $25.00 U.S. dollars for. I believe they were asking $30., I offered $20. They came back with $28. and I offered $25.00...and then we had a deal!

Morelia suffers from my having been there so many times and bringing home so much stuff. However, I did come home with a small cross covered with milagros...milagros are the little figures, an arm, a leg, an eye, a head, a rooster, a pig...that people offer to saints in hopes of a cure...or as a gift when that particular thing in need of a cure is cured.

Mexico is great for pottery. Nayarit and Gurrero do some beautiful, bright pottery with true folk art paintings on the pieces. You can see the love and care that go into those pieces of art. The pottery from Puebla is Talavera, and is among my favorite. It looks like Italian majolica ware and often has sunflowers or calla lilies as a theme. Much of the Talavera pottery is now stamped "lead free" or "sin plomo" on the bottom of the piece. That means it's safe to use as a food container. Ocumichu, Michoacan, is famous for pottery figures that show great imagination or a sense of humor. Hard to explain, but these figures are "one of a kind" and are true folk art at it's best. Capula, Michoacan, is famous for pottery decorated with figures made from dots...from large dots to pinpoint size. Usually, pottery from Capula is NOT lead free...so use it for decoration only. Santa Clara de Cobre, also in Michoacan, is famous for jewelry and objects made from copper...and is also one of my favorite towns in Michoacan. Lacquer ware is from Patzcuaro or Uruapan and is absolutely spectacular. You can find anything from a tiny plate to a bedroom set out of lacquer ware. Of course Paracho is THE place to purchase a guitar. There ARE stores in larger cities in Mexico, much like our UPS Stores here, where you can have something fragile boxed up so you can safely bring it home in cargo. That has worked for me a time or two when I wanted something large.

One of my favorite things to bring home from Mexico when I was spending summers in language school was music. There would always be some popular song that I loved and I would find out who the recording artist was, what the album title was, and bring back the cassette. Playing the cassette back home in Independence was an instant memory of the people I had been with and the place I had been in when I heard the song. Now, with cd's, it's even easier to bring music home with you, no worries about the tape coming unwound.

Guatemala is great for fabric items and masks. Folk art masks have become rather expensive in Mexico, especially the original pieces. In Guatemala I picked up some that are undoubtedly reproductions, but very nice and very inexpensive. The woven or embroidered pieces you can find in Guatemala are also spectacular...and pack flat and are light...always a plus! Zaya Rum from Guatemala is VERY good, rivals anything you find in Jamaica, although I do like Appleton.

In Jamaica I have never been too tempted to buy much. I saw some beautiful pottery, but kept thinking about how much I have already from Mexico and resisted temptation. However...great place to buy high quality rum and/or rum cakes. Mexico, on the other hand, is where you should pick up high quality tequila, although with free trade, fine tequila is no longer a great bargain in Mexico...not to mention it makes your suitcase a lot heavier!

In France I have always managed to purchase a few bottles of wine. Yes, it makes the suitcase heavier, but many times it is wonderful wine that is not available in the U.S. at any price. I also found prayer cards with their own religious medal in various Catholic churches we visited. Those are a nice, easily packable, gift for our family in Mexico...and friends here who are Catholic. Of course, because we were in France, I brought home some perfume. No less expensive in France than here, but, again, I can always remember where I bought it and how much fun we were having that day.

London has wonderful perfume shops and great hard milled soaps. One of my favorite stores in London is Crabtree and Evelyn, which also has many shops in the U.S., but it makes a special gift when it comes from England.

Apart from my flings with pottery in Mexico, I try and keep my purchases small and easy to pack. I tend toward refrigerator magnets and shot glasses for the most part, or scarfs if we are in Europe. I seldom do Tee shirts because I am never confident of the size in another country. For myself, I often look for coffee mugs. I have purchased mugs in Ireland, Independence, CA., and Silver Lake, CA. Since I have coffee every morning at home, a coffee mug I look at every morning is one of my favorite things to bring home.

Ireland offers so many things...my prize possession is a Claddagh ring my husband bought for me in Dublin. I know it's "tourist jewelry"...I don't care...I love it anyway! Ireland has beautiful china and, of course, crystal, and you can get into major sums of money if you buy the best. Ireland, along with Belgium, has beautiful lace work. I also found knit scarfs in Ireland that made nice gifts. Guinness Brewery has a gift shop you pass through before you enter the museum...who'da thunk!!

Singapore, and probably most of Asia, is good for small electronics. Since I know very little about small electronics, all I can say is we sure saw a lot of that type of thing for sale in malls in Singapore.

As to how much money to take along, I usually go with enough cash to get me through two days of tips and taxis. After that, I use my ATM card and take out currency as I need it. Remember, in many other countries they DO NOT blank out your credit card number...it is there in full, complete with expiration date, for all the world to see. Don't throw your receipts away. Tuck them in your pocket, purse or backpack and tear them to bits at your hotel...or better still, pack them and take them home and run them through a shredder.

What you CAN'T bring home. Well, fresh meat comes to mind. My husband really wanted to bring home Irish bacon...not gonna happen! There are limits on how much alcohol you can bring back. Ask before you leave so you don't over purchase. Customs sets limits on how much you can purchase abroad and bring back without paying duty, so you need to be careful about how much you spend on things like perfume, designer gowns, and fine jewelry. Endangered species (parrots or fish or turtles) are not permitted entry into the U.S. Neither are products made from endangered species...carved ivory, many furs. It is also best to leave the cute little puppy or the darling kitten in their country of origin. Bringing back a pet can probably be done, but would certainly complicate a vacation! Of course bringing home fresh fruit is out of the question, as well as fresh vegetables. Dried spices, on the other hand, are permitted, as is coffee and tea.

What you bring home depends on what you like to do once you are back home. If you love to cook, a cook book and dried spices are a good memory. Music cd's are great, and small pieces of art are a nice reminder of where you were. Folk art is usually duty free and makes a great reminder of people and places you have seen. For those on a cruise, I have seen really beautiful pieces of metal art that come from Haiti and certainly qualify as folk art and many cruises stop in Haiti.

Look for things you love. Somehow, you always know the perfect souvenir when you see it.

Until next time,
Sonia

First Aide on a Trip

2009-04-03T13:29:00.001-07:00

Not talking about MAJOR sick here, as in medical evac and all that goes along with it. That is what your trip insurance is made to cover. What I'm talking about, as I sit here at home with a head cold, is what if you just get a cold...or sore throat...or upset stomach.

I seem to always wind up with a cold when I go to Morelia. It's like there is a special variety of cold germ there that just waits for my plane to land. Of course, once I'm back here again, I forget all about that.

The SMART thing to do, not that I have ever done it, is to take the meds that work for you "just in case". That saves searching for cough drops, cough medicine, the right aspirin, all the stuff we take for granted here, in a foreign country. I have purchased cough syrup and cough drops in Mexico...but then, I speak Spanish and am comfortable doing those kind of transactions. But think what a time saver it would be to NOT have to go looking for meds.

So, if you have prescription cough syrup, put it in a zip lock bag and put it in your check through luggage. If you have a particular brand of cough drops that work well for you, toss those in the check through luggage, too.

If the aspirin that works best for you comes in a sample size, get a bottle and put it in your back pack or purse. It doesn't have to be the giant economy size bottle, just enough to get you past fever and aches from a cold is sufficient.

Other stuff I don't leave home without...Pepto Bismol, liquid or tablets. Some people can't stand the stuff, but it works for me. I either take the tablets or a small bottle.

Hurricaine Topical Anesthetic Gel...tiny tube, used for teething in babies, but this stuff is amazing. If you have something that hurts, like a very sore toe, it WILL kill the pain for most of the day. I think it runs around $8.00 a tube and you ask for it at the pharmacy, but the stuff lasts forever and is like gold when you need it. I honestly never leave on a trip without it.

Some sort of antibiotic ointment is good to have along. I carry Neosporin Plus Pain Relief...small tube, works well. Whatever you use for minor cuts and scrapes at home would work just fine. Along with that, a couple of bandages are handy to have. This works for blisters and small scrapes. If you are walking a lot it is possible even the most comfortable shoes will rub somewhere.

The obvious, sun screen. Frankly, I hardly ever carry it along, but that it because on most trips I'm looking at hotels and not laying on the beach or out on a boat. I think it's a good idea to have it along if you intend to be outdoors doing things and, along with that, something for bug bites. I found in Jamaica the after sun lotion provided in my room worked great on bug bites, but it is aloe based. There are people who do not do well with aloe and should take along something else to sooth bug bites. Remember, if it is tropical, there ARE bugs.

Of course, whatever you are taking as a prescription needs to go with you and NEVER pack prescription drugs you must have on a daily basis in your check through luggage. Those should ALWAYS go in purse, backpack or carry-on. I now leave mine in the original bottles so it is possible to see they are my prescription with my name and my doctor.

One of the easiest ways to insure a happy vacation is by bringing the right shoes. Nothing is more uncomfortable than sore, blistered feet. Bring more than one pair of very comfortable shoes...and then bring heavily padded socks to go with them. Doesn't matter if the shoes do not look "cool". There is nothing cool about limping around a museum or on a cobblestone street because you brought the wrong shoes.

What seems to do most of us in for colds, make us more vulnerable to them, is lack of sleep and not washing our hands enough, or being around other people who already have colds. Most vacations almost guaranty lack of sleep! You are busy doing things, you do things you might not normally do, you are not in your own bed...immediate lack of sleep! That also brings up the issue of sore muscles, since you are probably doing things not in your normal routine. Along with the other items, thow in a small tube of Ben-Gay or whatever works for you.

Adding up all of the things I've mentioned, you can probably fit all of them into a 1 pint zip lock bag. Not a whole lot of space used up and you will save at least one trip to the pharmacy and the possible frustration of a language barrier.

While we're on the subject of getting sick on a trip, let me mention one of the better investments I've made. When I'm going somewhere like Europe, where I will have to get up early in the morning, THEIR time, to catch my flight, and will get back here much later at OUR time, I use Go Fly Shuttle Service. They will provide a van (if you have several people in your party), or a Lincoln Towncar; or a stretch limo. I also use Go Fly if the airline I'm flying with has a history of being late, which then puts me in the position of driving back to Riverside tired and stressed. I can book Go Fly for anyone who is interested. The plus, they monitor the incoming flights closely, so they know if your flight is running late. They are transporting only YOU...BIG plus!! Imagine how thrilled I was once to come back from Ireland and find the shuttle service I was using at that time actually waiting for me when I walked out of the airport. Now, imagine after we had let off several other people at different stops, how UNHAPPY I was when we were in Ontario...FINALLY...and the driver decided it would be more efficient to take the other person to his home in Highland before he took me to my house in Riverside. By now, I had been up about 18 hrs. straight and that choice didn't make me happy at all. However, once you are on the shuttle, the choice is not yours to make. With Go Fly, I am the only one on board and they take me home via the shortest route.

Since I seem doomed to collect head colds, I came back from France with a miserable cold. My husband was with me, but he was tired, too, from flying out of Paris and changing planes in Boston and trying to make sure we both got home safely. I was so happy to have arranged for Go Fly and so glad they were waiting for us and our flight and immediately had a big box of Kleenex for me in the back seat of the Lincoln...and they always have a bottle of water for each passenger. Little things like that mean a lot when you don't feel well.

Yes, they are a little more expensive than the shared shuttles. Yes, it is less expensive to park your car at the airport, but are they worth the extra money...every time! I don't use them for every trip. My decision depends on where I'm going, how long I will be gone, and the dependability of the airline I'm using...and also what time I will be leaving from LAX on my outbound flight. I simply don't want to battle early morning traffic on my own, and will either use Go Fly or get a hotel near LAX for an early morning outbound flight. By the time you calculate in the cost of the hotel, Go Fly becomes a pretty good option.

Something to think about for your next trip!

Until next time,
Sonia

Hung up on a Memory

2009-03-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday I leave for Independence, CA, where I went to high school and spent most of my life. It will not be the same town I left...and that's OK. Some things have changed for the better, some for the worse. It is not the same town I arrived in at age 14 in 1959...and that's OK, too! I will be a little sad for the things we have lost...the general store, my old office, the dress shop and the barber shop. I will miss the Post Office where it used to stand in what was, before that, the old French Cafe. And I will miss Austin's Drug Store, which was located where the Post Office is now. Things change, even in small towns, and that will especially hit home on Thursday.

A mistake some people make is trying to re-live favorite places and vacations. It can't really be done. Things change. The cruise you had 5 years ago may still have the same ports of call, and may even be running the same ship to those ports of call, but the mix of people on the ship may not be the same. The charming sidewalk cafe you loved so much may be gone. The quaint little hotel with no elevator now no longer seems so quaint and seems more like a youth hostel.

I have had requests to duplicate honeymoons which took place over 30 years ago...and people who took the same cruise many years later, only to find everything was different.

It does make one a little sad. I wish Independence looked the same way it did in 1959, when we had a grocery store, a dry goods store, a hardware store (kind of!), a dress shop, a barber shop, the Garden Club, two bars, two restaurants, a jail made out of adobe brick and at least 4 gas stations..and all the gas stations gave out free maps! Oh, and before the City of Los Angeles so graciously stole ALL of our water!

Looking back to the past, even good vacations past, is missing out on the present, which is really a shame. Keep your memories, but look for new memories to store. Even consider going new places and having completely new experiences that reflect how you, as a person, have also changed.

Perhaps your first vacation was filled with adventure, hiking, riding second class trains to save money, staying in inexpensive hotels with no amenities, even camping. Consider how you have changed since then. Perhaps sleeping on the ground is less comfortable than you remember. Hiking is still fun, but requires a little more equipment. Second class trains have a tendency to stop more places and take more time...that worked when you were on summer break and had all the time in the world, but now your vacation time is compressed into two weeks.

Look for ways to enjoy the new, improved by age, YOU! You now know the difference between a no star hotel and a 5 star hotel. Your time is too valuable to spend too much of it getting from point A to point B on the slower trains and local buses (the buses I used to love in Mexico...when I had a whole 8 weeks to spend there).

If you now have time, a luxury you never had before, consider doing something you have always wanted to try and never knew how to achieve. Take a cooking class in France; taste olive oils in Italy and learn how to use them; learn a new language in a country that speaks the language you want to learn; learn to paint; take time to hike. The possibilities are endless when you have time, and there are tours that accommodate these desires.

Many of my friends are quilters. What might have once been a trip spent laying on the beach sipping "boat drinks" now turns into the adventure of looking for unusual fabrics to incorporate into new and unusual quilt patterns...and each patch on that quilt is a memory of a different place!

If you have little time but are longing to be pampered, instead of staying at the LEAST expensive hotel, let me help you find a luxury hotel within your budget. It is possible to stay at a nicer hotel, but book a less expensive room. A garden view or pool view room in a 4 star hotel may not be that much more expensive than a partial ocean view in a two star hotel...but the quality of the room and the service are enormous for a small difference in price.

If you requested the same cruise you honeymooned on 10 years ago, don't let the changes you see ruin your happy memories...make some NEW memories. Take more time to enjoy the ports of call and do something you never tried before...be a little daring and take the helicopter ride or learn to surf on board the ship. If those are not your interests find something offered that IS interesting and new. Most ships now have yoga classes...something you try on board a ship or in a resort hotel may open a whole new world once you get home.

Most resort hotels have many things to offer, and in the all inclusive hotels I use in Mexico and Jamaica, those activities are usually free. Couples Resorts in Jamaica will teach you how to scuba dive...no charge! Palace Resorts in Mexico will do the same. Couples Tower Isle will give you free horseback riding...and show you how; Vallarta Palace in Puerto Vallarta will do the same. Club Med offers many opportunities to learn everything from how to be a clown to how to swing on a trapeze. Many resorts in Mexico and Jamaica offer free or low cost golf. Never tried golf because you were always too busy? Here is the perfect time to learn a little about a new sport and make a new memory.

The past is wonderful. I will think about it while I am "home" on my long weekend. However, being stuck in the past means you don't get to enjoy the present. I would not trade having had a yoga lesson in Jamaica or seeing a real, live whale from a panga in Loreto, MX. Or, for that matter, wine tasting in France or drinking a Bob Marley in Jamaica! There is always something new to learn and a new memory just there for the taking...reach for the stars!

Until next time,
Sonia

How I spent my Saturday!

2009-03-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our office received an invitation to tour Silver Seas Silver Shadow, anchored in San Pedro, on Saturday. We were able to invite spouses or clients, something that doesn't usually happen when touring a ship, so five of us from my office, including my husband, were able to explore an incredibly luxurious ship.

Silver Sea, as a cruise line, is one of the more expensive. This tour gave me an opportunity to find out why it costs more than other cruise lines and what is the value involved for the money spent.

We were invited to first attend a presentation in their theater. As on most cruise ships, there is not a bad seat in the theater. All areas offer an excellent view of the stage, the seating is comfortable and there is no crowding once you are seated, ample room to stretch out and enjoy the show.

After the presentation we went to the main dining room for lunch. Lunch was lavish, to say the least! ALL service on board is white glove and very elegant, with charger plates and great presentation of what is being served. The china is from Germany and the cutlery from France.

After lunch, we were allowed to tour the ship. The ship is small, compared to some of the giant cruisers recently built. It accommodates 520 guests and I would imagine the ratio of staff to guests is about 2 to 1.

The ship cabins are AMAZING...no other word...just AMAZING! One two bedroom cabin has 1,110 sq. feet of space. That is about the size of an average 3 bedroom house. Regular (not 2 bedroom!) cabins are ample. Large bathrooms, lots of storage space, the concept is a floating resort hotel. Balconies are large, sufficient for 2 chairs and a small table. In the case of the two bedroom cabins, the balconies are HUGE! Two lounges, a table, even room for a chair or two. Flat screen TVs throughout the cabin. A flat screen in the living area, another in the bedroom, if there are two bedrooms, another in the second bedroom.

Passage ways are ample and well carpeted, with marble tile work along the edges of the non carpeted area in the public rooms. Elevators are very art deco from the outside. We didn't use the elevators due to the very elegant lunch...gotta work it off somehow!

The pool area was nice, large pool, two pool bars on either side, no water slide. This is NOT a kid oriented ship. Great library and game room. The library was well stocked. Lots of shops offering high end goods. An excellent card room with ocean view. We explored the piano bar, which is very large and comfortable, and it has a great back bar. I always pay attention to the back bar in a hotel or on a ship to see what is being poured. The back bar had an excellent selection of everything, although I didn't see what tequila they were pouring...that was the only exception.

Wine pairing is offered in one of the small restaurants. The LEAST of the wine experiences there begins with Dom Perignon. Next to that restaurant is another area for cigars and cognac after dinner.

One restaurant is for casual dining...which means it is not necessary for gentlemen to put on a tux or even a sport jacket to dine there. The exception in that very elegant dining area was no bathing suits, which is not unusual. Room service is included in the cost of the cruise, so it would be possible to have a very elegant and romantic dinner...or a full breakfast...served in your cabin. There is room to accommodate full service and sufficient staff to do an elegant presentation.

The value on this cruise line is that in the price, all gratuities are included. That is always lovely because you are not left wondering what the appropriate amount is to leave a staff member. Wine is included with meals, and alcoholic beverages are also included...hence the attention to the back bar!

This is not a ship appropriate for young children. Although they are welcome, there is no children's program. Silver Seas is going to come out with a ship that will offer a children's program, and I am sure it will be fantastic.

The age range I saw on board the ship was younger than I expected. Usually, when I see people on an upscale ship about to start an around the world cruise lasting 92 days, I really expect to see people 70 and up, since they are usually the people with the time and the income to participate in longer cruises. I saw people of all age ranges getting ready to sail, which was very nice. That makes for a good mix during dinner and shore excursions.

Among other "perks" offered by Silver Seas is pre and post night hotel stays in 5 star hotels. Arranging air with the cruise company they EXPECT their passengers to come in the day before and be accommodated in a hotel that is equal to the ship...and that is included in the package price.

The prices are high, no doubt, but the extras you receive on the cruise will save you money in the long run. If I book you on a cruise that is inexpensive...you are still expected to tip and, in fact, the amount you SHOULD tip will be charged to your credit card at time of check in. All of your drinks, including sodas, will be charged to your card. Wine with dinner will be an extra expense. Unless you are sailing off the east coast your hotel night will not be provided and, while other cruise lines often provide a hotel prior to the cruise, it will not be a 5 star luxury hotel.

This is a cruise ship to use for a special occasion or for a special itinerary they offer. They also have expedition ships with Zodiacs to do unusual itineraries.

Please do call me and we can discuss prices and specials currently being offered. Silver Seas impressed me...and my husband liked it, too! While I am not a cruiser, I really COULD imagine doing a week on this ship, especially with their Alaska itinerary.

Until next time,
Sonia

Jamaica...Once You Go then You Know!

2009-03-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

I wish that were an original quote from me, but I stole it from the Jamaica Board of Tourism.

As I said in a previous post, I only went to Jamaica in 2002 to prove to myself that rumors were true...it was dangerous and unfriendly. After living over 30 years in a town that's now down to 550 inhabitants...and I think that's probably counting all the dogs and a few coyotes...you would think I would know something about rumors! Rumors are not always true.

Jamaica is rich in beauty and is a cultural mix, which adds to its beauty. However, it is not an especially rich island nation. Many people seem to be frightened by poverty....as though it were a contageous disease and the very act of looking at poor people could make one poor as well. Poor people are everywhere...including here in the U.S. Not looking will not make them go away...not here, not anywhere else, but poor people are not dangerous and certainly not contageous.

You do not have to be handing out coins to every poor person you see. We don't do that here in the U.S., it is not necessary to do it in the countries I visit, either. Perhaps somewhere I have never been such is the custom...haven't been to that place yet.

My formula in Mexico is if I have coins in my pocket and I see someone needing spare change, I give it. This is not to say others have to do the same thing. What I do is what I learned from observation while spending summers in Mexico. People gave if they were of a mind to, if they had small change, if they had time. If the person walking ahead of me didn't give something the person walking behind me probably would. The people asking for coin are usually from native tribes of Mexico and they are not too lazy to work, or it is of such a menial type of work that pays so little it is necessary to supplement the income by asking for coins. Discrimination is, unfortunately, alive and well in Mexico and those who are of native heritage very often have little opportunity for education or advancement. There are notable exceptions, Benito Juarez, was an indigenous person and became President of Mexico.

In Jamaica it is equally hard to find good employment and sometimes, having an education is not sufficient to find a good job. There is a shortage of good paying jobs everywhere.

My response to people who do not want to see poor people is to tell them to stay well within the walls of their own home. The poor exist everywhere, including Europe and our own Hawaii.

It is not necessary to give something to everyone who is asking for assistance. But when you go to a destination as a tourist, you are helping to elminate poverty. The person who works at the hotel as wait staff is helping support a family. The person cleaning rooms is helping support a family or may be their ONLY support. The cook, the bus staff, the person at the front desk, the tour guide and even the people who clean the hotel pool and gardens all are contirbuting to the ecomony of their country, and by being there as a guest, you are helping them in a very positive way.

When you purchase something from a vendor; when you hire a local guide; when the man at the airport puts your luggage underneath the bus to take you to your hotel; whenever you spend something, you are helping boost the economy of that country or area. Here in the U.S. the same is true, go skiing at Mammoth or sightseeing in Arizona and you are helping people support their families.

Not everyone in countries like Mexico, Jamaica and Guatemala are poor. There is a rather large middle class who live in homes much like ours and have clothes from nice stores and plenty to eat at their table. Why the poor are more visiable is because those countries have far fewer social programs to help their people and therefore the people who need money and assistance are either out looking for small jobs to do (shine shoes, sell small crafts) or are looking for change.

I neither defend nor condem the treatment of people in other countries. Each country must take care of their people as best they can. I only know that by being a visitor and by sending other visitors, the economy is better. Every latte I buy in the portales in Morelia; every post card I buy to send back to the States; every trinket I find in a market stall helps in some small way.

Others feel, and I went to school in Mexico with people like this, that it is better not to give money but to give some sort of tool to help that person earn a living. The person I think of most went out and purchased a shoeshine kit for a little boy who would come by our table in the portales in Morelia asking for change. I admired my friend's thoughtfulness and think what she did was noble. I suppose I go for the quick fix...enough change to buy a kilo of tortillas or a soda for the day. What both my friend and I didn't really realize was that our very presence in Morelia for 2 months at a time was what was helping the most.

Go, enjoy, realize that in this world there will always be people who have either a lot more or a lot less than you. Your presence helps them all, both the rich AND the poor and, most certainly, the in between!

Until the next time,
Sonia

Where the "deals" are...or Where ARE the deals?

2009-03-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Right now, there a lots of good travel deals...but they require a few things. First, you need to plan ahead. Spur of the moment travel is expensive, as is going when everyone else wants to go...which brings us to "high or peak season", "low season", etc.

Spring Break is here, and there are no inexpensive destinations...not Hawaii, not Jamaica, not Mexico. People are looking to get away with their families and have a little rest from winter...and deals are hard to find or just not out there.

"High Season" and "Low Season" have very little to do with weather conditions or when the best time to travel is. High season has to do with when people are available to travel...so "High" season is summer, the months of March through April (spring break) and Thanksgiving/Christmas/ New Year's holidays.

From my point of view, I prefer to travel in fall. Rates are lower, there are fewer people out there where I want to be, and lines to see attractions are shorter. I like Europe in the fall, as well as Mexico and even my own Eastern Sierra. In the Eastern Sierra the fishermen have pretty much gone home; the hunters aren't out yet, the trees up around Mammoth and June Lake have turned color and it is still warm enough in the daytime to not need a jacket and cold enough at night to need a quilt. The month of May is an equally good time to travel. Kids are in school...it is not HIGH season. Weather is usually nice, prices are lower...book early so you can use Memorial Day as a bridge day to take less vacation time.

Europe is much the same. We were in Ireland in late October and early November in 2005. It rained! Guess what?? If you go in July it rains then, too, that rain just costs more! It rains a lot in Ireland, which is why it's so green and beautiful. I have been there in late winter and in late fall, both times there was rain, but it was never especially cold. France and England are also lovely in fall or in late winter. Sometimes, the key to a deal is knowing when to go.

One of my favorite times to be in Mexico is November. Again, the temps are just right...warm in the day and cool at night. If you are at the beaches they are not clogged with people and waiters, hotel maids and tour guides have more time to do their jobs well.

In Hawaii, the weather is the same much of the time, but prices are SO much better in May, September, October and early November.

Right now, the emphasis is on giving a free hotel night or two depending on how many nights you stay. For example, stay 4 nights, get the 5th night free. This means it is more cost effective to stay on ONE island, if you are in Hawaii, than to go island hopping and do 3 nights here and 3 nights there. Take advantage of the sales and extend your vacation without paying more. Mexico is also offering some great rates based on staying a few nights and then getting a free night (the number of nights you need to stay to earn that free night varies...but usually a minimum of 4 nights is required.

Cruises are offering teriffic deals...but not so much in the summer months. Summer prices on the 3 and 4 day Baja Mexico cruises remain high. However prices for the 7 night cruises to Mexico, especially in May, September, October and November are quite reasonable, even for a balcony cabin.

Jamaica and Caribbean prices also vary by season. One of the best times to see Jamaica is May or early June. Prices are much better and the resorts are not as busy. November and early December are wonderful times to go there, both for prices and weather. I have been in June, October and September and only in September was weather an issue.

People think of Mexico and the Caribbean in terms of "Hurricane Season" and feel if they go during that time, prices will be lower. Hurrican season applies to Hawaii, as well, and is from June through December...WHO KNEW!? I have been in three named hurricanes and thought they were kind of neat. Needless to say, none of the three fell into the catagory of MAJOR hurricanes. Hurricane season fall when schools are not in session in the summer so people go anyway and hope for the best, which is what I have always done. Most hurricanes are a major rain storm with wind, which can leave everything feeling fresh and new when it departs. Being in a major hurricane is not fun and goes well beyond the idea of adventure travel. ALWAYS purchase trip insurance so if you know ahead of time one is coming, which is most always true, you can reschedule your trip without it being a major cost. Cruises are the exception. They usually sail, hurricane or no. They have very advanced radar systems and will sail around hurricanes.

This brings up another issue. If you are on a ship and they find it necessary to sail around a weather system, they are free to change ports. Your cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo MAY become a cruise to Catalina, Ensenada and the Channel Islands. The same is true in the Caribbean. If you go during hurricane season with the idea you MUST see a certain port...it may not happen. The cruise lines are not obligated to return money for these changes, nor will they return money if you feel you don't want to take a chance on missing certain ports. Money is only returned if the cruise must be canceled completely due to weather conditions, and even then, you will probably be offered another cruise at a different date first.

That brings up another issue...getting TO the cruise in the first place. If I book your airfare with the cruise line or with the vacation packager...it may cost more. Booking it on my airline computer system or you booking it on the internet MAY give a better price for air. However if the cruise is canceled due to weather conditions; or if your package to the Caribbean or Mexico is canceled due to the resort being damaged by a hurricane, and your air was booked through the cruise line or the packager...generally, you DO NOT have to pay penalties to the airline to reschedule your vacation. If I do your air...or if you do it on the internet...the airline will charge penalties if you change a ticket. The penalties are steep now, usually $150. per ticket plus any difference in air fare. There is no option to cancel a ticket I have done for you or one you did yourself...tickets are non-refundable, you can't change the name on the ticket, and to change the ticket and use it later carries a stiff penalty...as mentioned above. Tickets are good for one year from date of issue if it is a regular ticket booked through normal channels. Book that ticket as part of a package that carries "cancel for any reason" insurance and the date extends beyond a year.

For deals, think spring...but not Spring Break. Think about fall travel, too. Remember, I will search very hard for the best deal for you, but flexibility is the key to getting a good deal...being flexible with the days/months you can travel, sometimes even keeping an open mind to a different destination if I have heard of a good special.

And by the way, Globus Vacations, who I love, is offering really great rates to Europe this year.

Until next time,

Sonia

More on the Safety Issue

2009-02-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

I wrote about safety because I get asked that question a lot regarding Mexico and Jamaica "...but is it safe?". As I said in my previous post, somewhat with tongue in cheek, no place is really "safe". Listen to the local news any given night and you realize that is true, even in my beloved Owens Valley.

To tackle Mexico first, from a very frank point of view, we (my husband and I) watch the news from the U.S. every night at 10pm. After an hour of news we switch over to a Mexican station, specifically Galavision, from Mexico City. This is not local news covered in Spanish, this is news coming out of Mexico. We watch Noticias por Adela with Adela Micha, followed by the news with Joaquin Lopez Doriga. Watching those two news programs and being in contact with family in Morelia, Michoacan, I feel I can keep my finger on the pulse of what is really going on in Mexico.

There are problems, no doubt. First, Morelia, Michoacan, is one of the places where there are deffinitely problems with drug cartels. Some of you who are around my age may remember that marijuana from Michoacan back in the '60s was considered top quality. Of course "if you can remember the '60s you probably didn't live through them"....however, I DID and I also remember. In the 1980s checking in to a hotel in Uruapan, Michoacan, and seeing men who were well dressed checking in at the same time at the same hotel, it was fairly evident they were either DEA from the U.S., avocado buyers or coffee buyers. Uruapan is famous for all three things...something I discussed in an earlier post.

Normally, Morelia, Michoacan, where my husband's family lives is a beautiful Colonial city located in the middle of Mexico. That is where I went to language school and lived for several summers in the 1980s. Already things were happening in the 1980s. Enrique Camerana was a DEA agent from the U.S. who was tortured and beaten to death somewhere around Guadalajara. This happened right about the time I left to go to school in Morelia in 1985. Of course such a terrible event led to a lot of coverage in the U.S., as well it should have, the State Department recommended people not travel to Mexico. I had already spent the summer before in Morelia and had no qualms about spending another summer there. As you can see, I came home safely!

On to the very present. My husband and I were sitting in the cabin we rented at Convict Lake in Mono County, Eastern High Sierras, on Sept. 15 of last year. We had found how to get Galavision and Joaquin Lopez Doriga on Direct TV there in the cabin and were watching TV prior to making dinner. Imagine our horror when Morelia was the main, and only, subject of the news.

The night of September 15 is celebrated throughout Mexico as the moment of the birth of freedom from Spain. On that night in 1810 a priest led a mob of poor people armed with hoes, axes, machetes and pitchforks in a march against the Spaniards who were then the owners of Mexico and in power. The actual transfer of power from Spain to the newly minted country of Mexico did not happen until 1821. However, from their independence from Spain forward, the night of September 15 and day of September 16 are celebrated, much as we, here in the U.S. celebrate the 4th of July.

Every night on the 15th of September there is a parade and fireworks, not just in Morelia, but in every city in Mexico. Think of it as being like our 4th of July. Even in my hometown, Independence, CA, we have a fireworks show on the 4th. Same thing in Mexico on September 15. This time, however, someone connected with the drug cartels threw two grenades into the crowd. One was thrown at the corner where I used to turn to walk down to where I was living, the corner of Madero and Quintana Roo. The other was thrown from in front of the main square, next to the cathedral. I do not understand what the point of this action was. Supposedly, it was a message sent by one of the drug cartels to the Governor of the State of Michoacan. Some people died, I believe 8, and others were seriously injured. I was horrified, my husband who was born there even more so. Let me make this point VERY clear. NO TOURIST was injured. Please let me make the point again from my last post...if there is a political demonstration...if there is alcohol involved....DO NOT mingle with the crowd. Anyone watching the parade from a hotel window or from a hotel balcony would not have been injured. Observe and enjoy...from a distance.

So, since it was the 50th wedding anniversary of my husband's oldest sister, off we went to Morelia, Michoacan in December of this last year. We were there from Dec. 20 thru Dec. 27. The renewal of vows was held in the church ON THE CORNER where the first grenade was launched, the church is La Merced, for those of you who may have been to Morelia. That is where I would turn down off Madero to walk home.

I was not afraid to go to Morelia...I WAS afraid I might be told not to go to the center of Morelia alone. My husband always goes off on his own to look up childhood friends. I go downtown on my own to visit the lady I used to rent a room from when I was going to school. I would really miss being able to go downtown on my own and think my own thoughts and enjoy my own memories. I went with the idea that if the family suggested it was not safe, I would not argue the fact. They live there, they know best. As it happened, no one suggested I should avoid going out on my own. My husband and I walked to the shopping center that is about a mile from the house of the sister we were staying with...we walked alone and well after dark. We walked together to other areas in the evenings. I took a cab downtown, during the day, and walked all over on my own, doing exactally what I would have done 25 years ago, looking in shop windows, buying post cards, drinking coffee in the outdoor cafes I love so much, and doing a little shopping. At no time did I feel unsafe. My sister in law and I took a small public bus to the market where one of my friends owns a stall, and we walked throughout the market. We went as a large group to outlying villages around Morelia. What I no longer do is go to the bus station and find a local bus going to an outlying village and go alone to explore...that was 25 years ago...some things DO change.

Going on the little guajoloteros (turkey buses I have talked about before) I WOULD stand out like a sore thumb as a total stranger. At that point, I might be taking a risk I am not willing to take...that of being grabbed and taken to ATMs and forced to withdraw whatever money was in my bank account...Secuestro Express...Express Kidnapping. You are let go, but your money is gone. As I mentioned in my last post...with this in mind...do not feel you have to take little buses and go on your own and explore local villages. Go as we did, a caravan of 5 cars with family packed in every car. Take a day trip. Hire a driver and guide for a day....there are any number of ways to experience the same things I did without going off totally on your own. Did I feel safe in Morelia, most definitely YES! Would I send my clients there...again YES. However I would expect my clients to take my advice about what was safe and unsafe.

What does all of this history about Morelia mean to my clients? It means, if you are safe in Morelia following common sense rules, you are most definitely safe at resort cities...following the same guidelines.

Right now, I am using a lot of hotels in the Riviera Nayarit area of Puerto Vallarta (AKA Nuevo Vallarta). First, this is its own area, a city apart from Puerto Vallarta. The hotels are within a very large area, but with entry past guard shacks. There is a shopping center within the area. You can safely walk from your hotel to the shopping center...even alone in the evening...and there will be other hotel guests around as well. You can go in to downtown Puerto Vallarta to shop or walk along the ocean...no problem. I would not, however, decide to rent a car and explore the villages in the Sierra Madre in back of Puerto Vallarta. Again, do not go off on your own and explore backwater villages. You tend to stand out. No matter WHERE in the world you go, it is better not to stand out. You don't need to suddenly go native, but it is wise to blend in a little.

Last, before I end this post, let me give you my point of view on the news "if it bleeds it leads". Newspapers and internet news and television news do not make their money reporting the NON events of the day. Very old saying "If a dog bites a man, that's not news...now if a MAN bites a DOG...that's NEWS! " If the news programs reported that thousands of people went to Mexican beaches and nothing happened...it would not sell much advertising space. So graphic details are reported over and over of problems on the border and people are given the idea the whole country of Mexico is unsafe. There are border problems, especially, once again, if you are out of control on alcohol or if you are looking for narcotics or, very worst case I can think of, trying to make a little money dealing in narcotics.

Would you REALLY go into the worst neighborhood you can think of in your own city and ask someone on the street if they can sell you some drugs?...No, thought not! Would you be risking your life if you DID choose to do that...probably.

In a later post I will try and discuss Jamaica some more. This particular post is to help people realize that Mexico is a safe tourist destination. I may come back to this subject later, as news reports tend to panic people and sometimes all that is needed is someone, like me, to explain what is really going on and who is actually involved.

Until next time,

Sonia

Why Do You Need a Travel Agent?

2009-02-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

I read a lot in the L.A. Times Travel Section about people who have had some serious problems with flights...almost always with flights....they were clever enough to book on some computer website.

You can most probably go on line and find the prices I get. Not LOWER ticket prices than mine, but the same prices I see...so why pay a per ticket fee to use me? Because I will work to find you that lower price, work to find you good seats or explain how to go on line with Southwest and do early check in and print a boarding pass. I will also make sure you understand the rules for air travel. Who charges extra for luggage, who makes frequent schedule changes, who is on shakey financial ground and who has the best flight times for you...all for a small service fee per ticket. The websites you go to also charge a service fee...you don't see it because it is hidden in their purchase price. I do not hide fees. I will tell you exactally how much the fare is and how much my fee is...and why.

If you are going on a cruise and you are booking your own air fare, or if I am booking it for you, I am probably going to suggest, STRONGLY, you go a day early. That is more expense for you, so why would I do that? If you book your own air, leaving just enough time (or even ample time) to get to your ship and ANYTHING goes wrong with your flight, trust me, the ship is sailing without you! I have even had that happen when I scheduled air THROUGH the cruise company. Go in a day early and get a hotel and I MAY be able to save enough on the air fare to pay for the hotel! And it DOESN'T MATTER if the day before you have a misconnect in Dallas or a canceled flight leaving Denver...we have all of that day and some of the next to get you to your ship in time to sail.

The same holds true for tour groups. I will always suggest you go a day early to recover from jet lag and make sure you don't miss the start of the tour. It is not much fun to arrive in the early morning, not be able to get into your hotel room at once (normal check in time is 3PM) and then join your group that evening for a "special" dinner...and be falling asleep in your plate. It happened to me on my first trip to France. We arrived early in the morning in Paris and were herded on to a warm motor coach and wisked into the countryside. I was trying so hard to stay awake because it was my very first time in Europe. We were able to check into our hotel, but then were taken to a lovely, late lunch in a beautiful cozy restaurant with a roaring fire in the fireplace. I could have put my head on my plate and dozed off right there. Instead, I had to stay awake and pay attention to what our very gracious hosts were trying to explain to us about the region. Arriving a day before to adjust to jet lag is a good plan.

When you come to me you are looking for my advice, and that is something no website can give you live in person. I can tell you which hotel has been recently remodeled. I can tell you which hotel was not so nice when I stayed there or which hotel has been receiving bad reviews...and why! I will tell you MY favorite restaurants in an area and when it is OK to eat from sidewalk vendors...and when it is NOT!

When I book a tour or a package or a cruise I am going to use a company I feel is financially secure and won't go out of business while you are traveling....or BEFORE you travel. If, despite our best plans, that happens, I will help get your money back or get you booked on another equal or better package. I would remind EVERYONE to ALWAYS pay with a credit card. That is the kind of advice that makes an agent valuable...inside information we have on airlines, cruise lines and packagers.

There are some companies I have used so much and for so long that I have developed a relationship with them. I can call them with a problem and they will help me help my client. I just had a booking to Puerto Vallarta cancel. The clients had read too much in the paper about the dangers of Mexico. PLEASE refer to one of my earlier posts on this. There is not a danger if you are not out there looking for trouble...TROUBLE being in the form of being drunk and out of control, or, to put it very bluntly...looking to buy or sell drugs.

However, the clients still wanted to cancel their trip. Their air was non-refundable, which is what is on most packages these days to get the benefit of lower air fares. They had one free change with their insurance...I had used their free change a month ago at their request. What this means is their money was mostly lost. They would have a small credit on the air fare and it would have to be used to go where that particular airline flies...within a year. The airline flies two places where I can arrange a vacation package...Mexico, where they no longer wish to go, and Hawaii. I knew if I sent them to Hawaii and got the vacation for a slightly HIGHER price than the package I canceled, the company would probably waive all the change fees...but my clients didn't want to pay more money. Actually, their preference was to pay a little LESS money. I worked with the client until I found a price that was agreeable, and a hotel and services that met her needs. Once that was agreed upon, I called my packager and told them the whole story. They very graciously agreed to move the money I had on the original package over to the new booking. The only thing the client lost was the insurance on her original booking, about $78 per person.

Normally, I do not name airlines or packagers. In this instance I will. I was dealing with Pleasant Holidays and they have gone out of their way many times over the years to help me help my clients.

The service you can get from a travel agent is not limited to advice and experience. When I feel it is justified, I will supply a client with my cell phone and home phone "just in case". My cell phone started ringing one Saturday morning at 4:18am. It was in my purse in the kitchen...I was in bed asleep...go figure!

I got up and found the phone. Then I had to find my glasses. I didn't recognize the number, but I called it back anyway. My client was in the airport in Jamaica and there was a problem over which hotel she was to be transfered to. I live about 5 minutes away from work...especially at 5am when there is no traffic! I was at work and on the phone with the tour company and knew she was at her hotel and all had been worked out before 6:30am. By

6:30am I was back in bed! Go find a website that will provide that level of service! For her troubles, the company I was working with also provided the clients with a couples massage. It took me working on that "perk" almost every day the couple was on vacation, but I finally convinced someone (or EVERYONE got sick of talking to me) the couple had suffered inconvenience through no fault of their own and deserved a "perk". They had their couples massage a couple of days before they were to return home. Again, go find a website who will go to bat for their clients the way a good travel agent will.

The internet has its uses for travel. I check many things for my clients on the internet...but the internet is not human, it doesn't really care IF you use it or HOW you use it. It is another piece of equipment, like your cell phone or your TV. I definitely care what happens to my clients...call me up and see!

Until next time,

Sonia

But Is it Safe???

2009-02-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

I address this issue fairly often and have been thinking for a while about what I would like to tell people regarding being safe when you travel. The short answer is, "NO, it is NOT safe". Unfortunately, there is no place, including home, that is safe. This is nothing new. Life is a gigantic risk, the trick being to narrow the amount of risk you take.

People fall off of cruise ships (I have yet to figure that one out, but have to assume they have help!). People become ill on cruise ships. People offer you drugs in Jamaica. Mexico is engaged in a civil war...and on and on. Someone I know who I consider a very experienced traveler and a very smart man had his pocket picked between the airport and his first hotel in Rome. Stuff happens...it happens everywhere no matter how careful you are. However, all of that being said, it should not discourage even the faintest heart from traveling.

In 2002 I was offered a chance to go to Jamaica. Prior to that time, I had heard Jamaica was dangerous, vendors got in your face to sell you their wares, and everywhere people were offering to sell you dope...no matter what your age. I took the trip so I could report back to my clients that Jamaica was an unsafe destination and they should all go to Mexico or Hawaii instead. Imagine my surprise....no one got in my face to sell me anything. No one offered me any kind of dope. The people were friendly and kind. The island was green and lush and beautiful. The first trip was in June of 2002 to the Ocho Rios and Montego Bay area. The same year, I got to check out the Negril area...Negril of the 7 mile beach! I found that I loved Jamaica and I send as many people there every year as I possibly can...and they all come back to tell me how beautiful it was and what a good time they had.

Could one get into trouble in Jamaica?? Of course! Shouldn't be hard to do at all! Can one avoid getting into trouble...Yup..."no problem, mon".

From my best observations, one of the easiest ways to get into trouble is to get out of control under the influence of alcohol. I like a drink as much as the next person, but getting out of control while in a foreign country or, even in the U.S. in an unfamiliar neighborhood, is NEVER a good idea. For some reason, some people on vacation seem to think it's OK to pull out all the stops and drink as much as you can and say whatever comes to mind. Fortunately for me, I really don't have clients like that...but I know they're out there!

If alcohol can get someone into that much trouble need I explain how mind altering drugs can mess up a good vacation???

Once in Hawaii I was with a group of agents in a mini-van. The agent driving for us had been in Hawaii before (this was on the Big Island) and knew this really cool beach we HAD to go see. Sounded like a good idea...untill we got there and there were 4 or 5 of the biggest Hawaians I had ever seen on the beach and they definitely had been drinking...for a while! I suggested we might want to leave that beach area...IMMEDIATELY! No sense in breaking in on someone else's party!

Everything I hear about "accidents" on cruise ships seems to revolve around alcohol as well, other than a stomach virus, which seems to have more to do with keeping your hands constantly clean and away from your mouth.

Safety is frequently a question now about Mexico. The border cities, like Tijuana, are very often a destination for young people who want to go drinking...again, the alcohol thing. Frankly, it is a really bad idea to do that. It was a bad idea 20 years ago, it's a worse idea now.

One you get below the border, down to Mexico City, Guadalajara, the many beach cities, and the colonial cities of Mexico, it is back to being a matter of common sense if you wish to stay safe. The problems going on do not involve tourists. Find out where the tourist areas of a large city are and stick to those locations. Go see the museums in Mexico City. Take a carriage ride in Guadalajara. Check out the ruins in Cancun, Merida, Morelia or Mexico City...you will be fine. Don't head for the "more colorful", for lack of a better word, parts of town to see "how the other half" lives. There are areas of Riverside, CA or Phoenix, AZ or Washington DC or even Seattle, WA you, as a tourist, don't belong in and shouldn't visit. Understand that every city in every place in the world has areas like that and make it a point to stay out of those areas.

If you are spending time in a large city check at the front desk of your hotel ask if an area you want to visit is a safe area for tourists. Go with a group tour. There is always safety in numbers. Don't feel you have to take public transportation to go see small villages. If there is a tour available through your hotel, take advantage of it and go as a day trip.

Mexico and Jamaica are in the news a lot but I consider both safe destinations if you use common sense. I was in Central Mexico in December, Baja California Sur in November, and Jamaica in October...and I am here and safe and had a great time on each trip. I went walking in Morelia by myself in December. I did not feel in any way my safety was jepordized. I never wear a lot of jewelry when I travel, so there is nothing to call attention to me. I dress comfortably, but not especially flashy, so, again, I don't stand out. I have made it a point, ALWAYS, to stay away from political demonstrations. If there is a gathering with lots of people listening to someone from one of the various political parties speaking on behalf of their views I will either watch from a distance or move on completely. I would recommend doing that anywhere. Emotions tend to boil over at political events and I simply don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When I was single and going to school in Morelia there were several friends and I who loved to go dancing at the clubs. We went together and we left together...no exceptions. Single people, men or women, should always go with the buddy system if you are going to go out clubing...just makes sense. That was back in the mid-'80s. Now I would recommend leaving someone at the table to watch your drinks as well...or learn to dance with your drink in your hand! And, by the way, those rules hold true for the U.S. as well as any foreign country...use the buddy system and watch your drink!

Mexican airports always seem to have soldiers around. Do not be nervous seeing this. It is how things are done in Mexico and has nothing to do with the safety of your flight or anything else of much importance. Soldiers guarding the airports makes the airports more secure...works for me! Same way with soldiers guarding the banks. They have been on duty guarding banks for most of my life and there are a lot less bank robberies in Mexico than there are here.

In Jamaica Montego Bay, where the plane lands, is not my favorite place to put people. Lots of night life, lots of street life, too many people and too much pollution from cars. If you are going to the beach to relax and enjoy beach life then go to Ocho Rios or Runaway Bay, or Negril...just get out of downtown Montego Bay...it's a city!

Don't leave common sense at home. Don't drink until you are out of control. NEVER joke about drugs...NOT funny! Use your room safe for storing your camera, iPod, whatever else you take with you that you can't leave home without, AND your spare cash...and wouldn't hurt to leave your passport in that safe, too. Be observent to what is going on around you and you will be fine. Travel broadens your perspective and helps you understand others better. Listen more than you talk...any place I have ever been, even if you don't understand the language, people LOVE good listeners! You will be fine..."no worries, mon"!

Until the next time,
Sonia

WHO do you love??...or maybe that should be WHERE do you love??

2009-02-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

I get asked a lot where my favorite place to vacation is or what my favorite destination is. It really depends on what I want to see or do or how homesick I am.
There is hardly anywhere I have seen "enough" of, so I have a lot of places I want to go back and see again. Maybe having a repeat list is better than a "bucket list", as I will never be finished traveling.

Nevada has always, since I was a very little girl, been one of my favorite places. Even now, having covered pretty much every square inch of Nevada, I have a desire to go back and see places "just one more time". However, Nevada has changed a lot and so have I. I will always love Nevada, but there have been many other loves since then.

Owens Valley, where I spent most of my life, is still one of my favorite places to vacation for so many reasons. My friends are there, we still have four seasons and fall colors, the mountains are there...MY mountains! The mountains to the east of town, the Inyos (they become the White Mountains once you get to Big Pine) are so beautiful when the sun starts going down. It looks like they are draped in different colors of velvet.

Nevada is a lot like that, too. There are high mountains, trees and creeks where you wouldn't expect to see them, highways that stretch out straight as far as the eye can see and then some.

Utah is beautiful, too, along with Arizona and New Mexico and my native California, of course. Once I saw the north coast of California, up around Humboldt, I figured I could probably have lived there about as happily as I lived in Independence...WHO KNEW?!

However, when people ask where my favorite place is, they aren't thinking about the West and Southwest, they are thinking about other destinations. The answer is the same, I love a lot of different places for a lot of different reasons. I love the Owens Valley...but I also love the amazing natural formations of Utah...it's like asking someone which kid they love best!

I have been to Ireland twice and I would go again tomorrow if I had the chance. It is amazing. It is so clean, so green, they have THE BEST beer, there is history, there are castles, and the people are wonderful, too. My husband and I were in a hotel in Killarny and getting ready to go out to dinner. We had been at the heated pool, and I was looking around the hotel room to see where I had put my rings that I took off before we went to the pool. It took awhile, but I found where I had tucked them away (not, of course, in the safe...WHY would I do that??). Now I needed my wallet and I couldn't find it, either. I was starting to really hate this old age thing about not remembering where you put things when the phone in our room rang. It was a co-worker from Riverside calling to ask if I knew where my driver's license was. I told her I wasn't driving, didn't need it, but I couldn't find my wallet. She told me I had left it in a little shop in a small village we had stopped in the same day and the shop keeper found the wallet, found my State Farm Insurance card with the State Farm number on it (but the wrong area code), called twice because the "operator had a funny accent and she couldn't understand her", got State Farm who called my office. We were on a tour! I wasn't able to drop everything and drive to her shop, which was about 15 miles away. I asked if she could POSSIBLY bring the wallet to our hotel and I would gladly pay her. She asked if I could pay for the "petrol" and she would come as soon as her husband came home from Mass. I told her to keep whatever Euros where in the wallet and thanked her so much...and even more when she showed up at our hotel. AMAZING! Everything was in the wallet, I gave her the Euros I had and offered to buy her a drink or a meal. She said she had to get home and off she went. Probably one of my best memories of Ireland...along with the castles, Trinity College, Dingle, and every other place I went while we were there.

Once upon a time we went to Singapore. It was a very long flight, about 17 hours. Singapore was exotic and clean and gave you the feeling of being somewhere completely different. We went to Sentosa Island, about a 5 minute ferry ride from Singapore. Cleanest beaches I've ever been to and the water was bathtub warm. The people were friendly and helpful, were it not for the 17 hour plane ride I would want to go back. We flew Singapore Air, which is a class act.

I know Mexico well, but not completely. There are still places I have never seen (Vera Cruz comes to mind, as well as Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas). There are also places in Mexico I would love to see again: Guanajuato. How could I not go back to Guanajuato just one more time? It is a truly medieval city tucked away in Central Mexico. Time seems to have stood still there and the feeling of history touches everything. I would love to go back to Ixtapa again and also to Cabo San Lucas and Cancun. I was just in Loreto, which made me want to see Los Cabos. I have been to Guadalajara many times and I wouldn't turn down a trip to go back once more.

I have been to Canada just a few times, but thought it was worth another trip or TEN! I especially liked Montreal and I hear I would like Quebec City even more.

France has been a destination for me twice. I have never run into the rude French people I hear so much about. Everyone always treated me well and we were able to communicate easily enough. It seems like most French speak French as, of course, their first language. They then are fluent in German and/or English. Because I am able to speak Spanish, somehow, we have been able to patch together a conversation.

Paris was beautiful. Paris, to me, felt very much like Mexico...maybe not Mexico City, perhaps more like Morelia or Guadalajara. The old buildings, the history, the sidewalk cafes felt very much like home to me.

The small cities I visited on my two trips to France were my favorite places, even more so than Paris. Somewhere in the Jura Mountains there is a town that reminded me very much of Bridgeport, CA, up in my part of the world. The last trip we were in small towns along the river. Small town life looks very much the same everywhere I've ever been and is more appealing to me than big cities. I did love Paris, and I truly adore Dublin...but cities are never what I like the most.

Everyone who comes to me knows I like Jamaica. The people! Once again, it always comes back to the people in a place. I love to hear Jamaicans talk, they have always treated me (and my clients) well. The hotels I use are lovely and the beaches are beautiful. It is a green island, everywhere you look there are growing things. It looks like tropics on steroids! You can look out from your balcony and I swear you can watch the plants grow right before your eyes.

Probably one of my favorite trips was to Guatemala. Again, the people. They were friendly and the scenery was amazing. Great mountains covered in green. Lakes that must look like Switzerland, Tikal with the Mayan ruins, and craftwork that is unbelievable...the craftwork looks like rainbows fallen out of the sky. The embroideries are done in brilliant colors...or subtle, darker colors. Guatemala is not for everyone...but it is very much for people who want to see craftwork at its best.

Spain is my next goal...but if I end up back in Candelaria, Nevada...I'll be OK!

Until Next time!
Sonia

It's Flat and it Floats!

2009-02-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

The difference between "blue water crusing" and river crusing is more than just the size of the ship...there is a whole difference in what you would expect to find on one ship versus the other.

A large cruise ship that goes from ocean port to ocean port will have many things available....spa services; professional entertainment; casino; areas for dancing; several cocktail bars; a library and game room; on board shops for duty free shopping; perhaps even an art auction; scheduled activities; gym; perhaps outdoor movies on a top deck. It is like a small, floating city. These cruises will stop in a port from, perhaps, 6:00am until 7-9:00pm, occasionally for longer time, sometimes for less time. During that time you may go on shore on your own and perhaps find a taxi and do some exploring on your own...OR you can purchase shore excursions that will take you to interesting and unique places within reach of the port. These ships offer alcohol and sodas at a cost, tips can be included or not, as you wish...but tips are mandatory and will be charged at the end of the cruise if you have not payed them in advance. Shore excursions are a cost item, and of course, so are spa treatments and special gym classes. A typical cruise ship will carry around 3,000 passengers, although newer ones being built will carry even more. Large cruise ships offer inside cabins (no window), outside cabins (a cabin with an ocean view), balcony cabins and usually mini suites AND full suites.

River cruises are popular in Europe, Egypt, Russia and China. These are smaller vessels, flat on the bottom and flat on top. I call them river barges, but my sales rep for one of the river cruise lines begs to differ with me and tells me they are correctly called ships.

Cabins on river cruises are smaller than blue water cruise ships, but they are very well designed with room to store everything...within reason! There are no casinos, entertainment is quite simple....often a local group from the town where you are anchored playing piano or guitar. There might be a small dance floor, a VERY SMALL gym and spa area, and a small library with some games available. There is usually ONE bar area. River cruises usually have a max of approximately 120 passengers...some are slightly larger. Cabins are all outside cabins with picture windows and some of the newer ships offer French balconies.

I prefer river cruises for a variety of reasons. One reason being that I don't care much for large groups of people or very formal dining. Blue water cruises usually offer one to two dress up nights for dining. The dining room is large and very often seating is pre-assigned, unless you are on one of the ships that now offer free-style dining. River cruises offer great dining. Breakfast and lunch are buffett style and you sit where you wish. There are windows all around the dining room and you are close enough to shore to see the local scenery. The evening meal is served by waiters and you order from a menu, just like blue water cruising. However, it is ALWAYS open seating. Open seating allows you to visit with more people on the cruise and get to know them better. Since there are a limited number of people on the ship it is interesting to hear the different stories people have to relate about their travels.

Value is really the key with river cruises. All your meals are included in the price, as well as wine, tips, and almost all shore excursions. Once you are booked you really don't have to have additional expenses.

In September of 2007 my husband and I took a river cruise from Paris to Normandy and back to Paris. The river was smooth as glass, so there is no danger of being seasick, even with the most delicate of sensibilities. The barge (sorry, flat on top, flat on the bottom...it's a BARGE!) anchors right in the little towns it visits. You may get off the barge and walk, all on your own, to the center of town...no taxi required! Or, you can go off on an included shore excursion with an English speaking guide. Sometimes we went off on our own, sometimes we took the shore excursion. Whichever we did it was always wonderful. We got to stroll through small, French towns that give you an idea of how people actually live. We strolled past pharmacies, meat markets, cafes...about as NON-touristy as it gets. It was so relaxing and SO much fun!

Meals were amazing. You could see the chef getting off in the small towns and heading for the open market to purchase supplies for the evening dinner. Meals were always, fresh, tasty and varied. You ordered dinner off a menu, there was always a "light" or spa menu available which would offer fish or chicken.

The staff on a river cruise is small, but, because of that, the service was excellent and they were so friendly. Tips are included, but one young man who was frequently our waiter got an evelope from us with a little extra. He is from Poland, but would speak Spanish to my husband, who is from Mexico.

In the small lobby on the main deck there was a very sophisticated coffee machine which would produce coffee, cafe latte, hot tea or hot chocolate. The machine was available 24 hrs a day and there was no additional charge to use it. If you really needed an herb tea before bed or a cup of hot chocolate, you just went and helped yourself. There was also always a basket of fresh fruit and cookies by the coffee machine. Those were availabe at all hours of the day as well.

The top deck had chairs and tables where you could sit and watch the scenery go by, write post cards, quilt, knit or just chat. At certain times of the day a waiter would come up and offer the "drink of the day". There was always a special drink offered at a discounted rate. While wine is included with dinner, mixed drinks and beer were an additional cost. It was very relaxing to sit on the top deck, watch the villages and homes on the edge of the river slip by, and sip on a Bloody Mary.

If you are looking for true value in a vacation, if you don't need professional entertainment or a casino, and if you are OK with a smaller group of people, please consider a river cruise. They are offered for Germany and Middle Europe (castles!); for Portugal to Spain or Spain to Portugal; Egypt, Russia, Paris to Normandy or Paris to Provance; and of Holland at tulip time. There are also cruises in Germany in Christmas season visiting the Christmas Markets. So many choices!

Until next time!
Sonia

Are We Having Fun Yet??...and other hazards of adventure travel

2009-02-07T00:33:00.001-08:00

Adventure travel...from the wishful thinkers to the movers and shakers, it generates a lot of interest. The most adventerous trip I ever booked was for a man who went heliskiing in British Colombia. You go up to the top of a mountain in a helicopter, put your skiis on and jump out...and ski down the mountain. I do vacations for a lot of scuba divers...to me, that's pretty adventerous, too.

Adventure travel should just be a notch or two up from your comfort level...something that causes your heart to pound a little, but not go into full scale cardiac arrest.

Back in 4th grade we were shown a movie about a man plowing his cornfield in Mexico using an ox and plow. A little plume of smoke came up beside him in the cornfield. Next thing you knew, it was a full blown volcano that covered his whole village, stopping right before it covered the village church. That caught my imagination. 31 years later I was in Morelia, MX, going to language school in the summer of 1985. I convinced a friend and her daughter to go with me to the village to see the church almost buried in the lava.

First, we took the bus to Uruapan and spent the night there. Uruapan is a busy city in Michoacan with lots to see in its own right. There is a beautiful park, Parque de Eduardo Ruiz. Uruapan is lush, semi-tropical, coffee and avocado country, and also famous for an herbal product most often smoked. However to get to the town buried by the volcano, you had to stand on the street by the big public market in Uruapan and catch a local bus to the village of Anganguan. These local buses that go off the beaten path to villages are called "guajoloteros"..."turkey buses" because of the distinct possibility of sharing your seat with a chicken, a turkey or even a little pig on it's way to market. The adventure begins!

We took the bus and got off in Anganguan. Anganguan is a tiny village. Our guide book said it was EASY to find the trail to the buried village and walk...no need to hire a guide. First lesson in adventure travel: Guide books are not always right.
There were horses for hire, but I convinced my friends, who didn't want to spend the money on renting a horse, we should at least hire a walking guide. We hired the first one we met. He was short, spoke Spanish as a second language...first being his native Indian language...and had a patch over one eye.

Second lesson: If you are going for a hike in Mexico and there are horses for rent...you really should rent one!

The guide book failed to note that the way people in the village make their living is by guiding tourists, either by horseback or on foot, to the village buried in lava. There would be no point in having a well marked trail...they'd be out of business.

We followed our guide down a hill made of sand into a little valley and up another set of hills, down into another little valley. In the second valley we started to see houses from the village which had been destroyed by lava. This was a long hike, and the guide, without breaking a sweat or running, could cover twice the ground we did with his easy, steady stride. Finally, after walking a fair amount of time, we came upon the hills of lava that covered the village and went right up to the church. The guide pointed the way and we were to scramble up to the church as best we could. The trail over the lava was just a small, scuffed path...and the lava was razor sharp.

Rule #3 of adventure travel. If the situation starts to look like it could become dangerous...or if you are in beyond your capabilities...abandon the plan if you can. Mexico is not the U.S. If the church almost buried in the lava had been in, say, Mammoth Lakes, there would have been a well marked trail over the lava, hand rails, a wheelchair ramp, and signs warning of the danger involved...along with access to a helicopter to evac you out and get you to a good hospital in case, against all odds, you did fall.

I got half-way to the church. I looked at the razor sharp lava...looked at the trail...thought about what would happen if I slipped...and eased my way back down. I got close enough to actually see the church and realize the movie I saw back in 4th grade really was true. I was happy! I took photos...I didn't need to get close enough to lean over and touch the wall of the bell tower.

The walk back was longer than the walk going. The last uphill climb on the sand mountain was made more difficult because it had started raining and nothing is harder to walk in than wet levis. We finally made it up to the trail and flagged down an army style truck that was heading toward the village with a load of freshly constructed pine furniture. They let us ride in the back of the truck and we got out in the village to walk back to the highway and pick up a local bus back to Uruapan and from there a bigger bus back to Morelia and a hot shower.

For me, that was adventure! I have had a few others: A little bit of whitewater rafting in Moab, UT on the Colorado. We went in September, so the river was pretty tame. On the same trip, a hummer ride up slickrock to star gaze...totally cool!

Another time in Morelia with my in laws we hiked to Zararacua Falls, also on the outskirts of Uruapan. I had wanted to go there years before but had always been told by the locals it wasn't really a good idea for a woman to go alone. Well, they were renting horses at the start of the trail...refer to Second Lesson! It wasn't a good idea for a woman to go alone because she would probably have sense enough to rent a horse and be spared the extreme suffering of the hike! Going down to the bottom of the falls was difficult...coming back up was a killer. My mother in law and the dog stayed up top and enjoyed cold coconut milk in the shade while the four of us did the hike. It was worth it. The falls are beautiful, the view spectacular, and the cold coconut when you finally finished the hike was the best I've ever had.

Compared to the guy who went heliskiing, those are minor adventures.

One of my friends plans all of her own trips. For her, it is part of the adventure. She and her husband have done hikes I don't think I could survive and seen amazing things along the way. She keeps me posted of their adventures with photos and descriptions every few days while they are gone. She and her husband are true adventure travelers.

I have clients who just want to mark off one more thing. Went there...did that...check!

For some, "adventure" is just leaving the country or even getting on a plane. For others, nothing but jumping out of a helicopter or diving the Blue Hole in Belize will do. For me, something I've never seen or done before that I figure probably won't kill me works.

For those of you who want a little adventure consider Belize or Costa Rica. There are zip lines, horse back riding (remember second lesson?), surfing, Mayan ruins to explore, and you can float on a river through caves in the dark...pretty exciting stuff. For those who want a little less, going to Cancun and exploring Tulum and Chichen Itza will give you a taste but not too much. Those are short adventures with beautiful hotel and beach waiting for you when you are done.

So, "Are we having fun yet?"

Until next time,
Sonia

What is it about Cuba??

2009-02-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

I belong to an internet service called Tripology. Their theory is this: People looking for a vacation sign in to Tripology...at no cost to them. Agents "bank" a certain amount of money....from $25.00 up, with a credit card placed with Tripology. Agents purchase leads at a cost of $5.00 per lead. Each client looking for a vacation receives a choice of 3 agents looking for a new client. The agent purchasing the lead is then given an email and a phone number for the person shopping for a vacation.

This is somewhat like rolling dice! So far, I have probably invested $75.00 of my own money into purchasing leads. One lead resulted in a booking to Mexico City to see the Virgen de Guadalupe on her feast day in December. Another booking to La Paz, Mexico and Loreto, Mexico may come to pass.

However, I keep getting sent leads for people interested in going to Cuba! For all of us who pick up a newspaper once in a while...or for those of who were alive in 1962...we are aware there has been a trade/travel embarbo for the last 47 years! There is pretty much NO WAY to go to Cuba...with a few exceptions. As far as I know, you can still get special permission to go if you have relatives on the island. You can also go as part of a humanitarian aide group, taking school supplies or medicines. Sports teams can go, as can people in media...newspaper/magazine people, people filming for TV specials or educational programs.

Unfortunately, I have an overwhelming urge to purchase those leads and ask the people requesting to go "Have you been living in a cave the last 47 years??". Twice I have purchased leads just to do that. One delightful man got back to me and told me if he thought of another destination to visit he would call me. Second person has not gotten back to me, but it was worth $5.00 to explain why you can't go. Do these people VOTE???

Most everyone has heard about being able to book a trip from Mexico to Cuba. It can be done. I had a client that did it. You must hand your U.S. Passport over to a company you (the passenger) have never heard of, because it must be a group check in. If you don't get the passport back...good luck getting home from Mexico! If your U.S. Passport IS stamped by Cuba, you run the risk of having the U.S. Department of State take your passport away, fine you, and perhaps even give you jail time. Now that's REAL adventure travel!

Stay tuned. My next essay will be about adventure travel, which I really do love.

Until next time!
Sonia

Destination Weddings

2009-02-03T23:39:00.000-08:00

Destination weddings are fun...at least for me! I always enjoy working on a destination wedding and have done quite a few: Hawaii, Jamaica, Barbados, Mexico, and several shipboard weddings.

The captain of the ship no longers marries the couple. I don't know if the captain ever COULD perform legal weddings, or if that is just a bit of poetic license taken from movies. Most ships will provide someone who can legally wed a couple, and many ships now have an on board chapel. If you wish your own minister to come along and marry you, that can be arranged, providing someone pays for his cabin on board the ship.

Weddings in Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, of course Hawaii, and on board ship are legally binding contracts, valid in the U.S.

Many hotels in Jamaica and Mexico offer free or almost free weddings. One chain of hotels in Jamaica only charges for the paperwork that needs to be filed, a charge of around $150. Another Caribbean hotel chain provides a free wedding, as long as the wedding couple stays a minimum of 7 nights.

One resort chain in Mexico also provides a basic free wedding.

Weddings on board ship come with a cost. There is a basic wedding cost and then you can add things as you wish. A special cocktail party; extra flowers, music, cabin specially decorated, special cake...there is almost no limit to the extras you can add.

The same holds true in Mexico and Jamaica. The basic wedding they offer for free or for low cost is lovely. I have watched several weddings and been quite impressed with how much a basic wedding package contains. However, you can add almost anything to the package for a cost: Couples massage; candelight dinner on the beach for two; extra flowers, extra music, live music, special flowers, release of doves; even arrange for the bride and groom to arrive at their wedding location in a horse drawn carriage, and of course, extra photos or video. Most weddings in Jamaica and Mexico are held on the beach, but there are a variety of places on the hotel properties available for a wedding ceremony.

Most basic wedding packages in Jamaica and Mexico include a small cake suitable for two people, witnesses in case the couple did not come with friends or family, flowers, and a photo or two. Music is recorded.

Once I have booked a couple to get married at a destination, I connect them to the wedding coordinator of the particular property we are using and a day and time is arranged. Upon arriving at the property, the couple meet with the coordinator and pick a location for their wedding. Could be on the beach, could be in tropical gardens, and there is always a back up plan in case of rain.

In Maui I like to refer couples to Colleen Wheeler of Always Mauied. She charges much less than the big hotels, has a variety of beach locations available, and will help the couple decide on appropriate vows that are special to them. Her husband, Bruce, is a professional photographer. I like Always Mauied's services so much I refered my boss, Ina Schweitzer, to Colleen when she got married...and she was thrilled with the results!

Couples choose destination weddings for a variety of reasons. It is something exciting and romantic to go to a destination, usually tropical, and have a special ceremony.

The couple has checked the cost of renting a location here, having a catered sit-down dinner, selecting flowers and a someone to do the cake. and take video or photographs and provide music..and decided going to a resort was less expensive and much easier.

Some couples go alone and bring home a video. They then invite friends over and have a small reception and show the video. Other couples invite all their friends and family to go with them.

If you are thinking about getting married in 2009...or have decided to get married but don't know where, please consider talking to me about a destination wedding. You will have a wedding to remember for a lifetime!

Until next time,
Sonia

Street Grazing in Mexico

2009-02-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

I wish I'd thought of "street grazing", however that is something I got from reading People's Guide to Mexico years ago. It's a term I've used freely ever since and, to me, it applies to wandering through markets and food stands in Mexico and eating, with caution, all kinds of strange and wonderful things.

When I send clients to Mexico I instruct them NEVER to eat from food stands in the streets and markets. However, when I go to Mexico all bets are off!

My brother in law in Morelia always takes my husband and me to the Audi on Sunday. The Audi is a mega swap meet, selling every possible tool, piece of clothing, cd, video, plant and fish tank (complete with fish!) you can imagine...there are also food stalls. My brother in law and his wife go every Sunday and always go to the same food stall at lunch time. The stall sells mole...tortas de mole, chicken with mole, rice with mole....all things mole (mo-lay). We always order tortas de mole (chicken with mole sauce in a french roll - a bolillo). The same stall serves chicken soup...looks good, but chicken soup is NEVER a favorite of mine, so while my husband has that, I pass.

On our last trip we grazed the stands in the main square in Patzcuaro. There are ears of corn, served with chile and/or cream or mayo...or just a fresh ear of corn with chile powder. There are stands with fresh, home made potato chips (always one of my favorites!). There are stands with chicharones made out of flour and chile. Stands with boiled potatoes...they will put cheese (cotija cheese), chile and/or cream on the boiled potatoes. My choice was the boiled potato with cotija and a little chile.

The most famous street food in Patzcuaro is the nieve de maiz (corn ice cream). I have no idea how corn enters into the picture, but that is the BEST ice cream! Sold outside on the main square and soooooo good!

In Quiroga we ate in the main square, having tacos from various stands of whatever sounded, smelled and looked good. My favorite is always carnitas (pork). Some had tacos del ojo (tacos made from the eyes in a head of beef); others had tacos made from meat from the head...some of these things sound rather daring (or maybe gross) but they are really, REALLY good.

Other treats over the years have been quesadillas made from huitlacoche. Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn in the summers (with the rain). Kind of a VERY ugly mushroom like substance. Last time I saw huitlacoche was at the breakfast buffett at Inn at Loreto Bay. I was very impressed!

Mexico City always meant going somewhere to have a liquado de mamay. Now mamay is sold in Mexican market shere in Southern California...but my liquados don't taste like they do in Mexico City.

Other favorites over the years were always the cafe lattes served in the Portales in Morelia. That is still my favorite latte source. They are somehow richer than lattes here, probably because they are made with whole milk. Flan! I could go on and on about flan! Probably my favorite dessert and I make a pretty good flan de queso.

On our last trip to Morelia, in December, we went to my husband's favorite seafood restaurant, El Gordo's. It is on the outskirts of the city on the highway going toward Quiroga and we had fish soup and a shrimp cocktail each...and a beer each to wash it all down.

So, do I want my clients eating willy nilly in Mexico? No, probably not. However it can be done with a certain amount of caution and a good deal of pleasure. In the end, it is part of the adventure!

Until next time!
Sonia

Street Grazing and Tripology

2009-02-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

I wish street grazing was original with me. It's not. I borrowed the term from Carl Franz's book People's Guide to Mexico...Where Every You Go There You Are. For me, street grazing always relates to Mexico, and I tell my clients not to do it...or maybe to do it with caution.

Mexico is a country of street food. It's everywhere, 24/7

The Latest Airline News

2009-02-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Air Jamaica Airlines, as of February 26, will no longer be offering non-stop service to Jamaica from LAX. I LOVE Jamaica as a vacation destination, and non-stop service was nice...but it is not really a necessity.

After my last flight with Air Jamaica in October 2008, I was thinking about telling my clients it would be, perhaps, better to select a flight that offered a stop with a change of planes. The 5 and 1/2 hour flight to Jamaica was long, with too many seats packed too close together. Getting off and changing planes seemed almost a luxury to me, especially on the flight back to LAX.

My sales rep and general manager for Air Jamaica are wonderful...some of the nicest people in the industry. I am concerned for them. I am sorry for people who can only stand the option of non-stop service as well...but, over all, Jamaica will continue to be a great destination with something for everyone and changing planes once is really not that big a deal.

On Wednesday of last week I attended the Apple Vacations Trade Show in Irvine, CA. Lots of interesting news about new resorts in the Cancun area and in the Dominican Republic. Those are both great destinations...fabulous beaches, luxury hotels, something for couples only AND for families. Please contact me regarding your next trip!

With the economy still down, most hotels are offering SOMETHING to attract guests. With some, stay 3 nights and the 4th night is free. Other hotels are offering breakfast included (when it is not an all inclusive hotel). Jamaica, as always, has some incredible deals on both Sandals and Couples properties...but please think about the next level up...Round Hill! Without a doubt, Round Hill is one of my very favorite hotels in Jamaica.

Cruises continue to offer attractive rates. There really are some great deals available right now.

Until next time!
Sonia

Where have I been lately!?

2009-01-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

A FAM is a trip, generally for travel agents ONLY (no spouses, companions, friends) to go and see hotels, villas, resorts, etc. in different areas. Sometimes you also get to experience things of interest in the area.

A VACATION is when I get to choose the destination and go with my husband.

An OBLIGATORY TRIP is when I (or my husband and I) are expected to be somewhere due to friends and/or family.

So, my score for 2008 was 1 VACATION, 2 FAMS, and 1 OBLIGATORY...they went as follows:

In September my husband and I rented a cabin at Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra, about 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes. I am from Independence, CA, which is about an hour and a half south of Mammoth, so for me going to the Eastern Sierra is like going home. My husband only lived in Independence for about a year after we were married....I lived there for 30 years! Every trip I try and show him some places he never got to see in the short time he lived there. This time, I took him over Westgard Pass (S.R. 138, I believe) going east out of Big Pine, CA. This state route passes by Deep Springs College and by Lyda, NV and past the turn off to Gold Point, NV...both Lyda and Gold Point have residents, but are close to being ghost towns. The highway runs into 95, which is the highway running between Las Vegas and Reno, past that famous Area 51. We went north on Highway 95 and stopped in Goldfield, NV. Goldfield is the county seat of Esmeralda Co., NV., but is pretty close to being a ghost city. It is an interesting place, well worth a visit. From there it was a short hop to Tonopah, NV. and then over to Highway 6, for a short, 2.5 hr. ride back to Bishop, and then on up to Convict Lake and our cabin. Convict Lake is beautiful, one of my favorite places in the Eastern Sierra. Also check out June Lake, Twin Lakes east of Bridgeport, Bodie, and, of course, on your way up, Lone Pine and Independence. In Lone Pine the Movie Museum is a "must see". In Independence the "must see" is the Eastern California Museum.

In October there was a FAM to Jamaica. I hadn't been to Jamaica since 2002, so I jumped at the opportunity to return. Although October is still hurricane season, the weather was, for the most part, beautiful. There were two thunder storms, but they happened at night and were spectacular, so "no problem, Mon!". I stayed at Grand Lido for one night and inspected Couples Swept Away. Couples Swept Away is still one of my favorite "couples only" resorts...great beach! Grand Lido also has spectacular beach.

This particular trip took me to a lot of villas. I especially liked Moon Dance Villas in Negril. These villas range from 1 bedroom to 5 bedroom, and are located on Negril's 7mile beach. They can be booked as all inclusive OR you may supply your cook (who is part of the villa package) with a shopping list. Looking at prices, I found the villas to price about the same as an all inclusive resort. The advantage of a villa is you have more privacy. The disadvantage is there are not as many organized activities. The decor at Moon Dance was beautiful and very Jamaican.

One of the activities we were offered was a rafting trip on the Martha Brae River. I would recommend that to EVERYONE who goes to Jamaica. The bamboo rafts look as though they wouldn't support a small dog, let alone a large human...but they do! The peace and beauty of the river made the trip very special....I took lots of photos for anyone who is interested. We were also given a full hour yoga class at Round Hill. Excellent calss by Donovan...something else I would recommend if you are interested in yoga...or if you just want to do some stretching before your flight back to LAX.

The last two nights of this trip were spent at Round Hill....what can I say! WOW! Round Hill is just perfect. If you MUST have TV in your room then it may not be perfect for you...but I was very happy enjoying the peace and quiet and my full ocean view!

In November I was offered a FAM to Loreto, MX, Baja California Sur. I spent 3 nights at Inn at Loreto Bay. Inn at Loreto Bay is not an all inclusive resort, nor is there an all inclusive in Loreto at the moment. However, Inn at Loreto Bay had large, super clean rooms; full ocean view; free mountain bikes and kayaks and very good food. It is about 8-10 miles out of the town of Lorteo....so about a $20. taxi ride each way if you want to go in to town. Inn at Loreto Bay has beach, while the two hotels in town do not....Inn at Loreto Bay also has a nice little golf course with very low rates. Posada de Las Flores is a botique hotel located in the town of Loreto...about 2 blocks from the waterfront. Posada de Las Flores was exquisite and would be where I would put someone who wanted to be able to walk about town...and didn't need a beach. Posada de Las Flores has a rooftop swiming pool and offers daily breakfast on the rooftop as part of their package. La Mision is across the street from the ocean, but has no beach. At La Mision we had a hardhat tour...which means they were still under construction. The one room that was almost finished was very nice, with a full balcony with total ocean view. The ocean you are looking at is Sea of Cortez aka Gulf of California.

Sea of Cortez is rich in sea life. One of the side trips we were takn on was to Coronado Island. We had a picnic there...and this excurison is something I can add to a package for anyone wanting to experince what I did. The sea life on the way to Coronado Island was AMAZING. We saw a humpback whale...up close and personal! We saw manta rays leaping up out of the ocean, doing triple back flips, and falling back into the ocean. We saw seals and sea lions and crabs and osprey and the beach on Coronado Island was incredible! The beach was soft white sand with clear turquoise water...more than anything it reminded me of Cancun....but without people! We went in two pangas, which are small boats. If you are NOT OK with a small boat this may not be the trip for you...it is about 40 min. from Inn at Loreto Bay to Coronado Island and, because the boats are fairly small, there is movement.

We were also treated to a trip to Mulege, which is about 2.5 hours north of Loreto. Mulege is worth the ride IF you are interested in the topography of Baja California, desert life, and the history of Baja. It is rather a long ride unless you are really interested in desert life.

Loreto itself is small, cobblestone streets with shops and restaurants. It is charming and sleepy and is like Puerto Vallarta probably was 40 years ago. The benefit of Loreto is that it is so close...flight is 1 hr. 40 min., non-stop, on Alaska Airlines. No daily service yet, but I predict it is coming! Also, excellent prices for right now.

So, that was two FAMS and my vacation...now the OBLIGATORY trip!

My husband's oldest sister celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in Morelia, Michoacan, MX. on Dec. 22. It was expected we would be there for the party and we were! We left on 20 Dec. and returned on 27 Dec. We had a wonderful time in Morelia with family and friends and did some fun stuff with family. Christmas Day 5 car loads of us went first to Tupataro to see a church....another "Sistine Chapel of Mexico" place (I have also heard that said about Hospicio de Cabanas chapel in Guadalajara). Unfortunately, the keeper of the keys was not available, so I have yet to see the inside of the church...but for those interested, you can look it up on the web and it IS pretty specatcular. We also went to Patzcuaro, which I have always loved. It is the same beautiful, colonial city I remember, with two large plazas. Plaza Tata Vasco is where the most shops, hotels and restaurants are located. There are shops with beautiful craft work native to the area, street vendors (we went street grazing in the plaza with no ill effects...but you MUST use common sense!), restaurants with sidewalk tables, pony rides for very little ones...everything you could wish for that speaks of OLD Mexico. From Patzcuaro we went to Quiroga....more street grazing!....still no ill effects. Again, safe to eat in street stands...with common sense and guidance from family members.

El Gordo seafood restaurant in Morelia is still wonderful...just as my husband remembered, and the portales in the centro historico of Morelia has as many sidewalk cafes as ever, serving delicious coffees and lattes. For anyone interested in seein Morelia and Michoacan's small villages, please contact me. I can set up a very specialized tour.

One last thought regarding vacation travel: It used to be part of the adventure when you stepped on the plane to fly off on your vacation. It is no longer so much fun, nor would I consider it part of the "adventure". I consider it something to be suffered through to get to the "good part", which is your actual vacation. Worst service award on my last 3 flights goes to the airline we took to Morelia...which shall remain nameless, but is the ONLY non-stop service to Morelia. Best service probably goes to Alaska, which offeres the flight to Loreto. Award for most passengers packed in a plane goes to the airline I took, also nameless, to Jamaica. You need the yoga class just to wiggle out of the seat to go to the restroom.

Regarding airport security....the U.S. still requires you remove your shoes....I belive when we left Paris last year they also required it. Neither Jamaica nor Mexico required shoe removal. I made the mistake of having good eyebrow tweezers in my carry-on coming back from Loreto. They were taken away and thown in the trash. Someone behind me who bought tequila in the duty free shop was having a problem boarding with it and finally got it stowed in cargo...NOT on board. Don't know if the tequila made it to it's destination without breaking. Returning from Morelia I made sure eyebrow tweezers were in my check through luggage....but we boarded with out water bottles...GO FIGURE! Upon claiming out check through luggage at LAX (return from Morelia) I found my bag wet and covered with ice crystals...and smelling of canned chile salsa??? Nothing was damaged, we hosed off the bag and washed it with dishwashing soap when we got home....but CANNED CHILE SALSA???

Blogging is all new to me, so stay tuned. I will try to add a little every other day or so. Broomrider is to honor a former student helper of mine when I worked for Inyo Co. Office of Education in Independence. She is a smart young lady and used that as her email for a while and I thought she would enjoy seeing it used again.

Until the next time! Sonia