#1 Travel Cosmetics: Irresistible BOOM!

Photo Boom Sticks Trio

  Wow! I just love BOOM Sticks. Compact cosmetics sticks, perfect for purse and travel.   I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I rarely have time for make-up. We are anxious to get out and see the million things there are to see in a new country…. Continue reading

Argentina: How To Kayak Without Getting Wet

  Had we gone canoeing here on our own, we would surely have been lost for days.   The Parana Delta in Argentina is a maze of tiny waterways through a wetlands jungle forest. It is one of the largest deltas in the world covering over 8000 square feet. The… Continue reading

NL: Quidi Vidi, Signal Hill & Trapper John’s

Quidi Vidi Brewery   Quidi Vidi – the name alone was intriguing. We had to find out more. On our third day in Newfoundland, we took a taxi ($10 taxi each way) a few miles out of St. John’s to Quidi Vidi Brewery.    It’s not that the Quidi Vidi… Continue reading

4-Legged Beach Bums in the Yucatan

  When we moved from Merida to the beach near Telchac Puerto, we had no idea we would have so many visitors, especially these kind.   First challenge though, was finding the tiny sand road turnoff to our beach house. It was a bit of a challenge, even in daylight,… Continue reading

Penang, Malaysia: What Is A Chew Jetty?

  [spacer height=”20px”] Walking toward the Chew Jetty, we were excited. We had heard it was a fantastic sight, the highlight of Penang.     First of All, What is a Jetty?   It’s an odd name, but not odd for the Chinese in Malaysia. Jetty is the name of… Continue reading

Best $5 We’ve Ever Spent: Off The Beaten Path Panama

Red Eye

  The Rooster   It was 3 am in Panama: dogs were barking and a rooster was squawking. It wasn’t even a nice cock-a-doodle-doo but a whining half-squawk, over and over and over again. Good grief. We rolled over.   The Salamanders   At this hotel there were tiny green… Continue reading

S. E. Asia: “99% Of What We Worry About Never Happens”

  Malaria   As many of us have said before,   “99% of what we worry about never happens, and the other 1% we can handle.”   And so it was with our fears of Malaria, and fears of the side-effects of the drugs to prevent Malaria. It’s a well-known… Continue reading

Drunk On Flower Pheromones

Azores Like A Garden Of Flowers

  In The Azores, the terrain consists mostly of rolling green hills with vegetation that was an odd cross between desert cacti and tropical fern – an unusual mixture.   But most of all, I was enthralled that my favourite flower, Hydrangea was literally growing everywhere!   Hydrangea flowers create… Continue reading

Street Food in Penang: How Adventurous Are You?

  What’s more fun than sampling hundreds of different new foods? We can’t think of anything that appeals so consistently to everyone – young and old, every person, from every country in the world. It is simply a universal pleasure to enjoy good food.   And we’ll try most any… Continue reading

Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Beach and Town In The Yucatan, Mexico

Progresso It was exciting to see the sublime azure ocean come into view as you drive in to Progresso on the North coast of the Yucatan. We were here is 2008 and it was just a small fishing village with a beautiful miles-long sandy beach and clear aquamarine water. As we drove… Continue reading

The Blue Mansion, 8 Wives and Buried Gold in Penang

  The Blue Mansion   We took the free shuttle, another nice touch from Le Dream Boutique Hotel, to the famed Blue Mansion.   The Blue Mansion was carefully planned and designed by the owner, Cheong Fatt Tze. Some of the original rickshaws and carriages were outside the building.  … Continue reading

Ghost Plants, Stink Bugs & A Magical Lake in the Borneo Rainforest

The Lake   It was the most mesmerizing lake we had ever seen. Set in the Borneo rain forest like a jewel of peace among wild thorns.  (Double-click on any photo to see it full size)   Reflections so perfect and so still, you’d swear there were two lakes.   … Continue reading

An Entire Exotic Island to Yourself in Tonga

  We had rented a cabin and were about to spend a week on an uninhabited island, Uoleva Island, in the Haap’ai Group of Tonga. It was an island we would have all to ourselves with absolutely breathtaking white powder beaches and crystal clear turquoise water (perfect for skinny dipping). There were no roads, no… Continue reading

What You See Walking the Streets of Old Havana

  Walking around Old Havana is like being in a toy shop. The sounds, the colours, the smells whirl around you in every direction. There are things tinkling, and rumbling, and whizzing. Brilliant colours fly past, beside, and in front of you. Along with the luscious smells of food, there… Continue reading

A Mosquito In Your Wine… Is Better Than A Bee In Your Beer

  While I screamed and hollered and swore at my computer with the new hard drive that would not load emails from the external drive back-up, T went merrily off to the Merida Zoo. He has been into long walks lately, so he walked. It was a long walk on… Continue reading

What’s So Great About The Panama Canal?

Panama

  Of course we had to go see the magnificent Panama Canal while we were in Panama. Maybe I expected too much or maybe I didn’t really understand its purpose or maybe, dare I say it – it’s something more appreciated by men, but for me it was quite plain… Continue reading

In The Pink

  Birds are not a big attraction for us, but we were a little curious about the Yucatan flamingos. We thought $100 was a little steep for the Flamingo Boat Tour out of Celestun, so we declined several offers from local tour operators.     Since there was a large… Continue reading

The Secret, Cheap, Hauntingly Beautiful Mangrove Tour

  It was only by accident that we heard about the Mangrove Tour. We were swimming in a cenote at some Mayan Ruins in the Yucatan, Mexico, when a woman was telling other people about this amazing tour that no one knows about because it originates in a little village… Continue reading

Africa: Luxury Tent Safari

Is a Safari Worth the Money? Our safari in Botswana was beyond special. When reading about safari’s, one wonders if the reports of their life-changing experiences are really authentic. We’re here to say yes, yes they are, they truly are! In fact, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring experience of seeing… Continue reading

Falling Down the Castle Stairs in Ireland

 [spacer height=”20px”] What a thrill it was going to be to actually stay in a real castle! We were excited. [spacer height=”20px”] [spacer height=”20px”] After spending a few days in Limerick and driving out to see the Cliffs of Moher, we were on our way to our first castle –… Continue reading