My Travel Blog

The Big Island, Hawaii - The Volcanos

2010-12-12T09:00:00.014-05:00

On day 7, the 9th of August, we left Maui for the Big Island of Hawaii. We flew into the Hilo airport and our hotel, the Royal Kona Resort was located in Kailua-Kona the complete opposite end of Hilo. So after we picked up our rental convertible, we decided to drive north along the Hamakua coast to the Waipio valley lookout. We started with the 4 mile Onomea drive, an incredibly lush drive that goes through moss covered trees, glimpses of sea cliffs that remind you of Jurrasic

park and narrow wooden bridges. Further north, we stopped at Akaka and Rainbow falls. The country side was all fields, I think it was sugarcane plantations and a lot of orchards.

From Waipio valley we turned west to drive towards the Kohala coast then south west on to the Kailua-Kona coast. The landscape on the drive west was very different from the lushness of the Hamakua coast. Initially, a lot of rolling hills covered by pasture with Mauna Loa in the

background. The further west we went, the more the volcanic rock. There were places where it was all black rock... nothing grew. It was so barren and seemingly charred. This drive south west was long and tiring. It was just about dark by the time we got to our hotel. The town of Kailua-

Kona was very pleasant. There were a lot of restaurants and cheap eats and night life just within walking distance from our hotel. Our hotel itself was very comfortable, oceanfront with tennis courts and a small private cove with a small beach but there was nothing fancy about it like a Sheraton.

The following day we went out to breakfast at a local bakery nearby. I loved their fresh baked croissants and hubby loved their coffee. The kids ate fresh baked danishes. We then stopped at the local farm market next door and picked up some fresh fruit. I stocked up on lichees. Then we drove south along the Kona coast towards the Volcano National Park. We saw lots of Kona coffee plantations. Further south we stopped at Punaluu, the black sand beach.

The sand is really as black as it can get, looks as if made out of soot just much coarser. The beach was big with lots of tourists. The travel guides say the beach is good for swimming and surfing, but we found it to be quite rocky and the sand quite coarse not much for swimming. There were a few kayakers and they seemed to be having a good time. We also stopped at Hookena beach park, a small beach surrounded by sea cliffs. The beach itself and the shoreline was mostly rocky.

Finally after a late lunch, much later in the afternoon we entered the volcano national park.

The drive from Kona to Volcano national park with a few stops took almost 4 hours.

The park was amazing and an anti-climax at the same time. It was wondrous to walk on living breathing and an active volcano. It was simply amazing to stand on a wind swept cliff and see the place where the molten lava must have flowed into the deep waters, where the lava just swallowed up the road. But, seeing the same volcanic rock everywhere, the same scalded landscape almost felt like an anti-climax too. Originally, we had planned to hike across the Kilauea Ike crater, but due to the long drive and the fact that we had stopped on a couple of beaches along the way, no one in our family was in the mood for long hikes. We ended up hiking the Thurston lava tube and the devastation trail both easy and short trails. If you are going to do the lava tube hike, every family member should have their own flash light. After a certain point there are no lights in the tube and it is so pitch dark that you can't even see your own nose. After the hikes we drove down to the coastal area of the park via chain of craters road where the lava swallowed up the road back in in 2003. The view of the coastline

with the surf smashing against the clifs was gorgeous. It was windy. Once it started getting dark we drove back to the Crater Rim drive to the summit of Kilauea volcano. As it got darker you could see the red glow of the lava in the crater and massive amounts of white fume. During our trip a portion of the crater rim drive had been closed as a new vent had recently opened and the fumes were very blown close to the road causing sickness.

Day 3 on the big island, we decided to venture up north along the Kohala coast. On one side of the road the landscape was dominated by lava rock meeting the ocean and the other side of the road was dominated by the majestic presence of snowcapped Mauna Kea volcano. We did not have enough time to drive up the Mauna Kea summit (hosting the worlds largest observatory facility) but it's presence dominated our drive up the Kohala coast. This northern end of the island seems to be undergoing quite a bit of development as all the large and new luxury resorts are being built on this side of the island. We drove all the way north to Puuhonua historical state park. On the way back we stopped at Anaehoomalu bay beach and the Hapuna Beach. Hapuna beach is one of the most popular and most visited beach on big island. It is a huge white sand beach with gentle rolling surf. There are showers right off the beach and a small fast food vendor. While the beach was incredible, it became hard for us to spend much time there as there was absolutely no shelter on the beach, no trees, no facility to rent beach shades nor umbrellas. Since we did not have our own beach umbrellas, after a while it became very hot and hard to stay in the bright sun. Anaehoomalu beach on the other hand was a smaller beach compared to Hapuna but it had plenty of natural shade. The entire beach was covered with palm trees. The sand was coarser and pebbly so beach shoes are needed. This was our last day in Hawaii.

Overall, our trip was beautiful we loved every single minute of it. Maui is a paradise. The beaches, the warm water, the gently flowing cool breeze, the sunny days, the hula dancing, it really is as beautiful as on the postcards. The people are very nice and friendly. The Big Island is entirely dominated by the presence of volcanoes and volcanic activity everywhere. There is the molten lava everywhere, the snowcapped peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea and the Volcano National Park. Both very different but incredibly beautiful islands. It's a pity Hawaii is so far away from the east coast. I do look forward to another opportunity where we may get to visit Oahu and Kauai this time.

Maui, Hawaii - Our search for Guri Guri

2010-12-12T08:58:00.011-05:00

It was summer. It was time to leave the Beltway inferno. So, this past August, we decided to go on an adventure in search of Guri Guri.

The only place on earth where Guri-Guri can be found is on the paradise islands of Hawaii. Accordingly, on August the 3rd, we boarded a United airplane departing Dulles Airport with Maui as our destination. We landed at Kahului airport at approximately 2 pm on a beautiful sunny day. After we picked up our rental car, a jeep, our first stop in our search was Costco. Thats right, you read it correct, if you are looking for something, anything, you gotta start at Costco. Unfortunately, we didn't find any Guri-Guri there, but we did buy bottled water, cookies,

milk, trail mix, cereal, and a slice of pizza each for lunch.

Once armed for our adventure ahead, we started our drive to the Kanaapali resort area.

The drive from Kahului airport to Kanaapali took approximately an hour. For the most part, the road was one lane each way with no traffic until we got to the town of Old Lahaina. For those of us who live in the nations capital, even the traffic of Old Lahaina was barely noticeable. We were staying at the Sheraton Maui. A beautiful resort hotel on the north west end of Kanaapali beach

next to the famous black rock and a short hop skip and a jump away from the Whaler's Village. At the check in we were greeted with leis and a refreshing Mai Tai. By the time we settled in our

ocean view room it was almost time for the black rock cliff diving ceremony, an enactment of a Hawaiian legend. We grabbed a Mai Tai from the lagoon bar and settled down on the beach with the most beautiful sunset as our backdrop awaiting the ceremony. The ceremony seemed to have historical and mystical roots. A Hawaiian warrior dressed in ancient Hawaiian garb ran out from the Sheraton onto Ka'anapali Beach, where onlookers and sightseers were sitting along

the beach, in boats and catamarans and some even wading in the water to watch the ceremony. The warrior climbed up the Black Rock, known in Hawaiian as Pu'u Keka'a, and lit the torches that were fixed upon it. He offered lei to the heavens above him, addressing the Hawaiian gods, and then beautifully dove into the calm ocean below. The ceremony itself lasted barely 10 mins, but it created a beautiful and magical ambiance for

our evening and for our whole trip.
After the ceremony we walked to Whaler's Village, a small shopping mall with lots of restaurants, convenience stores, trinket vendors, and high end shops like Rolex, Gucci and Tiffany's. Our first order of business was to look for Guri Guri but no luck there. We did grab a light dinner and after 20 plus hours of non stop traveling, we called it a night.
Our following two days, day 2 and 3 in Maui were spent almost entirely at the Kanaapali beach. We bought cheap snorkeling gear from the ABC store in Whalers Village and spent our days snorkeling near the black rock or lounging by the pool. A couple of times a day we’d walk to the Whaler’s Village for some froyo, or pizza or simply for an evening stroll. The evening of day 2, we went to the Luau feast organized at the hotel grounds.

The kids got to see the roast being taken out of the pit and carved, they enjoyed the various hula and fire dance performances following

the feast. Luaus are never cheap and the food is never great this one was no different. But you gotta do Luau at least once. This was the first time for our kids, the 2nd for us. The other

evenings, we would go either to Whaler’s Village, or to Old Lahina town– an old capital of Hawaii now a beach town with restaurants like Bubba Gump and Hard Rock Café for dinner.

Twice we saw free hula dance performances by the local dance troupes at the Whalers Village. I really enjoyed the Polynesian hula more than the Hawaiian hula. The dances were beautiful and those performed by the kids were especially

moving. We tried several restaurants– Leilanas, Cheeseburger In Paradise, Hula Grill. None of these restaurants were cheap, but they were not outrageous either. The food was good but nothing to rave about. For lunch, I really enjoyed the fish tacos at most of these places. Sushi at Sansei seafood near Napili bay was great. It was fresh and good and expensive and the restaurant was crowded. We ended up eating at the bar due to the long wait. One restaurant need a special mention. Called the Gazebo, a small, hidden but a very popular family restaurant overlooking the Napili bay serves a killing breakfast. One of our friends had recommended this place and we definitely second their recommendation. The day we decided to go to gazebo was pouring, and having heard that it is usually crowded, we went a bit early too, but still there was a line waiting when we got there. We waited approximate 30 min before being seated. It was well worth the wait. My husband and kids had the famous pineapple and macadamia nut pancakes, while I tried their omelet. Food was great and big portions too. On day 4 we decided to take the road to Hana. We never quite made it all the way to Hana but we did stop at several beautiful

beaches and

overlooks along the way.

We enjoyed watching surfers at Ho'opika beach park, the body surfers at Paia beach, and a couple of other beaches where we stopped for a short while. Every time we came across a shopping center of any kind, we would stop and hope to find Guri-Guri. Up until now we had no luck.

After 4 very beautiful, warm and sunny days that were spent beach hunting, snorkeling and lounging by the pool, we decided to see the sunrise at the summit of Mt. Haleakala, the world's largest dormant volcano that peaks at over 10,000 feet. We got up around 4 am, packed grumbling kids still in pajamas in our jeep with blankets and drove two hours to the crater rim. We ended up seeing the sunrise on our way up the mountain, unfortunately, missing the sunrise at the rim by about 30 mins. The sunrise was still beautiful, the sun peaking out of the early morning haze and the top of the volcano still enveloped by the clouds. However, more amazing were the changes in the landscape. We went from lush flora at the sea level to barren, no

vegetation tundra type landscape at the crater, 10,000 feet up within a matter of 2 hours and 37 miles. The temperature went from comfortable cool no jackets required to freezing and windy need a winter parka at the rim. The crater colors were outer wordly (if there is any such word) I remember standing by the rim and thinking,

perhaps all of Mars looks like this crater. All red and brown, and grey and rocky. On the way back down the volcano we saw loads of tourists downhill biking. Truth be told, downhill biking 8000 feet looked very dangerous to me especially with the sharp S road turns, chilly temperature and strong winds at the top, but hey whatever gives the big rush.

Day five in Maui arrived and we had not yet found Guri Guri. We had not even found anyone who could tell us where we could find some. We asked our hotel staff, we asked folks at the various restaurants but no luck. Either we were completely mis-pronouncing the word and were beginning to think whether such a thing even existed. Perhaps our quest was going to be futile. Our plan on day 5 was to go on a snorkeling excursion with a guided sailing charter. We had selected Teralini as our operator as they operated right from the Whalers Village. Our excursion included two snorkeling spots, all snorkeling gear and a hot BBQ lunch with a total tour duration of approx 4-5 hours. The catamaran was wide, very stable, clean and open, the gear was sanitized, the staff was friendly and most importantly our tour left right on time. We were served juice, coffee and a continental breakfast almost right away. The first snorkeling stop was at Kapalua bay a small calm bay with abundant marine life. Our second stop was at Honolua Bay. Honolua bay was beautiful. The bay water was deeper, completely calm and very clear. There

were tons of turtles, corals and every kind of colorful underwater life I could have imagined. We spent a lot of time here, coming out of the water only to get warm and then jumping back again. The staff never made us feel rushed. There were cut fruit, cookies and chips available to snack on. After spending about an hour and a half of snorkling here, our group headed back. Enroute we were served the hot BBQ lunch. There's was ample food and well prepared too. The best thing about the staff, oh yes....they knew where we could find Guri Guri. yippee!!! finally !!!

Day 6, our last day in Maui and best of all we knew where to find the Guri Guri. Right after breakfast (at Whaler’s Village) we left to seek out the only place left on the island of Maui in the town of Kahului that still served Guri Guri, a place in the Maui Mall. A tiny shop, in a corner of the mall, not crowded at all, and hard to spot ,there it was...the Tasaka's Guri Guri.

The phrase Guri-Guri is thought to originate during the Hawaii's plantation days in the late 1890s. This treat was supposedly sold to Japanese plantation workers as "goodie-goodie", who pronounced this as "guri-guri". The name stuck. The treat is best described as something close to a sherbet and a gelatto. I confess, I like sherbet and gelatto more than I liked Guri Guri, but it was a worthy excuse for a trip all the way to Hawaii.

New York City

2010-07-18T07:41:00.007-04:00

There are many many travelogues already written about trips to the New York City. There are just as many travel guides, articles and so forth. This post is only about what WE did. We had a great time, and we hit only a few of the major tourist spots.

Like most big cities, I feel New York city is also best seen on foot. Take a section at a time and just walk around. Our trip was over the July 4rth weekend..so it was pretty hot. We reached the city on Friday evening and left on Monday morning.

First things first, avoid taking your car into the city if possible. In the past we have parked the car in New Jersey and taken the train in. This time for various reasons we had to take our car in. We paid $54 a day just to park. Second, if you do end up taking your car, just park it. Use taxi or Metro to get around.

We reached the city on Friday eve around 5 pm. Parked our car (no small feat) and checked into our hotel. We stayed in Time Square itself. Great for night life, crowded, fun, very central to just about everything..did I say crowded. All the theaters were within a block or so. Unfortunately, this time we did not see any play...there is only so much you can squeeze into three days. After checking in, and changing into comfortable shoes, we went out for dinner at Bubba Gump. Great food and casual ambiance..especially if you love seafood. After dinner, we walked to Empire state building.

Empire State building is open until 2:00am. Even at that time of the evening (must have been about 8 pm), there were a lot of visitors. We bought the express pass for $42 some dollars per person from one of the peddlers on the street. Express pass promises to put you in front of every line (security line, ticket line and elevator line). The peddlers simply give a receipt that you have paid for the ticket. Inside the building, you turn in your receipt and pick up the actual tickets. Since there were many visitors buying express passes, and even more peddling these passes, there were tons of people in front of us. Each of the lines was pretty long, though at that time of the day they were moving fairly well. We saw the IMAX movie about the building (part of the pass).. and what a waste of time. The jerkiness in the movie made me dizzy and sick. The night view from the 86th floor observation deck was amazing. For miles and miles in all directions you could see the whole city lit up. It was beautiful..crowds and all. I think the visit to Empire State building is definitely a place to visit at night. We did not go up to 102 nd floor (costs another $15 per person). We walked back to our hotel. The streets were full of people, lights and music. After all it is a city that never sleeps....

The following day, early in the morning, we took metro from Time Square to Battery Park. Our goal was to take the ferry to Statue of Liberty & Ellis island in the morning to avoid the summer heat and crowd. We reached the ticket counter around 9:30 am. Ticketing was pretty fast, but at boarding point there was a huge line. Took us about 45 min to an hour to board. BTW that early in the morning, there were no food, tea or coffee stalls in battery park. The ferry was full and the ride as pleasant as we could expect. At least it was not terribly hot at that time of the morning. Statue of Liberty was majestic. It was amazing to see how huge the statue itself is. We did not get to go to the top of the crown. You had to book the tickets months in advance. We then took the ferry to Ellis Island. Grabbed a bite to ear there. Food was cold and expensive..not worth the money we spent but we did not carry any breakfast with us. By the time we got back to Battery Park (around 1 pm), the lines were huge.. even bigger than what we had in the morning. We heard the wait was approx 2+ hrs to board.. and the heat index was at its peak. My recommendation, visit to Statue of Liberty is best done as early in the morning as you can. From Battery Park we took the metro to China town. What an experience.. crowded... tons of food peddlers every where. We had chinese food for lunch.. can't remember the restaurant's name.. but there was tons of choice. Bought some fresh lychees from a vendor and walked back to our hotel in time square. A long afternoon walk. After a couple of hours rest, we strolled in time square just taking in the crowds, the sights and sounds. We visited the Toys R Us at times square and ate brooklyn style pizza from one of the many pizzerias.

Sunday we decided to go to walk to the Rockefellar Center and to the Central Park. At Rockefellar Center, we bought tickets to NBC studio tour. They take you to 3 live studios (we saw Dr. Oz, SNL and another one). The tour was fun for the kids. At the end of the tour they got to be the weatherman and the news anchor. Due to summer season, there was no live show taping going on. But the tour guide (an actual intern) that in fall you could call ahead and get free tickets to one of the show tapings and become part of the audience. We skipped standing in line for the early morning show. The kids were too sleepy. Save that for another time.

After Rockefeller center, we strolled inside FAO Swartz store and the Apple glass cube. It was great to get cool here and just spend some time window shopping. Snacked on kebabs for lunch from the street vendors in this area and then walked inside the central park. It was hot and muggy. We saw the central park zoo, the boat house etc. Kids had lunch at the boat house cafeteria. Because we had chosen to walk from time square to rockefeller center and then central park, we could not really carry a picnic lunch but I think that would have been fun alternative. After spending some time, we walked back to time square and to our hotel. It was a long walk and we were beat. I think we all slept for a few hours. That night we had dinner at Dallas BBQ. The restaurant was large, the service was fine, the prices were reasonable and it was crowded. The food was OK. Not sure I would go there again, but it seems it was a popular place to eat. Think I am a Bubba Gump fan. After dinner we walked to the Hudson to see the Macy's July 4rth fireworks show. We left early and finished watching the fireworks from our hotel room.

My First Half Marathon

2010-05-17T21:08:00.012-04:00

If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."

- Emil Zatopek, 1952 Olympic Marathon gold medalist

On May 16, 2010 at 7:00am, My friends and I kicked off together from the start line and ran a Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, all 13.1 miles of it. The journey was simply incredible.

Almost everyone I meet asks me, why did I run this marathon? I thought about it deep and the honest answer is, I simply wanted to know if I could. During the entire race, I remember saying to myself... "This is for me, this is for me...". And that's why I did it.

Four months ago, when a friend suggested that we run a half marathon, I never seriously thought that we will actually ever enroll in a race let alone finish the race. Later I thought, what the heck lets at least start walking together and see how far we can take it. Well, we took it all the way to the finish line.

I started this journey with a dozen friends. While the journey is not yet over, I did finish the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon with every single one of them and enjoyed every single moment of it. I could not have done it without their motivation, support, encouragement, camaraderie and most of all their humor.

We started our training in November. Because of the cold weather we started our baby steps by walking inside a mall. Some of us created our own training calendar. Others followed a marathon training schedule. I started by creating my own schedule with cross training, strength training and jogging, but inevitably found myself focusing only on two things, cardio and slowly increasing endurance every 2 weeks. The first few times we barely managed to walk 3-4 miles in 2 hours. Every week we added 2-3 miles more. Once the weather got warmer, we started training outdoors. Most of our training was on flat trails and most of us walked. There were a few among our group that ran. By race day, every one of us had completed at least one run of 13 miles, even though it took us a full 4 hours.

The night before the race, we all got together at a good Italian place, filling up on carbs. Since the race was out of town, we stayed in a hotel. That night there were plenty of jokes and humor going around but none of us slept well. It was probably the combination of excitement, nervousness about getting up early the next morning, and the fact that we were not sleeping in our normal beds.

On race day, we all got up and dressed in time uneventfully. Ate bananas and bagel and not to forget the all important Advil. The day was a bit overcast, a bit cool. The expo center (near the start/end line) was full of people most of them standing near the portable pottys. We all stretched, made multiple trips to the porta potty just in case and joked around to get rid of the nervous energy and then lined up. As a group, we stood in the back with the slow runners & walkers. At 7 am, after the national anthem and a loud cheer, the race started. It was amazing to see 7000 people all start running almost at the same time. The street was lined by people, both kids and adults, all cheering with bells in hand. For the first two miles, there were plenty of fellow runners all around us. As the miles increased, the runner crowd dwindled. The faster runners went way ahead and novices like us tried hard to maintain our pace. It was soo encouraging to see the cheering crowd, from the bagpipers to boy scouts to families handing out water and tequila shots and kids with their school bands. Every single cheer, every single bell, every single note of music and every single smile from a fellow runner added that much energy to my step. I stopped to take a bathroom break around mile 4 and then a few pictures at mile 6...god knows whose camera was used but at that moment it did not matter.

I had trained as a walker, but because of the varying elevation of the course I had to jog most of the way to maintain with my pace. Some friends ran past me. I passed a few friends. There were the three of us from our group who stayed together. Though still jogging, my pace slowed as I hit a wall around mile 8. It was 1 hour and 46 min since the race had started. The sun also came out and we started to really feel the heat. The runner crowd dwindled. Most of the fast runners had long gone past. Other repeat runners almost towards the end of their races. We the novice runners who were still midway were likely the ones who had something to prove to ourselves. For me, my race time did not matter, I just knew that I had to finish the race. Periodically, I slowed and waited for friends to catch up and then took off again. I saw a few fellow runners stop. This was the end of their race. They stopped and waved and became part of the cheering crowd. Still others ran past.

Mile 10 to 11 were the hardest. This was the biggest climb of the race with a 200 ft elevation. I was with two of my friends. There was no way we could jog up this hill so we three just walked together.

The last mile seemed the longest even though the finish was in sight. There were tons of people lined up on both sides cheering. My husband later asked, "when you saw the finish line did you get an extra burst of energy?". No, I replied, it was the people who were standing and cheering us along that last mile. Since it was too embarrassing to just walk amidst their cheers, so I simply ran that last mile. I now know what Forest Gump must have felt.

The finish was too sweet and the journey simply amazing. All I know is, this was only the first half marathon race, the last one is yet to come. I don't know why I will run the next race. I just know that I will.

Skiing near Washington DC

2010-02-15T16:09:00.004-05:00

Snowshoe Ski Resort, WV

Snowshoe Ski Resort is the largest ski area in West Virginia with the region's highest vertical drop. In my opinion it is the best ski destination within DC’s driving distance, approximately 5 hrs from DC. Because of the distance you need at least a long weekend to really get the most out of your trip. You can just as easily spend a whole week there without getting bored. We have been there twice and each time for the whole week. One of those two times, there was plenty of snow, and skiing was great. The second time, there was almost no snow and it rained 3 of the 6 days we were there. We were miserable. That just reflects the unpredictability of this mid atlantic region.

Snowshoe has 14 lifts and some 60 trails spread across three areas: the main Basin area, the Silver Creek area, and the Western Territory (I believe they have added another northern tract area which did not exist when we were last there). We did not ski the Western Territory. Both the main basin area as well as silver creek have plenty of green and blue trails. In fact there are over 40 blues and greens between these two areas. The rest being black diamond and double blacks. I really like the silver creek area which is down the road from the main basin (there is free shuttle service between the main village and Silver Creek). Silver creek ski area is smaller than the main basin area but has wider trails and less crowds. Perfect for novice and beginners. Main basin has some nice long trails, but they are narrower, and when the trails get crowded it does get a bit scary. I would say snowshoe is a place that is fun for all levels of skiers.

Probably the worst part about Snowshoe was getting there. There is really no good route to get there, it is very much off the beaten path. The trip involves many miles of travel over narrow two-lane roads in a very rural area. We went in December in our mini van. There were a couple of sections where we thought we were stuck for good, but managed to make it to the top. I have heard going there in Feb, in any vehicle other than a 4 wheel drive is impossible and a big risk.

There are plenty of lodging options both for the budget minded as well as those seeking luxury accommodations. The village is a fun place to be after skiing with plenty of high end dining options.

For ski lessons this is a great place. I found the instructors really friendly and knowledgeable.

WISP, MD

Of the various ski areas near Washington DC, I would probably rank WISP either as #2 or #3. Wisp is the only ski resort in Maryland, located near Deep Creek Lake, approximately a 4 hour drive from the Washington DC area. The resort has 26 trails and 7 lifts. Bottom line, WISP seems a great place for beginner to intermediate skiers. There were 6-8 wide and real easy greens, 8-10 blues (blue- greens IMO) and 7 blacks (advance blues IMO) trails requiring more skill. I'd say the black trails were steeper and much shorter than the blues and some had moguls but none were difficult.There were enough trails at WISP to spend an entire weekend skiing but not enough for a full week. For someone with advance skills and someone who likes to ski only black diamonds, this is probably not the place for you.

On a downward note, it seems WISP has a theft problem. The day we reached there, my son’s new skis were stolen within the first 3 hours (we had come inside the lodge for a hot chocolate break). That left a really bad taste and almost ruined our holiday. I heard of similar thefts while I was standing at guest services to report the stolen skis. They said not much they can do other than urge us to check in our skis the next time. Well.. adding security would be a start. We saw a fair number of ski patrol and resort employees, but not enough security personnel.

As for accommodations, there seemed plenty of recently constructed private homes for rental both at the top of the mountain as well as just outside the resort area and further out nearer the lake. The area seems to be undergoing a major development explosion. We saw many newly constructed homes for sale and plans for future resort expansion.

Some trail details: Lift #s 2 and 3 are the two main 3 person chairs that take you from the lodge area to the top of the mountain. At the top you can go right towards North Campus, to the left towards the backside of the mountain or come back towards the lodge area. The trails coming back to the lodge area are nice blue-greens criss-crossing the mountain and running through the trees with a couple switchbacks.

The trails towards lift # 6 & 7 (north campus) such as little and big dipper are long, wide and really nice for beginner skiers. The blues in that area such as Ace’s run and whip saw require a bit more skill and were fun blues. The trails toward the back side, were more intermediate to advanced skiers.

Keep in mind that WISP is an east coast, mid atlantic ski area where conditions can be very unpredictable. We just came back from WISP (Feb 2010 when DC area broke all snow records), the conditions were perfect, there was plenty of natural snow that the resort did not need to make any snow. The skiing was fun.

Liberty

Liberty is a fairly small ski area, with about 15 trails and approximately 90 minutes from the DC area. This is by no means a ski destination and is good for day trip only. They have a front and back area, with the front being more heavily traveled. Crowds don’t seem to be a big problem, except on weekends when schools in DC area are out. Most of the trails cater to beginners though on the back end they do have a trail or two that cater to those with advanced skills.

Liberty seems to have defined itself as a beginner’s area. It’s a small ski area with easy and short trails making novices and beginners feel comfortable. It is a great place to learn to ski or snowboard.

Whitetail
Whitetail ski area is the youngest of the ski areas and close to Washington D.C. about 90 minutes drive. The area features 3 lifts, including a high-speed quad. Similar to Liberty, Whitetail is not a ski destination but is good for a day trip. Not much in the way of expert terrain. A couple of steep trails down the front of the mountain.

The beginner area is served by its own lift off the left side of the resort (as you're facing the slopes from the lodge). The intermediate trails are straight ahead and are served by the high-speed quad. The advanced trails are off to the right and are served by their own lift. No trail crosses a trail of a different skill level. It's great in that beginners don't get intimidated by expert skiiers racing past and experts don't get annoyed by beginners who stop in the middle of trails. But a group with skiiers of different abilities and can't ski or ride the lifts together.

The intermediate slopes down the front face of the mountain seem to be the most popular area. All intermediate slopes are fairly steep, but not difficult. The trails are wide heading straight down the hill. Towards the end of the day the moguls inevitably appear as the day wears on.

Wintergreen and Massanutten

Other two ski areas close to Washington DC are Wintergreen (approx 3 hr drive) and Massanutten (2 hr drive). I have visited both areas a couple of times in both summer and winter but never skied either of them. Similar to Snowshow, Wintergreen is a destination ski resort in that you need at least a long weekend to enjoy there. Wintergreen is right below the Shenendoah national park and makes for beautiful drive.There are plenty of activities to do but the resort caters to mostly high end skiers. They have gourmet dining, plenty of lodging options generally towards the more luxury oriented skiers. They also have private homes available for rental. The trails seem long and narrow.

Massanuttun is approximately 2 hours from Washiongton DC area. The resort seems to cater to novice to beginner skiers. I have heard more about snow tubing in Massanutten than sking. There are plenty of lodging options. With an indoor water park, tubing, mini golf and go carts you can probably spend an entire weekend at Massanutten and have a fun time. Massanutten is approx 1 1/2 hour north of Wintergreen and much more affordable.

Steamboat vs Park City skiing

2010-01-28T08:55:00.003-05:00

This is a comparison between skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT. Keep in mind we are destination skiers from the east coast, so my impressions will not necessarily be the same as that of a local skier.

Most important of all the snow conditions. We have been to Steamboat twice, both times during the peak holiday season and both times we got plenty of good snow, plenty of crowds and plenty of really cold weather. We have been to Park City only once, during the peak holiday season in 2009. We were a bit disappointed by the lack of natural powdery snow and the really cold weather, which residents said was unusual for that area. We saw a few bare patches and got a few deep scratches on our skiis but for the most part the resort had snow machines working full time. Surprisingly, over Christmas, Park City did not have the big crowds we saw at Steamboat (not complaining) but people did show up after the Christmas day. Both resorts allow skiers and snowboarders.

Since we have young kids, we generally enroll the kids into a 5 day ski program. This way they ski with an instructor who knows the mountains much better than we do and learn new skills that allows them to explore the mountains much better.

Both Steamboat and Park City offer different ski school options. At Steamboat we have now tried the 5 day Desperado ski program as well as the private instructor. The 5 day (Desperado) ski school was fun. The best thing was the NASTAR race. There were approx 6-8 kids in each group, a bit too many in my opinion. The instructors would stop for hot chocolate and snack in the mid morning and then again for lunch. Since the same instructor stayed with the same group for all the five days, towards the end they would know each child’s strength and weakness and what they needed to work on. This program was much more affordable; it included lift tickets as well as lunch (so we did not have to worry about meeting up with kids just to feed them). During the morning drop off, we would find out which area/trails the instructors were going to ski that day and made it a point to ski in the same area so we saw the kids periodically during the day showing off their new skills.

The private instructor route was really nice too. The best thing was that the kids got to go on trails that the ski school would not take them on. Also, the instructor worked with each kid on their specific strengths and weaknesses. As expected, the biggest issue is the cost. Unlike ski school, private instructor program does not include lunch so you have to meet up with the kids a couple of times to feed them snack and lunch. Since Steamboat has kids ski free program with a paying adult, lift tickets was not an issue for either program. Given a choice, I think our kids will pick the private instructor over the ski school.

At Park City, we have only tried the ski school. There were a max of 5 kids per group based on sex, age and the skill level. The kids were assigned to a group every morning based on first come first basis. Sometimes they got the same instructor while other days they got a different one. Initially we were disappointed by the change in instructors. But on day 3 our son mentioned that he did not like his instructor as they were going on the same trails again and again and the trails were not challenging enough for him. So on day 4 we switched instructors and our son loved his new instructor (who took the group on trails and bowls we could not have taken our kids and taught the kids new tricks). Our kids did not mind new faces in the group either, after a while they noticed that there were only 2 or 3 instructors dealing with that age/sex/skill combination. So the kids basically rotated within those 2- 3 groups. Similar to Steamboat, the kids stopped for mid morning hot chocolate and snack and then again for lunch. Unlike Steamboat, the lift tickets at park City were not included in the ski school price. Therefore, the cost of ski school at Park City was significantly higher than at Steamboat. In both places, the instructors would meet with parents at the end of the day and give a detailed report of which trails they skiied, how each kid did and what each kid needs to focus on.

Bottom line, from a cost perspective, Park City Ski school was the most expensive followed by Steamboat private instructor and then Steamboat ski school. In terms of fun, our kids say they prefer going with the private instructor.

As far as the overall resorts go, both Steamboat Springs and Park city are awesome and huge resorts. Both are well suited for families with young kids and adults alike. They both have tons to offer in terms of variety of slopes, the terrain, the clubs and ski schools. We have been to Steamboat Springs a couple of times each for a weeklong trip and even then feel that we barely scratched its surface. The mountains are massive, and there was not enough time nor skills to really see it all. We found ourselves getting comfortable with a few trails in each section and did those trails multiple times a day. Steamboat seems to have more options for Green and blue-green trails. Park City has more options for blue-greens and blues. Park City is organized in sections and there was enough in each section to spend one full day.

The base area at Park City is really well developed probably because Deer Valley and Canyons are very close by. The restaurants, bars, lots of high end shops, were all approx a mile away from the ski base. There were free city buses running between the base and the town. Despite a weeklong stay, we never got a chance to visit Deer Valley or Canyons. The Park City Mountain is big enough to spend full 5 days of solid skiing without feeling that we have seen it all. The town area in Steamboat was further away. The Steamboat mountain itself had more restaurants to enjoy than the Park City mountain.

In Park City, we stayed at the Silver Star (http://www.silverstaratparkcity.com) area. Really nice and upscale condos. The customer service was great. In the morning we would take the free shuttle from the condo unit to the base (a 3 min ride) in time for ski school and in the evenings we would ski down to the condo directly. Since we do not like to eat out everyday, the nightlife was not an important consideration for us. We reserve condos with full kitchens so we cook hearty breakfasts before heading out in the mornings and dinners several nights a week. Taking the shuttle to town to enjoy the occasional dine out, and shopping for souvenir was good enough for us.

For a destination skiier, the next category is things to do other than skiing. Park City has a mining history. The town has a museum to commemorate its history but other than that it is just like any other ski town. Salt Lake City and Utah itself have some great National Parks, abundant fossil sites and other fantastic site seeing places to make a great destination. Steamboat Springs has a small western town feel to it. It has several natural hot water springs nearby, which were loads of fun to visit on the day we did not ski. Both resorts have tubing nearby.

An important Park City tip we got from a local skier the day we were returning: You can buy lift tickets for Park City for less at the Costco in Salt Lake City than buying it from the resort itself. The costco is near the Salt Lake City airport and a short cab ride away.

Skiing in Steamboat, Colorado

2009-01-01T15:03:00.008-05:00

For the last couple of years, we have gone to Steamboat, CO for our annual ski trip, usually, the week between Christmas and New Years. Each year, we've gotten the heavenly deep champagne powder that Steamboat is so well known for. As far as the days went, some days were sunny while others were cold and overcast but never any complaints with the snow.

For folks with young kids, Steamboat has a great ski and snowboard school. Apparently the resort offers several family oriented packages, we however have only availed the kids ski free program that comes with each paying adult.

In 2007, we enrolled our kid's into the Steamboat's Desperado ski camp, a 5 day ski program.
In 2008, we ended up hiring a private ski instructor. Both, us and the kids like both alternatives. We are torn between which option to repeat next year. Below is our experiences with both alternatives.

The 5 days ski camp, is known as the Desparado ski week. The kids are grouped together in a group of approx 6-8 kids based on age and skill level. The program starts on a Monday and ends on a Friday; goes from 9 am until 3pm each day and includes lunch. Our two kids were in two different groups and according to them each of their groups was lead by a really fun instructor. The morning usually started with a warm up run on an easy trail. Then another two runs before the group stopped for hot chocolate at the Rendezvous Inn. Then another run or so before the group stopped for lunch and then another run or two before pick up time. The instructors seem to focus on basic skiing skills and gave us a report at the end of the week. Younger kids spent quite a bit of their time in kid only areas such as the rough rider basin (pleasant, wide, kid friendly terrain). The older kids did venture outside the rough rider basin on various other trails. The most fun part of this program was that on the last day of the camp, all the kids got to participate in the NASTAR ski race. The results were then posted on the NASTAR's web site. The kids and us liked this program for three main reasons (1) the group included other kids so the kids made friends and enjoyed the company (2) participating in the NASTAR race (3) same instructor for the entire duration. Both our instructors made skiing fun by taking the kids through the trees, through kid freindly terrain park, jumps on small moguls and so forth. The lunch consisted of a choice between few kid friendly options (burgers, mac & cheese, pizza, etc). The cost of desperado week was approx $500 per kid incl lunch.

In 2008, since our trip started mid week, we could not enroll our kids in the Desperado week. Therefore, we ended up going with a private instructor. Our family group included four kids. The older two kids were at the same advanced skill level while the younger two kids were at the same intermediate skill level. Our instructor the day into two halves, spent the first half day with the older two kids and the second half day with the younger two (after two days we switched the order). Our kids loved the instructor. Along with keeping our kids occupied and mesmerized with puzzles and mysteries, our instructor took the kids on trails that were not crowded, and off the beaten path (not on the trail map) as well as terrain park, bear claw tree, etc. The instructor really worked with the kids on their techniques, and took them on trails with varying terrain some of them quite challenging which thrilled the kids. Within 5 days of skiing, we saw a huge improvement both in their confidence level and their skill level. Similar to Desperado week, the kids started with the instructor at 9 in the morning, and after 2 runs or so stopped for hot chocolate. Then after another run or so, met us for lunch. Private instructor option did not include the lunch (buying this option was another $30 per kid per day..which is quite exorbitant). After lunch we switched the kids and the instructor was able to take the kids for another 2-3 runs before meeting us by 3pm for the pickup.

The private instructor route costs quite a bit more (approx $3000 for 5 days), but split between 4 kids it worked out to approx $650 per kid. In our case, I myself a beginner to intermediate skiier was able to ski with the instructor a few times (along with the younger kids) for some one on one instruction which was really helpful. At the end of the trip, I think, both the parents and the kids preferred the private instructor option for two main reasons (1) small group size allowed the instructor to work with the kids on their specific skills and techniques (2) the instructor was able to take the kids to trails which were not on the map, not crowded and more importantly a lot more fun that allowed kids to practice their skills. As a cherry on top, our instructor introduced the kids to a couple of Olympians (ski with silver medalist Billy Kidd, and gold medalist Deb Armstrong) which was a great trip highlight.

Costa Rica Travelogue (Day 4-8)

2008-11-07T21:39:00.006-05:00

Day 4: We took a break from all the adventures and saved this day for a bit of site seeing. We walked up to the rim of Poas, an active volcano crater. Although there was no rain that morning, the fog was too heavy for us to see the crater at all. We are told that the sight is something to behold. After the crater we went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. This is a walk through the Vara Blanca Cloud Forest and goes through 5 waterfalls. The entire walk is paved but wet, so easy for both adults and kids though the length and the climb can be tiring for adults.

Day 5: We headed south towards Dominical area (Pacific ocean side) where the mountains meet the ocean. The drive to the beach was long and tiring. We passed over the mountains as high as 13,000ft high. We stayed at an Inn called Necochea, a private home tucked up in the mountain and surrounded by the jungle with a nice gurgling stream right outside the kitchen. A short drive down, the stream ended in a nice swim hole where my husband loved going for a dip. It felt like a private stream with its own waterfall and a swim hole. We used to wake up to the sounds of howler monkeys and toucans.

Day 6: This was a rappelling day, over the Nauyaca (Baru) falls, a beautiful double-decker falls. Basically you get to the bottom of the fall by rappelling down and then hike to a small but beautiful swim hole. The rappelling was initially scary, especially when it is time to go over the edge of the cliff. But when I got down and looked up, I wished I could do it all over again. Our 7 year old was too young for this, but our 10 year old was able to rappel. Of the three activities (zip lining, whitewater rafting and rappelling), our 10 year loved zip lining, rafting and rappelling in that order. Because of his light body weight, rappelling was a bit of hard work for him and he had to be assisted by the guide who was rappelling alongside. Our 7 year old hiked down to the swim hole with one of the guides and waited for us. After rappelling, we hung out by the falls, our really fun guides (a family of three) had prepared a nice lunch for us that we ate right there for a very relaxing afternoon.

Day 7, this day we had the option of going sea-kayaking, spending day at the beach or go whale watching. We chose to go whale watching. We saw two humpback whales, and few dolphins. Because of the rain the previous night, the water closer to the beach was very muddy so we chose not to snorkel, but in clear season, the water in the bay is supposedly very clear and supports a huge variety of fishes and beautiful snorkeling.

Day 8: This was our morning on the beach. The rocky coastline was lined with awesome beaches some of them with caves that people could paddle around in kayaks. We found a beach with two caves that connected the beach to the ocean creating a blow hole. These caves were perfect for body surfing or surf boarding. Such pristine beaches are what Costa Rica is all about, a place where the rainforests meet the ocean with nothing but a small slivers of sand in between...Costa Rica is Pura Vida.

Pura Vida: Pure Life

Costa Rica Travelogue (Day 1-3)

2008-11-03T19:30:00.009-05:00

Our trip to Costa Rica was in the middle of August. Costa Rica promotes this time of the year as the “green” season, we all however call it the rainy season. As with most of our family trips, we used a small privately owned and locally operated company called Tico Tom Tours. Our main focus for this trip was to experience various adventure activities. We chose to skip visiting the northern pacific side of the country, where most of the major resorts are located. For lack of time, we could not go down south to Osa either, but hopefully our next trip to CR will include OSA. Our itinerary scheduled our activities in the mornings. Although it was the rainy season fortunately all our mornings were dry. Right around 2pm every day, it would start raining, at which point we used to stop for lunch and relax in our hotel. In the evenings we went out for dinner, rain or no rain. In fact, the rain created a very tropical ambiance. We had warm weather, pouring rain, nice dinner, all the while surrounded by the sounds of nature. If you are into nature & adventure tourism, Costa Rica is a good place to be during the rainy season.

On day 1, upon our arrival at Alajuela airport, we were met by our guide. We swallowed some dramamine and drove straight to the Arenal area. The drive from the airport is about 3 hours, so a morning or early afternoon arrival works best with our itin. We stayed at Arenal Resort, under the majestic presence of Arenal Volcano. The resort was about 3-4 star. The rooms were small but comfy; there was a swimming pool and a restaurant on the premises. Buffet breakfast was included. At night, from our bedroom we could see the smoke coming out the volcano. We had to take a short drive from the hotel to a lookout point, to see the lava pouring down its side. Since it was cloudy at the time we were there, we only got a brief glimpse of the lava. Nevertheless, Arenal area and the volcano are beautiful and a “must see”.

On Day 2, our big activity was zip lining through the rainforest. Zip lining constituted of 8 separate zips from one mountain to another to get to the bottom. Once we started, there was no turning back. Our 7 yr old was too young to zip (no harnesses for a small body. Hindsight, even if they did, I don’t think we would have felt comfortable with him ziping 8 times from one mountain to another). Our 10 yr old was able to zip with the guide. I fear we may have inadvertently created an extreme sports kid. He was scared but absolutely loved the thrill that came with it. After zip lining, we went for a short hike to La Fortuna falls and later that evening we dined and relaxed at Tabacon hotsprings. I confess, the day was a bit too hectic for the kids. Spending the eve relaxing in a hotspring was god sent and now I consider it a must do. It was drizzling while we were soaking, the outside air a bit cool but the water warmed by the lava was heavenly. We spent about an hour in the hot springs jumping from one pool to another. If we ever go back, I would without a doubt spend more than an hour there.

Day 3, we headed to the Sarapiqui river for whitewater rafting. It is a class II (mostly) & III river. This activity was perfect for both our kids. Because it was the “green” season, the river was full and the water level perfect for rafting. The flow was brisk but not too fast for the kids. We barely had to paddle and both the kids got a chance to sit up front in the raft for the thrill. It was great! We stopped half way through the river for a swim and to eat watermelons. After rafting we headed towards the Central Valley.

9 Day Costa Rica Itinerary

2008-11-02T12:17:00.006-05:00

Itinerary from our Costa Rica trip in Aug. We used a small privately owned and locally run tour company specializing in private family vacations called Tico Tom Tours(http://www.Ticotomtours.com). The folks were really nice and friendly. They gifted each of us a custom trip journal. When we left CR, it felt as if we were leaving family behind. I will write a more detailed travelogue in the next few days, but in brief, our trip was adventure filled, and wonderful. Our kids had an amazing time with various adventures. We definately recommend Tico Tom Tours for your trip to CR.

Day 1: Arrive in Alajuela. Travel north via private car to Arenal Volcano. Stay in Arenal
Day 2: Ziplining in Arenal. Other activities included hiking and Lunch at La Fortuna Falls. Dinner and soaking at Tabacon Hotsprings. Amazing experience.
Day 3: On route to central valley, we went whitewater rafting in Sarapaqui River. Mostly Class 2 rapids perfect for families with young children. Overnight at Xandari Resort.
Day 4: Visit to Poas Volcano and hiking in LaPaz waterfalls.
Day 5: Drive south towards the pacific beach, an area called Dominical. Stayed at a private inn called Necochea.
Day 6: Rappel down Baru Falls. Relax in the eve.
Day 7: Spent day whale watching, on the beach, and exploring the local town.
Day 8: Spent day at the beach and late afternoon drive back to San Jose. Walked around the tourist district in San Jose and a relaxing dinner in the city.
Day 9: Spent morning shopping for trinkets and Fly home.

Thematic (theme based) Tourism

2008-10-30T20:07:00.013-04:00

How often have you heard yourself say “I need a vacation from my vacation”. While planning trips, most people schedule a lot of activities to do, a lot of places to see, they want to get to all the "must see" places, to all the artifacts in all the museums. The trip begins to feels more like a marathon as opposed to a vacation. As a consequence both the trip planning and the trip itself become overwhelming.

As I posted in one of my earlier blogs, I am a big proponent of theme based vacations. If you travel with a theme, I really feel, that it increases the chances of you having a better time. The hard part is figuring out a theme, a focus or a special niche for your trip.

The first step is determining your travelling companions. Second step is determining what you all enjoy the most, or what you all want to see or do on that particular trip. Most of the time its this second step that is the hardest part. Different people inevitably want to do different things. Once your theme is determined, rest is easy. Schedule your activities around this central theme and whatever does not fit the theme is superfluous. If you find yourself with extra time on your trip...well… did you read my post on serendipity. As I say..the best memories are often the ones you cannot plan. So if you do find some extra time on your hands, go discover something, go off the beaten path, make a special memory.

Some suggested themes:

Aboriginal tourism (also Tribal tourism and Native American tourism)
Adventure tourism (usually outdoors)
All Boys trips (often fishing, motorbiking)
Ancient History Tourism (e.g. travel to Pharaoh Egypt, Mayan ruins, Andes etc.)
Architecture tourism
Backpack tourism (or Backpacking )
Battlefield tourism
Beach tourism
Business tourism (or Business travel)
Celebrity tourism
Community Based tourism (or Community Supported tourism)
Cruise tourism
Culinary tourism
Disaster tourism
Nature Ecotourism (or Eco-tourism)
Educational tourism
Ethnic tourism
Event tourism (or Special Event tourism)
Extreme tourism (extreme sports)
Geopark Tourism or Geo tourism (geology-based includes volcanoes, hot springs)
Girlfriend Getaway (all female trip)
Group Travel
Golf tourism
Grief tourism (related to Thana-tourism)
Heritage tourism
Historical tourism
Honeymoon
Incentive travel (gift vacations for employees)
Island tourism
Medical tourism (Health or Wellness Tourism)
Museum tourism
Meetings, Conventions, Conferences and Exhibitions
Nightlife tourism (also Entertainment tourism)
Pre historic tourism (trip to pre historic sites, also ancient history tourism)
Photo Tourism (Photography tourism)
Religious tourism ( Pilgrimage)
Reunion tourism
Genealogy related tourism
Rural tourism
Second Home tourism (to a Vacation property)
Sex tourism
Shopping tourism
Space tourism
Sports tourism (pursue a specific sport including marathons, triathlons, etc.)
Sun, Sand and Surf tourism
Thanatourism (death related tourism)
Urban tourism
Visit Friends, Family and Relatives
Vinyard Tourism
Volunteer tourism (or Volunteer travel)
Walking vacations (or Walking trips)
War tourism
Water / SCUBA tourism
Winter (Sports) tourism

Gangtok and Darjeeling (Part II)

2008-10-26T12:22:00.005-04:00

The drive to Darjeeling was lush, and heavenly. The local farmers had set up roadside stalls every few hundred yards loaded with fresh produce. My father, who was travelling with us, was in absolute heaven. He would stop our car every few kilometers and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables from these farmers. Instead of munching on chips and crackers we drove around in the car, munching on carrots and cucumbers and any other fresh vegetable my father could get his hands on laced with chaat masala (spice powder) and lemon juice.
The city of Darjeeling was much more of a tourist center and bigger than Gangtok. The area is surrounded by glorious tea estates, the neat rows of tea plants covering the entire hills giving a very majestic feel.

The tea gardens are a sight to cherish. Being in Darjeeling, you realize how aptly the area was coined as “Queen of the Hills” by the British. We used our car for a day’s worth of sightseeing which included Tensing Mountaineering Institute, Pagoda, Zoo, Tibetan Refugee Center and a few other focal points. Within the town itself, we walked just about everywhere. The walk to Chowrastha, and from there up the hill to the Mahakal Temple makes for a nice walk.

For people who want to experience an Indian monsoon, Darjeeling is a perfect place to be. I loved curling up with a book, sipping chai and munching on pakodas, quaint tea sandwiches and indian-chinese noodles. And when the rain let up, we would go out for nice walking tours within the city. All Indians who grew up in India will know exactly what I am talking about. I think you have to be an Indian at heart to cherish the monsoon. For all others, without a nice book or a large group of friends to keep the entertainment going, the constant rain can get very tiring as it did for my kids.

For anyone planning a future visit to Darjeeling and Gangtok, my advice, go to Darjeeling first and then to Gangtok. A visit to a tea plantation is a must especially if you like to drink tea. Only a few tea plantations are open to public. If you are planning to buy Darjeeling tea, go to any large retailer in town and smell the various tea leaves, ask the retailer to explain the various harvesting seasons and their influence on the flavor, sample the one you like the most and then buy.

Gangtok and Darjeeling (Part I)

2008-10-26T09:26:00.011-04:00

Last year, during our summer visit to India, we decided to spend a week in Gangtok (Sikkim) and Darjeeling (West Bengal) in the cooler Northeastern states.

From Delhi we flew into Bagdogra via Deccan Air. For those who have not yet experienced India, watch out for that concept of lines. The concept of “waiting in line” along with the concept of personal space is almost nonexistent. It exists but only in the minds of visitors from abroad. Deccan Air had first come first seating. Never mind how many people had been patiently waiting in line, but when the gates opened, all those who had not been in the line, shoved and pushed and nudged and got inside the waiting craft. Naïve us who had the poor foresight to actually wait in line and were so busy being aghast at being shoved around, were the last few to board the aircraft. The flight itself turned out to be very comfortable, with freindly crew and actually landed on time.

At Bagdogra, we rented a 4X4 to Gangtok, medicated ourselves with Dramamine and started our trip. The drive from Bagdogra to Gangtok was approx 5 hour long, very winding and incredibly scenic. The drive was dotted by villages and little hamlets the entire way. Many times along the way we stopped for a breather, some hot Chai and Momos (dumplings). You can’t skip them momos.

At first glance, Gangtok was a really small and overcrowded town. The hills were covered by concrete buildings seemingly built haphazardly upon each other, the roads pretty steep and full of cars. The fumes from the cars constantly driving in low gear really got to us. There was not much to see within the town other than the local market but once we got beyond the town, the natural beauty was breathtaking. The Buddhist monasteries, the terraced rice fields, and the rivers overflowing with clear water were incredibly beautiful.

The people were warm, friendly, and always eager to strike up a conversation. Since we were in Gangtok for only two days, and that too in the middle of the monsoon season, we did not venture into the smaller (but highly recommended) towns of Pelling and Yuksom. And for the same reason, we did not even attempt to go for whitewater rafting or hiking. Our only regret is that, it was too cloudy the entire duration of our stay that we did not get to see the Kanchenjunga; the 3rd highest peak in the world.

Our most talked about incident involves our visit to the Rumtek Monastery. While at the monastery, we went to see the monks-in-training’s meditation and classroom area, and in the process we became friendly with a few young monks there. These monks invited us for chai and being tea lovers we readily accepted. The monastery kitchen was closed so I am not sure how they managed to make tea but their version of chai included boiling water with milk and ghee (clarified butter) in equal parts. No matter how much sugar we added, the tea was absolutely unpalatable. Our fear of being rude was so great that we kept on sipping (more like licking) it for almost an hour. We kept waiting for the monks to leave the room so we could discuss our predicament. That one hour was a lesson in the art of body language communication. After about an hour, when we could not take the taste or the smell of “monastery tea” anymore, we excused ourselves and insisted on washing the teacups (so they would not see all the tea we were throwing away) put some money in their donation box and left. I don’t think any of us enjoyed our food that day, even the hot and savory momos did nothing for our ruined palates.

Bagdogra - Gangtok - Darjeeling Itinerary (6 Nights / 7 Days)

2008-10-25T22:15:00.003-04:00

Day 01/ Bagdogra – Darjeeling: Arrive Bagdogra and drive to Gangtok (5hrs) by private 4x4. Stay in Cherry Hill Inn. Very clean and comfortable, clear view of the Kanchenjunga mountains and view of the valley.

Day 02/ Gangtok Sightseeing: After breakfast went sight seeing: Research Institute of Tibetology, Chorten (Stupa), and Rumtek Monastery. Night stay in Gangtok.

Day O3/ Gangtok Sightseeing: Visited waterfall, M.G. Marg shopping center.

Day 04/ Gangtok – Darjeeling: On arrival transfer to New Elgin hotel. Night stay in Darjeeling.

Day 05/ Darjeeling Sightseeing: After breakfast proceed for Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Ropeway, Tensing – Gumbo Rock, Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center, Peace Pagoda & Rock Garden. We went to the local market to shop for Darjeeling teas. Night stay in Darjeeling.

Day O6/ Darjeeling Sightseeing: We skipped the planned early morning excursion to Tiger hill, Ghoom Monastery & Batasia Loop as it was raining and very cloudy. We did visit the Tea Estates. Night stay in Darjeeling.

Day 07/ Darjeeling - Bagdogra – Departure to board flight for Delhi.

Recommendation: Bagdogra- Darjeeling-Gangtok will be a more scenic itin.

Travel in a recession

2008-10-25T13:08:00.000-04:00

So you really enjoy travelling but the dollar is plummeting in value. Do you stop travelling? Some of us cannot. It is almost like an addiction. We can’t stop exploring this beautiful world a bit at a time. There are five things we do (and so can you) to plan your next trip without pinching pennies or worrying about emptying your kids education fund.

ONE: Identify destinations where the dollar is strong. While US dollar is weak against Euro and Pound, travelling in areas where Dollar is still strong such as within US, Central and Southern Americas is highly attractive. If you ever wanted to visit Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, just to name a few, now is a great time to consider these places. If you have the time, places further away in Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe are great destinations.

TWO: Use airline frequent flier miles. Almost all credit card companies these days give you rewards or points for a specific airline carrier. If you have miles or points that you can convert into mile awards, this is a great time to use those miles.

THREE: Prepay as much of your costs in U.S. dollars as you can. Instead of exchanging cash at the airport, and paying higher exchange rates and commissions, use your credit card or the ATM card to pay for your expenses. Use your ATM card to take out only the amount of cash you might need for a few days at a time.

FOUR: Use local or a small travel agent to plan your trip. Instead of using a large tour operator or luxury travel company, use a local or niche travel agent to create a personalized and perhaps a private itinerary at lower cost.

FIVE: Identify and create a themed experience for your trip. This will help focus your trip on the “must see” and help eliminate all the other extras. Many years ago, my husband and I went to Egypt. Both of us had just joined the professional workforce, so were short on cash. Instead of an all encompassing, luxury trip, we chose instead to focus only on the ancient Egypt and created a private itinerary with the help of a local travel agent. We saw all the ancient monuments, landmarks and artifacts, travelled exclusively in a private rail compartment and by car, and included a few highly unique but absolutely charming off the beaten path highlights to our trip such as a visit to the Valley of the Queens and High noon tea by the Nile river for an incredibly unique experience. As you can see we still rave about that trip. Since then we have travelled to Mexico, Italy, Costa Rica, India, Hawaii and many other places but there has always been a theme to our trips.

Serendipity and Travel

2008-10-23T11:34:00.001-04:00

While I am a planner, I am a huge proponent of not planning down to the last meal to the last minute. I want people to be open to the wonders of the world and what they may find along the way. When ever I come across people who have returned from a recent trip, I always ask what was their most memorable part of the trip. Almost always, it turns out to be something they did not plan on their itinerary.

On our recent family trip to Costa Rica, an eco-adventure trip that included zip lining, whitewater rafting, rappelling, my favorite memory is spending an afternoon with my family on a small pristine beach in Dominical that we stumbled upon. This beach had two sea caves that connected the beach to the ocean creating a blow hole effect perfect for body surfing. We spent our afternoon on this cozy little place where the rainforest met the ocean water with nothing but a small sliver of sand in between, a stream meandering through the forest, hiking the muddy river and body surfing the caves. I can’t remember how we had planned to spend that time or if we had planned anything at all, but then that is .. Serendipity.

A wise man once said.. if you follow a path too closely you will miss the wonders that you may find along your way.

There was a village woman who walked 2 Kos (miles) each way to the river to bring water for her family’s daily needs. She used to carry two pots of water on her shoulders every day and even then the water was barely sufficient to meet the daily needs. One pot had a small hole in it. Every day by the time this woman reached home, the broken pot was almost half empty. One day her neighbor asked why do you always carry that broken pot ? The woman replied, most people look at the path along which they walk to the river, but I look at the beautiful flowers growing along that path, that my broken pot waters. Moral of the story, its not always the path that provides the most wonder but often the small things along that path.

Why use a Travel Agent?

2008-10-22T08:10:00.001-04:00

If you are an avid traveler, chances are you want to visit places that are far and away from where you live and completely different from your daily life. You are seeking to create an unforgettable experience because you are not sure you will go back there again. Planning such trips and creating that experience can be quite time consuming, intimidating, and even confusing. People are often not sure which place they can afford to skip, which places are must see. Travel agents are there to help. Your job is to think global, their job is to make your trip their focal.

You can book all your hotels and airlines online, and you still need to do your own research, talk to your friends and family who have been to those places. No one else can do that for you, but there are professionals who are qualified to help you plan, coordinate, schedule and guide your experience.

Why write on travel?

2008-10-21T16:06:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked why do I want to write on travelling?

Well, for me, Travelling is a very personal thing. I love watching people go about their daily lives, their beliefs, their behavior, their traditions, their food and language and on and on. I love the fact that people living in completely different parts of the world, have many more things they share in common than differences. For me that commonality defines humanity. The emotions of a parent in United States is no different than the emotions of a parent in Darfur when they look at their sick and hungry child. The rivalry of two siblings is the same everywhere, no matter what language is spoken at home. The events that trigger tears of pain, joy and pride are the same everywhere.

What varies from one place to another is the interpretation and depiction of these shared values, the concept of personal space, the concept of time and of course the gorgeous natural landscape. I love to travel and I wish everyone else would too. So, I want to share my thoughts, impressions and feelings about travelling. Its as simple as that!