Jordan 2012

Jordan has so much to offer any traveller. We visited in April 2012. The weather was sometimes breezy and 25C but most often it hovered around 32-34C and brilliant sunshine.

Amman is a dry city so pick up your duty free at the airport when you arrive to have a glass in your hotel on your first night. Staying in Amman affords the chance to go north to Jerash and

Humm Quays, both are worth seeing. Roman ruins are simply stunning and for a small fee you can spend hours marvelling at the sites. We stayed in the Misk hotel in Amman.

From here we went to the dead sea taking the time to see Mt. Nebo and the baptism site nearby. At the dead sea we stayed in the holiday inn which we can tell you was worth it.

On to Karak castle and marvelled at the view from this walled city perched on the mountain side and then down to Aqaba for some Jordanian music and hospitality at Bedouin Moon village. They served us the best food, BBq chicken and spicy fish, great humus and wonderful salads.

We loved the pool as the red sea has a stony beach and it was hot.

IN Wadi rum pick the Captains camp. They are the most well organised and the tents are

all quite private. The food was good but there is no alcohol. I would still say to try riding a camel in the desert even though I got a bruise on the base of my spine, this is the best way to travel in the desert and see the seven pillars of wisdom.

You cannot visit Jordan without seeing Petra and if you go early in the morning, it opens at 6.am you will miss the huge crowds. It is expensive 50JD or 75$ to get in , but your pass is valid all day and you can see it at night. It takes a very long time for the climb to the monastery and it is unsuitable for children as it has no railings , and they get tired. You can go by donkey but

the ride would be precarious and uncomfortable no doubt. The view at the top once you get there (906) steps is so worth it. Breathtaking.

You need at least a week to see the sites but put Jordan on your list, you will delighted that you dd.

Vegas Baby

freemont st in Vegas will astound you , the light and music show begin at 8 pm and it is so worth the trip to this old part of Vegas. The lights in the main casino go out and the ceiling lights up, everyone is dancing and the music has you smiling.

Vegas is an amazing place to visit. The best casinos to stay in are the Venetian, Bellagio, Paris and even Luxor. The rooms are spacious and the Venetian

will give you a suite with a sunken living room, 3 flat screen TVS , there is even one in the washroom! If you have the chance to see any of the shows buy your tickets at the last moment on the day of the show you can save a lot of money that way.

Vegas is not for kids, the malls have limited play areas but the casinos are not geared up for

families. This is an adult destination with fine dining and live shows.

Pack your most comfortable shoes the rooms are often a long way from the elevators and the

path to elevators is often wound through the casino. Even if you do not gamble this is a fun

place to visit and enjoy a spectacle or two, there is a lot of street theatre and the casinos are

just amazing to visit. They have boutiques and flashy cars, there are gondolas to ride

and fountains which dance to music. The casinos have spared no expense in their endeavours

to encourage you to stay, with sumptuous decor, pleasant staff and there are guides everywhere.

Cuba for the first time

Cuba is so unspoilt. The people are

friendly and even though we did not really speak the language you feel welcome.

We stayed like most folk in a resort called "Sirenis la Salina", in Veradero. It has 960 rooms and it has breathtaking beaches. The resort is new and the buffet was pretty decent , even though we had been warned the food is not good. They cooked a turkey one night, have great cafe con leche at the bar and the drinks are always generous. The wine is all Spanish, one of the few countries willing to export to Cuba. The rooms were clean and we had a
walk out to the patio. The pool has a swim up bar and try the aquacise...the instructors are buff and hilarious. There are 4 a ala carte restaurants and the French one was by far the best. They did use some garlic in the Italian one too. There is also a buffet near to the beach, serving french fries and hot dogs as well as seafood and all kinds of salads. The staff will move your beach chairs and bring you fresh towels and the ocean was warm to swim in.

On the 3rd day we "escaped" from the resort.

The resort offered rental cars but found a more generous deal in the town of Veradero. Be warned you must fill up with the expensive tourist gas when you return the car, they keep the cheaper gas for the locals.

You need cash....a lot of it. There are no ATM machines and they do not accept US currency at all. You may be able to exchange euros but do not bank on it. It is ok to change your money in the resort but the Cambio gave us a much better rate.

Go to Havana. It is more than worth it and stay in the Hotel Nacional where Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill once frolicked in the 90 year old concrete pool. This hotel is like stepping back in time and will stun you with the architecture and its loveliness. The views are amazing and the food is good. Walk around the old town and visit the rum museum. Take a guided tour or just wing it like we did. There is an apothecary which is full of painted dutch vessels and rich mahogany wooden shelving. It is still being used for herbal medicines.

We travelled to Cojimar not far from Havana to Ernest Hemingway's home. The views of the tropical countryside and harbour are stunning and his gardens are well kept . His home is now a museum and worth the trip. His booze bottles are still there as is his furniture and writing desk.

Cuba was warm and interesting with charismatic people and marvellous architecture. They appreciate tourists and we felt safe there. We stopped in many villages and sampled sandwiches and local markets. We cannot wait to go there again.

Travel to Istanbul, Turkey

Easyjet offers some great rates from London , England. We also know that Turkish airlines and even BA are now offering competitive deals. Remember you need to have cash when you land for your entrance visa, they do not take credit cards. Check the consulate website for the country you live in.

Turkey is 85% Islamic but Istanbul is a very dynamic and European city. We only saw about 40% of the women wearing head scarves but do bring one so you can visit the Mosques, and you need to dress modestly. The Blue Mosque is closed for prayer times 5 times a day and you will hear the call to prayer over the rooftops.

The Turkish lira is very favourable from an exchange standpoint to Euros or dollars and you will find many hotels can be booked in advance on the Internet. We chose Sumengen
http://www.hotelsumengenistanbul.com/ as we could book online and the rates were reasonable. The rooms all have European bathrooms and the location was just perfect. There was a computer with Internet access and they could exchange your money if need be. The views from the breakfast room were just stunning of the Bosphorus.

The palace of Topkapi, the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sofia built over 1400 years ago are a must see. The splendour of the Ottoman empire will impress most. The jewels and architecture are so memorable ,you be amazed at such beauty.

Food is delicious and do not be afraid to try what the locals are eating in the buffet style restaurants, You do not have to speak the language to explain you want your fish filleted.

We had some great wines but Dikmen stood out at 10 Lira a bottle and a Merlot blend it went well with Lamb and Beef dishes. Kebabs are plentiful but the Pideh...or their equivalent of a pizza was yummy and cheap. You will love how fresh the fruit and vegetables taste. Try the Raki but remember you dilute it with water...if you don't the bartender will do it for you.

The Turkish people are friendly but there are a few who just want your wallet. As in most big cities just be cautious. The tourists are all treated very well and we felt so welcomed in this land .

Being the eccentric travellers we ventured out to the countryside on a day trip on the local bus to Chile..a little seaside resort on the Black sea. The place was windswept and deserted in April but I imagine in the summer it is packed. You can see Bulgaria from there. Travelling within the country is cheap but bus , train or air.

Shopping in Turkey was an experience...you have to go to the grand bazaar. The place is a bit of a tourist trap but lovely architecturally speaking and we got some cheap gold jewelry there..you have to bargain ,which is a foreign concept to us, but they entertain you with glasses of apple tea while you do the transaction. It is charming. There is also a tool bazaar, fish bazaar and spice bazaar which are worth seeing.

The tram will take you to Taksim which is the European quarter of Istanbul and you can shop , eat a burger King if you feel compelled but we decided to stick with Turkish cuisine. The best dish we had was lamb cooked with spinach and garlic...divine.

The Turkish bath was something we felt would take ,even eccentric souls like us ,out of our comfort zone but we were wrong. This experience is not to be missed. Women and men are separated and you are scrubbed clean by those of your own fair sex...when I say scrubbed I mean it...they take an entire layer of your skin clean off....and massage you. There is apple tea afterwards but you feel rejuvenated.

Live music is played in most restaurants in the evenings and many have belly dancing. The Bond films "from Russia with Love" and "the World is not enough" were both filmed in Istanbul...check out the Basilica cistern which was featured in the films for the Head of Medusa.

There are ferry boats that will take you on a grand tour of the 3 shores of Istanbul and it is well worth the 2 dollars for 2 hours. They serve fresh coffee and orange juice on the boat.

Istanbul offers such history and culture. The tourguides are fluent in English, French and we even heard Spanish and German. The City is easy to navigate and if you stay downtown you can sightsee on foot very easily.

This birds in the mosque miniarettes fly up into the dusky sky, at the call to prayer and the lights illuminate the mosques to show its majesty. The sounds and sights are just beautiful and you will be amazed at how far your money goes ,and how far you are prepared to walk to keep seeing more.

http://www.easyjet.com/ will know that you have not had pork for a few days and so have toasted bacon butties on board for your trip back!

We cannot wait to go back for more!

argentina

Buenos Aires was suddenly affordable from Canada, although the flight was long it was broken by a 2 hour lay over in Dallas and on the way home Miami. The best time of year turns out to be April when we went and we experienced 28 to 30C and sunshine most days. There are great hotels but as our blog mentions we are eccentric travellers and prefer a place to call our own when we travel..there is room to laugh and room to sulk when you rent an apartment and no one is asking to clean your room if you are sleeping in. There is no jet lag when you get to Buenos Aires and you slip into their culture immediately if you have a place of you own. The currency was 1$ to 2.84 pesos so a week of groceries was 30$. You do not need a car, the cabs are cheap and if you stay in Recoleta, as we did many of the sights are within walking distance. Restaurants are plentiful and of course you must try the beef...at Cabana in Recoleta we feasted on Chateaubriand and a gorgeous red wine, with appetisers it was still only 50$. We walked to the famous cemetery be warned the coffins are clearly visible in the crypts but the feral cats keep watchful eye on the folk there.

Open markets beckon you with silver and leather at great prices , and the botanical gardens are within walking distance. Cafe con leche under the sprawling Magnolia trees is wonderful and you will see the dog walkers, which is a spectacle taking their numerous charges to the parks.

Go to Tigre on the train , and take one of the ferry rides in the pretty estuary bywaters...with quaint homes perched dangerously close to the waters edge and pretty gardens. Then try Macdonalds and see how different it is there...the beef is probably why!

Take a plane to Mendoza for a few days. you can take a bus which has reclining seats but the journey is about 12 hours and only 2 by plane. The city is lovely, small and surrounded by vineyards. We stayed at The Huentala hotel booked with Skoosh.com and got an amazing rate. this is a 5 star hotel and has a rooftop pool.The rooms all smell divinely of sandalwood and the location is perfect for downtown. We visited Catena Zapata and took a cab there, we rented Hector for the day and negotiated a great rate with him. This winery is spectacular and try the malbec at the end of your tour, you will not be disappointed.

Buenos Aires has pink parliament buildings, a beautiful opera house and some stand out cafes. We went to see a Tango show at Cafe Tortoni where Robert Duval is known to hang out. This cafe is filled with great art and wood panelling but the music and the tango was awesome.

The streets of La boca are the most colourful , the story is they used left over paints from the shipyards used for painting the boats . The cafes are all open air and all have a dance floor, the tango and gaucho dancers thrill the crowd and some will be invited to try. The mallo pacifico is located in the downtown core and has the most scintillating frescoes on the ceiling.

Do not miss the antiques district in Palermo and Telmo or the art gallery.

There is so much to see and do in Argentina, and we found the locals were friendly but we would advise against taking the subway system as we were pick pocketed there...and although he only got a rolled up shopping bag he almost got more than this....

www.huentala.com was the hotel in Mendoza

www.ByTargentina.com had an apartment for us in Buenos Aires at a great price

Lan Chile is a better airline than Aerolineas Argentinas as they are more organised , but the airport is not the same as the international one you fly in on, and they are almost 25 minutes apart if you are thinking of connections. www.andesmar.com has coaches which travel across Argentina very affordably.

We both recommend the eyewitness travel guides which have great maps and tips for when you travel. If you go to Argentina you will be surprised at the history, art , culture , dance and food and as for the wine, it has to be said this country knows what it is doing with the grape!

The Big Project

I just found this amazing travel website, check it out: http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/