Colliding Continents

Airborn Pooch: Pet Air is here

2009-11-04T10:41:00.005-05:00

Mr. Fido will have the steak tartar and Ms. Kitty would like the tuna tartar. Sounds like a joke but it is a reality now. A "paws only" airline is available for your beloved furry family member. No longer will you have to shove them into a crate and pray that they will be alright when you reclaim them upon arrival. Pet Airways promises a painless and [more importantly] comfortable experience for your pet. This is the Pet Airways promise straight from their website:

We promise to transport your pet with lots of love, care, safety, and comfort in the main cabin.
Pet Airways is the first airline exclusively dedicated to pets - no humans please - and we take the job of providing a comfortable experience for pets very seriously.
We'll do everything in our power to make sure your pets get the best care during their journey because we're committed to taking care of our pet "pawsengers" as if they were our own.

Pretty impressive. So how does it work and what is their flight schedule like? (Also from their website)

Drop your pet off at our Pet Lounge, located at the airport. You must check in your pet no later than 2 hours before take off. If you choose, you may check in your pet up to 72 hours before the flight. We’ll be happy to board your pet at our PAWS Lodge until the flight.

Potty Breaks are very important to your pet. With the human airlines, your pet could be made to hold themselves for a very very long time. Pet Airways monitors the last time your pet had a potty break, and makes sure that they get regular potty breaks along the way. This means that it may take us longer to get to where we are going, but the care of our pawsengers is our first priority.

Pets board the plane and our Pet Attendants make sure they’re all comfortable and that they, and their pet carrier, are secure.

A Pet Attendant monitors and checks the comfort of all pawsengers every 15 minutes during the flight. After landing, pets will be disembarked, given a potty break, and will be available for pickup at the Pet Lounge.

Pick up your pet at the Pet Lounge at your destination, knowing he or she has traveled comfortably and safely in the main cabin of our plane. If you cannot pick up your pet that day, we will be happy to board your pet overnight at the PAWS Lodge.

The Pet Airways website has some handy pet travel tips as well as the standard ability to book your pet flights AND a pet tracker so you can keep a close eye on where your four legged aviator is at any given time. Naturally, every globetrotting pet has the ability to save money by joining the MyPAWS Club!!

Big Bear Cafe, DC

2009-11-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Big Bear Cafe is simple, comforting and a place I can stay all day and get lost in my writing or video editing. Away from many of the major bar and shopping scenes you don't get many out of towners here. By that, I mean Virginians and Marylanders - not tourists - although you probably won't see one here either. At the first moment I stepped in I felt very self-conscious, maybe because I felt like everyone was looking at me saying 'Damn! A newbie' quietly to themselves. It was not that at all. It was in fact the cool and calm way everyone just went about his or her day, completely happy. No noise, no crappy song on loop that would get stuck in your head all day long. Good coffee (or tea) in a really chill place.

Life at the Arboretum

2009-11-03T09:53:00.004-05:00

I spent a day in one of the most underrated locations in Washington, DC; The National Arboretum. It was a warm summer day and everything had a very peaceful way about it. The entire place is massive and very much worth a slow walk. Add a good conversation and a picnic and you have set yourself up for a good time.

10 of the Most Beautiful Paradors in Spain

2009-10-27T12:20:00.001-04:00

Generally I don't like staying in hotels when I travel. There is something about them that makes me feel so separate from the country that I am visiting. When I do stay in a hotel, I like to indulge in hospitality establishments with either a great degree of personality, history or amazing location. When I first heard of Paradors in Spain, I was blown away. Paradors are essentially historic sites that have been converted into hotels. So, I picked ten Paradors that have a lot of history, a lot of character and generally in amazing locations.

Parador Hotel Ronda

Ronda, Andalusia

If seeing the 120-meter drop into the Guadalevín River outside of your window doesn't give you goose bumps, the site of the Puente Nuevo basking in the sun over the Guadalevín will. This parador, a former town hall, sits at the edge of the rocky gorge right next to the historic bridge built in 1751.

Parador Hotel Caceres

Caceres, Extremadura

Formerly the Palace of Torreoraz, built in the 14th century. The palace was built for Diego Garcia de Uloa, a knight of the Order of Santiago. His family's coat of arms is still displayed proudly along with several full knights armor. Although the interior has been redone there are still elements of the original palace.

Parador Cangas de Onis

Cangas de Onis, Asturias

Easily one of the best places to fully enjoy the stunning Asturian landscape, Parador Cangas de Onis is a former monastary situated over the river Sella. The monastary was named awarded a National Monument status in 1907.

Hotel Casa de Baron

Pontevedra, Galicia

This 16th century Renaissance palace was the former residence of the Counts of Maceda. The interior of this palace boasts nobility and the garden is not anything short of royal. If staying in history is not enough, you should also know that this palace is located in the historic part of Pontevedra.

Parador Jarandilla de la Vera

Jarandilla de la Vera, Caceres

Positioned in the middle of the La Vera orchard with flowing streams and ravines surrounding it, this former Imperial home of Emperor Charles V has a setting that embraces the old parador. Instead of standing out, the parador's turrets fit in nicely with the olive and orange trees encircling it.

Parador Zafra

Zafra, Badajoz

There are nine towers that surround this castle, and elements from its time still exist within it such as the ironwork and large chests. Construction on this castle began in 1437 and was once the residence of the Dukes of Feria. Lounging in the courtyard and staring up to the sky alone will transport you back to 1437.

Parador Alacron

Alacron, La Mancha

8th Century Arab castle. What else is there to say really, oh yeah - it overlooks the river Jucar and is gorgeous. This castle was built on a ravine making it easier to defend in addition to the battlements that surround it but that wasn't enough to stop King Alfonso VIII to capture this castle in the 12th century. This castle has been the home of the Marquises de Villena and also Don Juan Manuel.

Parador Jaen

Jaen, Andalusia

There are four things you need to know about this Parador:
1. It was around since the time of Christ during which it was called Aurigis due to the surrounding silver mines
2. It has an unobstructed 180-degree view of the Guadalquivir River, the hills of the Sierra Morena and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada
3. The only other thing more impressive is the drive up to the Parador
4. This castle was taken by the Moors by Ferdinand III in 1246 and remained so even during attacks that spanned two hundred years.

Parador Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia

This Parador has been accommodating guests since 1499. According to the founding documents the building was to be focused as a "hostelry for pilgrims and to house comfortably and suitably all devout people, both sick and in good health, who come to the city." Immediately across the Plaza do Obradorio is the Cathedral Del Apostol.

Parador Hotel Siguenza
Siguenza, Castile

Built in the fifth century, improved in 712 by the Moors and retaken by Fernando I and El Cid then turned into a Bishop's Palace, this Parador has seen a lot of growth. In fact one hundred and sixty four years later it would be redone again and later opened into its present form. The rooms in this castle are so large that it makes the furniture look like it were built for a dollhouse.

Songs For The Road: Air France's No Excuses

2009-10-21T11:30:00.002-04:00

No Excuses left...a perfect name for a get-me-out-of-work-and-into-an-amazing-place song. This song reminds me of the fast pace of traveling with friends and the inevitable "take it all in" moment when you overlook a mountain range, look out into the ocean or stand in the middle of a busy city gazing up at all the neon lights as people rush about you.

Artist: Air France
Song: No Excuses
Album: No Way Down

Drive With Me

2009-10-14T15:27:00.002-04:00

I was about to post a song of the week but decided to be a bit more creative and make my own music video. This is driving around with Phoenix's Summer Days. Tell me what you think.

Google Labs & City Tours

2009-10-05T22:26:00.007-04:00

From the [evil?] geniuses at Google Labs comes Google City Tours, a Google Maps-esque application that routes points of interest according to your current location. No longer will you have to flip through guidebooks and highlighting streets on maps, now all you need to do is let Google pinpoint all of the attractions for you.

I assume that part of this grand plan would be to incorporate Web 2.0 elements such as shared videos and photos. It would only make sense given that Google is well underway of integrating these elements already - check out Google Caffeine if you get the chance, it is basically Google's way of trying to get closer to real time search.

I would imagine that this application would be very useful to many first time backpackers or travelers, maybe families on vacation or perhaps very short-term travelers like business types and such. I've been in those situations before where I came for an event, be it meeting or wedding, and have had the urge to see something else but just did not have that much time.

As an avid traveler I have mixed feelings about this function. Sure, it is handy but I don't necessarily like planning out my adventures down to this much of detail. I've always felt that going with the ebb and flow of a new place is the most important thing you can do as someone truly attempting to step into a new environment and adapt. I have used guidebooks primarily for one reason, and that is to figure out where not to go. I do most of my research by searching travel blogs and personal videos or perhaps documentaries of places that are very far off the beaten path. Therefore I feel that I would use this application much like I would use a guidebook. Going forward, if I were to research a hotel or hostel, I'd simply type in the address and see how close I am to all of the tourist hot spots.

Needless to say, this application does cater to the majority of travelers and I am sure it will be a big hit. The technology behind it is great and is a testament to how far search technology has come. A significant majority of travel plans are made online these days and Google City Tours will fit in nicely with all of the other tools.

Chicken and Waffles at Marvin

2009-10-05T10:00:00.003-04:00

Lately I've been doing a ton of local exploring and getting to know my neighborhood in Washington, DC a lot better. On Saturday morning, I woke up thinking about Fried Chicken and Waffles and the two places that serve this dish on U St.; Marvin and Creme. Creme has been around longer but on Sunday, for brunch, I decided to go to Marvin instead because they serve a better Bloody Mary there. Although, hands down I think that Bar Pillar and Saint Ex on 14th St. put the other two to shame when it comes to the brunch cocktail classic.

I put in my order and the waiter smiled "Excellent Choice!" I was ready. I first heard about fried chicken and waffles from a friend about a year ago. In fact, we were at Creme for brunch and he ordered it! Honestly, I was absolutely disgusted at the sight but this had more to do with the fact that I was recovering from a late night and what I saw was not on my list of stomach friendly things.

Fried chicken and waffles is originally from Harlem, NY and made its way down south. The idea behind it is simple, late night party animals would end up very hungry after a whole night of dancing. Given that it was way past dinner and barely close to breakfast food options were scarce, and so fried chicken and waffles was born.

My plate finally arrived. Golden brown fried boneless chicken atop a square waffle which sat on a bed of collared greens and of course a side of maple syrup. I poured the maples syrup right on top of the chicken and watched it make its way down to the waffle. I brought my fork towards my mouth and bit into Thanksgiving dinner. No, honestly, the taste reminds me of Thanksgiving.

Sweet, savory and tangy all at once. It actually tasted great. The textures weren't disturbing, the maple syrup didn't overpower the fried chicken and the waffle was light and fluffy, not thick and heavy like most places serve them.

It was a good Sunday morning, and nothing feels better than satisfying a craving as soon as you wake up. I don't think I will have another order of fried chicken and waffles for at least another two weeks, but if I do I'll have to go to Creme for comparison and maybe, one day, I'll go to Harlem and find an original recipe. I should probably consider walking from DC to NY and back just to lose the calories.

Crafty Bastards 2009

2009-10-03T11:58:00.005-04:00

Crafty Bastards is today! It is my favorite arts fair in Washington, DC. This is the one time of the year where you can get to see local art, meet the local artists and buy their work - most of which are originals. Walking in between each stall and getting to see little projects that don't make it to the galleries (or streets) are right there. If you are ever in DC during the beginning of October, make sure you check out the Washington City Paper and find out what day Crafty B's is on.

Travel Insights 100

2009-10-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

I was asked to join Travel Insights 100 a few months ago and when I was told that it was a communituy of 100 online travel leaders - I was instantly humbled that I was asked to join. Almost immediately after that I got excited about the scope of the project and the potential research I would be involved in. So what EXACTLY is Travel Insights 100? In short and I quote:

Travel Insights 100 is designed to be a forum where a diverse set of travel leaders can share their points of view. It is a platform for discussion, based on research, with thought leaders in travel & tourism around the world. Together, we will look at the impact that economic, political and social issues have on travel.

We have already begun to get our collective travel brains together. Click here for the results of our findings with regards to Twitter and the online travelsacape. I hope you find this interesting, and stay tuned for more!

Cultural Awakenings

2009-09-28T12:28:00.007-04:00

This is Dan. Dan never had a mojito before this picture was taken. When he told me this I felt obligated to introduce him. It is, after all, my duty as an advocate for cultural immersion. So we immersed ourselves in a whirlwind of mint, white rum, lime, a touch of sparkling water and one raw sugar cane (the magic touch). Dan was impressed, so much so that we eventually found ourselves on the upstairs level of Havana Village in Washington DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood dancing salsa (or trying to) with some lovely ladies.

Havana Village was the perfect setting and the cool thing about this place is that it offers free salsa classes! So if you are ever in the DC area and in need of some serious salsa action, you now know where to go. While you are there, think of Dan and that happy look on his face and grab a mojito.

Manta's on Curacao

2009-09-21T16:19:00.008-04:00

While I was on Curacao, I stayed with some wonderful people in one of their beautiful studio apartments. The place was called the Chamba Apartments and it had an amazing view of Playa Piscador. Well, just recently one of the owners of Chamba sent me this video of giant Manta Rays playing in that same beach and looking to steal a fishing boat. How they did it, I have no idea...but the funny thing is the boat they 'stole' was much larger than the boat I took a ride on - I included video of that ride below as well.

Decibel - Sake Bar, Plain & Simple.

2009-09-21T10:00:00.003-04:00

Decibel Sake Bar, New York, NY

Decibel has been around since 1993, tucked away underground with only a small sign indicating its existence, it can easily be missed but once found it is a very cool surprise. Making my way down the stairs, my curiosity kicked into overdrive with a flurry of images flashing through my mind trying to anticipate what I was about to walk into. I thought of the movie Rising Sun specifically the scene of characters engaged in nyotaimori - the practice of eating from a naked body - silly I know, but I have an overactive imagination. With every step I thought of something else until I hit the dreaded line where imagination meets rationale - "What if it is just some corporate, yuppie set up where a bunch of bankers take clients...ewww." That thought was quickly washed away as I entered the door and was greeted by the host wearing the most unenthusiastic expression as he stood behind a rope and asked for ID.

The first thing that caught my eye were the walls, adorned with graffiti covering almost every square inch of available space. Coupled with lanterns and prints, the clash of the traditional Japanese restaurant art with urban expression was perfect. It was a set up, it must've been, because I fell in love instantly. Much like the graffiti on the walls, the menu was packed with a list of every imaginable type of sake. I opted for a light, crisp sake the name of which escapes me. It starts with an H. It was good.

Decibel is dark, not broodingly like an old Pub but interesting, like something out of a Manga graphic novel. It is a place you can get away and disappear from the insanity of Manhattan or a great place for a small group of friends to talk. This is where I see myself talking to someone for hours and not realizing what time it is until the staff stares over at us in unison and gives us the universal "get out of my bar" look.

Sake, Japanese Lanterns, Graffiti

Happy Dog at the Cabin

2009-09-06T20:16:00.002-04:00

Sunset in Shenandoah

2009-09-05T19:31:00.002-04:00

Mural Jam DC 2009

2009-08-17T10:00:00.001-04:00

Living n DC means living in THE political town of the US. DC doesn't have the flare of NY or the laid back atmosphere of LA. It attracts people from all over the US and you would be hard pressed to find a true born-and-raised DC resident. When you take all of this into consideration, it is understandable how difficult it can be to identify the true DC cultural flavor. I often find myself complaining that "this place could be cooler" and then I find that there are events that do make it cooler, like Mural Jam.

Mural Jam brought together 45 of the best DC street artists creating the longest stretch of street art in the city (6,000 square feet). Seeing all the art work being created made me feel as if my wishes for the District had begun to come true. If you happen to be in DC, love street art and feel like getting away from the monuments make sure to go to 550 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington DC in the Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center adjacent to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station on the Red Line. Monuments essentially all look the same after seeing two anyway - kinda like Buddhist temples in Thailand; there is only so much you can take in one day.

Songs For The Road: Hey You by Pony Pony Run Run and Groove Jet by Schiller Feat Sophie Ellis Baxter

2009-08-14T10:45:00.009-04:00

My buddy Rob Z of Blank Slate posted the Hey You video on my Facebook profile.

"Robert Zuehlke: thought you might dig this. fantastic summer jam and video. miss thailand"

We both miss Thailand and want to return really badly. The scenes from that music vid reminded me of the Groove Jet music video that was shot in Bangkok. I was there for the filming in Pat Pong, on Silom Soi 4 for one of the scenes (had a lot of fun in that area during the 90's).

Anyway, watching both of these vids inspired me to share - hope you enjoy.

Weekly Travel A La G-Maps: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

2009-08-07T10:57:00.008-04:00

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya - Smoke That Thunders) is quite an amazing site...even from Google's satellites. David Livingstone was apparently the first European to set eyes on the falls. I remember first seeing footage of the falls in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy where the protagonist sets out for the end of the world (Victoria Falls) to throw away a Coke bottle which has caused chaos to break out in his tribe. Funny what you remember as a child.

Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls National Park, Zimbabwe

It is neither the highest or widest waterfall but it is certainly the world's largest. The pictures say it all.

Songs For The Road: U2's Where The Steets Have No Name

2009-08-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

No need for background info here folks. Joshua Tree album, Track 1.

Growing up my mom was a huge fan of U2 and she made sure we listened to the Joshua Tree tape while driving all over Europe with my father; Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy...the list went on and on just like the countless winding streets our 1980-something Volkswagen rabbit took us. This song reminds me of that time and all the fun we had but I could never (and will never) be able to remember the names of those streets. Now, whenever I find myself in a new city or a new town this song comes to mind instantly, almost instinctively.

Sunsets With Seb

2009-07-31T10:49:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time in the 1990s traveling on my own meant that a potentially lonely road awaited me. These days, solo travel does not necessarily have to be that way and the "wish" that "you could see this place" could actually come true...at least digitally.

While away in Curacao I spent a lot of time on my own, which is in many ways refreshing but on occasion I found myself wishing my friends could "see this place."

So we made it happen, it was fun and we called it Sunsets With Seb.

Curacao, Physically

2009-07-24T10:14:00.001-04:00

The physical structure of Curacao is such that the coasts are quite rocky, therefore you will not be able to find a long stretch of sandy beach like in California or Mexico for example. Instead you will find that beaches here are smaller and because of the island's rocky coast, you will often find beaches that are in alcoves or lagoons often encircled by rocky cliffs.

In fact, Curacao's physical structure was the only benefit the island had to the Dutch. The northern coast of Curacao is very rough and does not provide a safe port for ships. The south however is calmer and the way the port of Willemstad is set up, it was easy to defend against pirates and other invading naval forces. If you look at the image below, the Xs mark where the forts are set up and the blue line is where the warehouses were set up. This unique port was perfect for defense and so the Dutch used Willemstad as logistical hub to store and drop off goods.

UpTake's DC Podcast

2009-07-24T09:21:00.002-04:00

I was interviewed by Addison Schonland yesterday evening about DC as a destination.

http://iagblog.podomatic.com/entry/2009-07-23T16_45_23-07_00

Inside the Puddle Jumper From Curaçao to Aruba

2009-07-20T19:37:00.001-04:00

Very Cramped!

Frankenbeach

2009-07-18T09:15:00.001-04:00

I walked into the lobby of my big box hotel reluctantly. The first unmistakable sign of reluctance creased its way onto my forehead as the doorman recited his scripted greeting, which I returned with a halfhearted "Thank you." Electro-lounge music filled the large entrance, the kind that was way past its 'cool' expiration date and is now on rotation in one of many locations around the world. It clashed heavily with the ringing and chiming of the slot machines across the way in the casino, followed enthusiastically by the occasional roar of excitement from the craps table.

I wished for a blessing and I took my chances "Excuse me, how far is the beach from the hotel?" I ask the front desk person. "Oh we have a beach sir! A private one."

A wave of relief washed over me...

"It is upstairs on the second floor"

...followed by a wall of confusion.

My rebuttal would have put a Harvard Law scholar to shame "Uhhhhhh...?"

"Yes Sir, take the elevator to the second floor, take a right, walk all the way down and it is on your right, next to the swimming pool."

It was either his enthusiastic look about a beach on the second floor combined with a welcoming Dutch-Antillean accent or the fact that we were indeed on the ground floor (I verified this with him mind you) which led me to one conclusion; go to sleep, just trust the guy he [obviously] knows what he is talking about - just figure it out tomorrow.

So there she was. Less than one hundred meters in length, white sand and an infinity edge; my first fake beach complete with starfish. My first day in Curacao turned out to be quite surprising.

I swam over to the infinity edge to watch the large ships enter the port of Willamstad and found it to be quite calming after all. I had never been on a fake beach before but the idea of being in the busy part of town and to be looking south towards Venezuela from an infinity edge beach became soothing. At the end of the day it is better than begging a friend for access to their rooftop pool in Washington, DC overlooking downtown.

As I stared out at the real thing, I felt a nagging feeling. I needed to find a real beach and Curacao has a lot of them. A lot of amazing ones, the adventure is on.

Lobster For Dinner

2009-07-10T10:47:00.001-04:00

This was the "small" order.
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