GREECE IN THE SUMMERTIME!

August 29th - 31st

We arrived in Athens on August 29, 2021.  Took a taxi to our apartment which was in the perfect location.  From our balcony we were able to see the Parthenon atop the Acropolis.  We arrived at 5:30, unpacked, took showers, and then set about walking the city.  We approached a blocked area of the sidewalk and was asked to cross the street due to filming.  We obliged and found a restaurant where we decided to sit and have a Greek beer.  Our waiter informed us that the filming was the 3rd season of Jack Ryan with John Krasinski.  No we didn't get to see him, as it turned out that was the last day of filming and they were done.  We spent the evening exploring and found another restaurant to enjoy dolmades and some skewers.  Everything is delicious in Greece!  We knew the next day was going to be an early and long day so we opted to head back and get some sleep.  The next day we walked to the Acropolis and spent most of the day exploring all the ancient sites that came with the package price.  This included the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, The Roman Agora, The Ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library, and Keramikos.  It was a wonderful experience.  To think all of these buildings were built without machinery.  We stopped and had lunch next to the Parthenon.  The next day we were catching the ferry to Santorini so we walked back towards our apartment, shopping along the way and stopping for a quick bite.  The ferry ride to Santorini was like a cruise ship.  We purchased the business class tickets and was in the lounge in the front of the boat.  We had access pretty much to the entire boat except the cabin floors.  Yes you can even purchase a cabin for your ride.  We arrived in Santorini at 2:30 AM was transferred to our villa and went to bed.  Our next day we walked to Santorini Brewing Company for a craft brew, then walked up the street to Canava Rousso's Winery which is the oldest winery on Santorini.  We had a wonderful educational experience.  Our waitress told us the history, the process, and that Santorini doesn't irrigate the grape vines.  They are grown dry.  When I saw them, I thought they were all dead because the leaves were all wilted and the vines looked dead.  The wine was delicious and I even brought a few bottles home.  That evening we took the public bus to Fira.  1.60 in Euro and it will get you anywhere on the island.  We enjoyed a sunset and dinner in Fira.  Did some souvenir shopping and took the bus back.  The next day we rented a car and explored the entire island.  We made reservations at this little restaurant to watch the sunset in Oia.  Santorini is a magical place, I loved every minute of our Greece trip.  Here are a few pictures.

ANOTHER BUCKET LIST ITEM CHECKED!

September 4th - 8th 2021

I recently returned from a trip that has been on my bucket list since 2003 before I began my travel industry career. This 7 star luxury hotel was featured in a commercial with Tiger Woods hitting a golf ball into the ocean from the top. I fell in love with the United Arab Emirates. The water was beautiful and this hotel was stunning. The hotel was opened in 1999 and is the hotel of choice for the rich and famous. Then the UAE just kept improving on the excitement by creating the Palm Islands in 2001 and indoor skiing and snowboarding resort in 2005. This is a wonderful, clean, and extremely safe country. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Our trip started with an early check in and breakfast after arriving at 4:30 AM.  We then recuperated from our jet lag by taking a nap in our room until 11:00 AM  then napped around the hotel pool until around 1:00 PM.  It was hot, very very hot!  Each day we were there was above 105.  They say the winter is much better.  We took an Uber to Top Golf.  Had to get our Top Golf in!  We played for about an hour and a half then went straight to Dubai Mall which is the largest mall in the world with the amount of stores and activities, however, The Mall of America still holds the largest in the world by land mass.  The Sheik doesn't like that so they are building 800 more stores to make sure this mall is the largest in the world store wise and land mass!  We only saw a very small portion of this mall.  You would need at least 4 days to walk through it and see everything it has to offer.  We did manage to see the aquarium that is in it.  We then had a nice dinner and watched The Dubai Fountains show.    Our tour started at 3:00 on the 5th so we hung out at the pool for a little while again.   

We met in the hotel lobby for an SUV ride to the desert.  We had a stop on the way to ride 4-wheel ATV's first. That was extremely fun, and I would highly recommend it. From there we drove straight into the desert in the driver's vehicle. A Toyota Land Cruiser. We "bashed the dunes" which was like a roller coaster ride in the desert. This was about a 45 minute to an hour ride. We stopped for stunning sunset pictures and then proceeded to the tent city where we would eat dinner, enjoy a show, get a henna tattoo and ride a camel. This was so much fun, and the food was great too. The next day we met in the lobby first thing in the morning for a city tour, with stops at "souks" for shopping, a palace visit, a stop at a museum, and a lunch experience. The souks were wonderful. It is a big flea market where you can bargain your price for wonderful treasures.  There is a Gold Souk, a Spice Souk, a Utensil Souk, and more.  We had the afternoon off and met in the lobby at 7:00 for a drive to Palm Jumeirah to see the Atlantis, then to Dubai Marina for a traditional cruise on a dhow with dinner. Our last full day was another free day so we made a tee time where they play the Dubai Classic and had a very nice, very hot round of golf.  It is a beautiful course right in the middle of the city.  After golf we had lunch then went up to the 125th floor of the Burj Khalifa.  The tallest building in the world.  There are 163 floors but you are not allowed up there.  It was so beautiful, unfortunately when it is as hot as it was, the heat makes for a thick haze so we were not able to see the Palm Islands from up there but we did manage to see the top of the Burj Al Arab.  These are just some of the pictures I took on this trip.  Again, I want to stress that I always felt safe, never in harms way whether with crime, Covid, or anything.  

Kicheche Camps - A Wilderness gift that keeps on giving

  

This trip to Kenya was the best!  

 

The trip was in the beginning of November.  We landed in Nairobi, was picked up and taken to our hotel for an overnight stay.  We had enough time to explore the neighborhood and pick up some souvenirs.  We had breakfast the next morning and was taken to Wilson Airport where we boarded a small 12 seater plane and landed at Nanyuki.  We checked in to Kicheche Laikipia camp in time for lunch.  After lunch we took an afternoon safari.  It was the best 8 nights of my life!  These are some pictures from this wonderful experience.  If you ever dreamed of Africa, do just dream it, GO!

 

Caribbean Travel Restrictions: 

Jamaica Narrows COVID-19 Travel Test Window

Effective March 4, Jamaica government officials will narrow the window under which travelers must present proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test result to check in for a flight to the country.

Under the new protocol, all travelers to Jamaica age 12 and over will be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel, according to updated information on the Jamaica Tourist Board website confirmed by JTB officials Monday.

JTB has established an online Test Date Calculator to aid travelers with the timing of pre-departure tests.

Prior to March 4, residents of the U.S., Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama age 12 or older have been required to present a test result taken within 10 days of travel to Jamaica. The new policy applies to all travelers, and tests must be performed by a medical laboratory with a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) registration and an ISO 15189 certification.