Stretched

I'm beginning to think that stretching (stressing) my nervous system has created a withdrawal or dependency response.  Now that I've "recovered" from my latest trip, I find my mind drifting, almost wanting to be thrust into chaos again, like it is calling at me.  Strange.  I can sort of understand better, people who crave adrenaline rushes. 

Here are some tips that may be helpful for your next trip to Hanoi:

• If you have status with Skyteam, bring your card!  That saved me from hours of waiting to check in at Hanoi airport.  There were 2 people ahead of me in the "Priority" line and it took 45 min!  People just stand there and chat with the agents!  Those poor people in the regular line with 50 people (no joke) ahead of them...The lines extended out to the entrance doors.
• Hanoi airport is not as bad as you read.  It is "modern".  There Are seats and if you search a little online, you'll even get the free wifi codes.  Washrooms are clean!  Don't know what people are complaining about.  If you believe everything you read on the Internet, you'd never leave home.
• To my surprise, I wasn't issued boarding passes "all the way through" like I was told by Air Canada.  Was not impressed especially when I had asked 3 different agents and had a choice of another flight that would have eliminated all the mad running I had to do.  On the way there, I connected in Narita (Tokyo) and to my surprise, there was a board with my name on it at the end of the jet way.  After some questioning and shuffling, they ran me through x- ray and gave me instructions to go down  2 (3? blame it on 18 hours of travel with no sleep at that point) flights of the escalator, across 3 (4?) lengths of people movers, up another escalator, across the "way" to catch a bus to the other terminal, which leaves in 6 minutes so I have to move fast...(And once I got there, go somewhere up somewhere else and get my boarding pass)... I did make it to the bus with the doors closing right after me.  The driver was so polite and well dressed (white gloves!) and it was to his credit he didn't bat an eye at my red face (12 lb pack + coat) nor my subsequent frantic removal of clothing.  Had the same type of fun on the return leg via Hong Kong.  Made it to my gate with 10 min to spare.  The good thing about being 12 - 13 hours ahead is that D would have gotten lots of notice had I missed my flight.  There are worse places to be stranded for 24 hr. 
• The above wasn't because I picked silly flights with little transit time like 45 min.  I had 2 hr 10 min and 1 hr 45 min respectively.  Having to get another set of boarding passes is a totally different ball game.
• Getting hit/nudged/grazed/violently bounced around by motorized and non motorized vehicles is just part of life in Hanoi.  I already mentioned 2 boating incidences in the last posts.  The 3rd was by a motorcycle on my leg as I was traveling by moped (passenger).  The 4th was on a train.  The 5th was on a bus.  The 6th ,7th, 8th etc. times on the street as you are not going to be walking on sidewalks much.  You get used to it and people have quick instincts and reactions.  Concept of personal space is closer to what I imagine India to be. 
• The tourist infrastructure is actually quite developed.  Hotels all seem equipped to sell you packages or day trips.  Often that will include extra services free of charge, like drop off and pick up at train stations (at odd hours like 8 pm and 5:30 am) and letting you use a room until yours is ready.   
• Remember that travel distances will be deceiving -- 145 km will take 4 1/2 hours by van, 300 km will take up to 10 - 12 hr by train.  Make the best of it.  You made it this far.  What's another 12 hours?
• Change lines if yours is slow.  Don't stick it out stubbornly like I did and end up getting unnecessarily angry.  I'm thinking of You, First Passport Guy.  There is actually a Skyteam priority line for passport check when leaving Hanoi.  He was just fine.  Actually smiled at me.
• I don't know why I thought I'd find coconut water in Vietnam but I actually only had one.  Iced tea is more popular.  Also didn't find as many fruit drinks as I was expecting.  I used more of my re-hydrating tablets on this trip versus Cambodia.
• Don't have much advice for you if you are sensitive to MSG, like I am, outside of eat more Western foods.  I didn't really do that outside of bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Just avoided soups which for me was the worst culprit.  FYI: The baguettes are the lightest I've ever tasted!
• Ear Plugs, noise cancelling headset, music.  That's all I'm going to say about that.

East Coast Apparel Tips

I have much more experience with cold weather travel (meaning snow) versus rain.  Being soaking wet isn't always fun and can make you miserable in a hurry especially when it is a cool rain. 

So my best tip is to bring along waterproof gear -- Jacket, shoes and rain pants if you are considering a trip to eastern Canada/USA in the spring or fall.  I had a water resistant pant but it wasn't enough when I found myself hiking in the rain. 

My jacket (similar idea but without the down coat underneath) went to just above the knees so that was great.  But once the rain ran off the jacket it just soaked through my shell pant.  Luckily I had on my Icebreaker tights underneath (merino) so the moisture wasn't clinging.

Three hours later worth of pouring rain, I made a bee line for the first sports store I could find and bought myself a pair of waterproof pants and boy was I a happy girl after!  Especially when the following 3 days were wet as well.  I wondered how I made it all these years without a pair?!  Just dealt with it I guess.

You know what the best part is?  Being able to sit outside on a bench in the rain and be toasty dry.  People (if there are any around) look at you funny but I was really enjoying myself.  Felt like a kid again and grinning ear to ear.  The feel and sound of rain can be so therapeutic. 

Which brings me to the next part -- Shoes.  My hikers (low rise) are waterproof so no issue there.  Though, when water dripped off your waterproof (or not) pant and happen to catch the edge of your socks, you will get wet feet from the inside, if you know what I mean.  So higher rise shoes or being extra diligent about the overhang of your pants should take care of this.

The last part is gloves.  I had my leather ones with me.  Not the best choice.  They weren't waterproof so they let in water at the seams and eventually through the leather.  The only gloves I own that are waterproof are for skiing, so too warm for the climate I was in.  Ideally a pair that is liner thin and waterproof would be perfect.  They do exist. 

Don't know if this is universally happening but in Canada, there are currently some great sales on last season's cold/transition weather merchandise.  I don't care about subtle changes in style from year to year and as far as I'm concerned, black is black so I stocked up on more Icebreaker pieces as well as other assorted gear for half price or better. 

This is not a small stream, it was the hiking trail.
However I managed to miss the small steps that were supposed to get me
over the pipe as I was too busy looking away from the rain.  So I just ducked under.

This was the small stream.

I've never seen a tree like this before.  The bark was so shiny.

Travel Tips: Greenland & Iceland

People I met in Greenland thought it was really easy and convenient for me, a Canadian, to get there.  If you look at a map, the west coast of Greenland is indeed much closer to Canada than Europe.  They were appalled to hear I had to go to Reykjavik or Copenhagen first, just to fly back west again. 

If you are determined to fly from Canada, (where it is often much more expensive to explore our own country than to go to Europe...) you will have to make your way to Ottawa (our Capital) during the summer months to catch a flight to Greenland for probably close to $2500+. 

For some reason, I had it in my mind, it was only a short 1 hr 45 min flight to Ilulissat from Reykjavik (much cheaper to go from there by the way) on Air Iceland, when it was actually 4 hrs.  When I realized my error, I felt instantly tired as it was going to be almost as long as the flight we take to go skiing out west.  So I flew 5 hrs, to fly 4 hrs back. 

Should you prefer to go via Copenhagen, you'll have to connect via Kangerlussuaq on Air Greenland.  Connecting times can be less than 1 hour so make sure you have a Plan B.  From what I've read and heard from a Danish Guy I met, it is quite common to be stranded there due to weather.  That was my number one concern.  I had a 4 day window post Greenland trip, just in case.  Was lucky I didn't need it.

I don't think it will come as a complete surprise that the cost of living in remote places is much higher.  One thing Greenlanders take very seriously is warmth -- Staying warm and shielding from wind.  Their homes, as simple as they may appear, are built to withstand significant snow and wind loads.  The gear and clothing you find there are serious, expensive and understandably so. 

It made me so proud to see Canada Goose being one of the most prominent outfitters for the Greenlandic people.  It also didn't surprise me that the big Norwegian brands -- Bergans of Norway (D's current favourite) and Dale of Norway (one of my favourites) were well represented.  Made total sense to me.

Even though I experienced much warmer than usual temperatures during my visit, when you are out on the water, the wind and water temperature can make you very uncomfortable in a hurry.  After all, you are sailing towards giant hunks and massive fields of ice. 

A French Lady I met, after our first day on the water, showed up the second day clad in head to toe Canada Goose.  Her jacket alone would have cost $800, much less the pants, hat and mittens.  She had suffered a lot over the 5 hr out.  Don't ever underestimate the power of wind nor the energy you expend trying to keep warm while standing mostly still on a small boat.

Here's what I wore for the days I was on the water where it was a handful of degrees below 0 C.  Not at all cold by my standards and never would I dress like this at home.  We ski and walk at -24 C before wind chill in altitude with less on than half of what I have listed below.  After 5 hr, my core was comfortable but I was just starting to feel some coolness in the tips of my fingers, ears and elbow seams.  My face felt cold but not enough to pull anything up over my nose.

• Helly Hansen 50% merino base layer top and bottom. 
• mid weight thin low pile fleece pants
• McKinley ski pants with suspenders and bib
• 320 g/m2 Icebreaker 100% Merino mid layer with hood (think speed skating) and thumb loops
• Descente soft shell (neoprene like) wind proof outer layer (what I would normally wear under my ski jacket or for après ski), lined with fine fleece
• Helly Hansen down coat, 550 fill, goes down to almost knees
• heavy duty water and windproof leather ski mittens over thumb loops
• 100% wool hat over Icebreaker hood, hood of Helly Hansen coat over, tension toggles pulled tight
• Turtle Fur neck warmer
• 100% wool ski socks pulled over my tights
• Columbia winter boots rated for - 25C

Because all the layers I had on were lightweight, I did not resemble the Michelin Man, like you may have thought.  My coat is size XS and is what I wear to the office.  The newer gear available in stores there would have kept me as warm, if not warmer with even less weight.  I saw a 800 fill jacket that weighed 4 oz!!  Expedition mindset, remember?

Within the first minute of boat movement, you get to feel whether your preparations were sound.  Cold wind will find its way into every open fold and non windproof seam.  That's why I chose to wear a longer coat as well as ski pants that went higher than waist.  There is nothing worse than a cold back.  I'm sure the captain and crew were amused and probably used to seeing people quickly shuffling to adjust things like little marionettes. 

Here's what I would do differently.  I would spend more time playing around with the toggles of my coat hood to make sure they were even.  There was a tiny stream of air that kept getting in between my hood and icebreaker hood (which was skin tight).  Not enough to make me cold but the sound of it was irritating.  I'd also spend more time adjusting the closure of my coat sleeves.  Same idea.  Ideally your gloves or mitts would go over the end of your sleeves.

I brought ski goggles (mainly for the dog sledding to shield from wind and potential flying dog poop...) but didn't use them.  There were people who wore them on the ship but I just wore my sunglasses and they worked just fine.  Wear sun block.  The amount of sun/UV reflecting off of ice, snow and water is significant.  I used a SPF 45 with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and octinoxate and still managed to get some colour.

It's trickier taking pictures with ski mitts on but I managed.  No way was I going to take them off for photos!  If I had to, you wouldn't have seen any.  Also, the cold will drain your camera battery much faster than you'd expect.  I had more trouble starting up the camera as well.

Otherwise I was quite pleased with my selection of layers.  I spent a lot of time experimenting with different combinations, especially when the weather warmed up prior to my departure.  To the point where D wanted to forbid me from going on the trip because my scurrying around to re-pack was driving him crazy.

Here's what I would have done had the weather been "normal" for that time of year:

• Substitute Descente layer with Dale of Norway sweater
• Substitute Helly Hansen leggings with Icebreaker 220 g/m2 100 % Merino ones
• Wear silk glove liners under ski mitts
• Wear wool scarf over zipped up coat hood
• Substitute Helly Hansen down coat with The North Face waterproof and windproof mid length down coat or Marmot 700 fill down waist length jacket -- A toss up, pros and cons for either
• Wear Icebreaker 150 g/m2 100% Merino camisole under Helly Hansen base layer top
• Wear silk sock liner under 100% wool ski socks

I've tried the above on and can still move and squat.  Won't know if it would be a winning combination until the opportunity arises to return and test it.  Part of what I had hoped to learn was whether my dog sledding guide would have found my preparation adequate compared to seal skin clothing.  They will ask you to rent them if they didn't feel you can make it with what you have.

There were a few people I saw from warmer climates who had on what I consider to be slightly more padding than a spring jacket.  They were allowed to go inside because they got so cold.  I realize that real winter clothing may not be available to those from warmer countries.  But they persevered and showed up the next day dressed the same, looking more apprehensive.  And there was one guy who went all out and purchased a seal skin coat and pants.  It was beautifully made.  I later found out that the purchase would have cost him close to 12000 Euro!

You can imagine that no one really knew what each another looked like until we got rid of our layers.  So it was like we were meeting one other for the first time when we finally had a chance to sit down for a meal after. 

Praha 7

Here are some practical points should you be heading to Prague. 

• There is no direct transport from the airport to downtown.  Your options are to take a bus to the metro station and then metro to the core.  This is the cheapest option, 32 Kc.  A taxi to the center of Prague will run you 800 Kc.  If you choose the taxi route, make sure to to get an "official" one or negotiate a price or ensure the meter is used.  Overcharging tourists can be an issue.
• Make an effort to speak some Czech.  I had no problems with "customer service" at all (you may come across this topic on travel forums).  Even when I couldn't explain or gesture what I was looking for (bug spray -- don't ask...), and almost resorting to drawing it out, the one gentleman and I just looked at each other, laughed, shrugged and parted on polite terms.  The ticket ladies at the art gallery and the opera house patiently let me finish in my broken Czech straight faced without laughing to which I give them the highest credit. 
• The phonetic pronunciation of Czech words from travel books didn't always work.  Go online and find examples of proper pronunciation to learn from.  It took me a few days to realize I was pronouncing stuff completely wrong so it was no wonder I got blank looks.  Once I corrected myself, I got replies.  Didn't always know what they were saying but they were smiling so I took it to be a good sign. 
• If you are going to attend a show, it goes without saying to be on time.  They are strict with starting and getting everyone back in their seats after intermission.  Also a great idea to dress appropriately.  I'm sorry to report that the people I saw in jeans were tourists. 
• Counting the number one starts with your thumb.
• Assuming you are not susceptible to any weirdo food additive reactions like I was, you'll be able to hit the ground running.  But you won't need to run as Prague is so very compact and walkable.  Maps make the city look so sprawling but every single day I would be stunned at how quickly I reached a destination.  For example:  My apartment was in Prague 2/3 and  I easily walked to Prague 7 for Mucha. 
• Tram schedules are not intuitive so it is a really good thing you can cover the entire city on foot.
• Cobblestones, when covered in light snow, especially the powdery stuff, gets quite slippery.  One night after an opera, the lot of us kinda skated down the ramp. 
• Salt isn't used to melt snow in Prague.  They use a sand mixture that greatly resembles disintegrating dog poop which is commonly found in residential areas.  Consider yourself warned.
• If you are staying outside of Prague 1, be prepared for not a whole lot of traffic (vehicular or human) at night (only in the winter?).  Building numbers are placed a lot higher than I was accustomed to, street signs weren't consistently found at regular intervals so know your neighbourhood.  And there were no outside lights to apartment buildings where I was so know how your key works.
• We have 911 for emergencies.  Prague has 158.  Also good idea to know where your home country's consulate office is, just in case.  When you are travelling solo, you do need to make sure you know how to get help should something happen.  Just basic street smarts.
• There is all day police presence at Wencelas Square because of the high incidence of pickpocketing.  There were a couple times where I noticed some long stares/hard looks but other than that, I had no issues.  The police station is supposed to be near there but I never bumped into it.  The area is considered their red light district at night and I've heard that it is common for female prostitutes to be "extra friendly".
• There was very little noise in my apartment building.  People were very respectful of one another's privacy.  Most of the people I encountered in my residential area and building did not speak English.  And apparently neither do the police.
• Because of where I stayed, I had to walk down to and through Wenceslas Square every day.  To do so required going through a small underground tunnel.  One of a few in Prague.  It was brightly lit but does not have a mirror to let you know if someone is standing around the bend.  During the day and early evening, there were stalls selling pizza, meat, pastries open in the tunnel.  I ate my first slice of pizza after a year of abstaining and it was delicious!  Flavourful cheese and double thick salami...It was worth the 2 days of stuffy nose and itchy eyes afterwards.

• They are into hot wine (Svarak) and grog (rum) in Prague!  There is nothing better on a damp cold day than to be standing under an outdoor umbrella nursing a hot wine and eating a Trdelnik.  They make it over coals!  (bottom center stall with the roll thing on top is one example)  You will also find large shoulders of pork being roasted outdoors as well.  Hot ham and potatoes/cabbage is a popular meal.  Should you find yourself in Prague during Christmas, the Old Town Square is filled with Christmas market action.  I'd love to see the giant tubs of carp (considered a delicacy) swimming around.  Apparently if you are invited to someone's home near Christmas, you might to see the family's carp in their bath tub.

I'll end with this little tale.  During my week there, it was common to get some snow overnight.  Three mornings I was awakened by the joyous cries of this group of children.  My apartment faced an inner courtyard where there must have been a school or daycare.  Their activity of choice?  Shovelling!  They were not only hilarious, but would make short work of my snow covered driveway.  It was a happy way to be woken up.

Rentals 103

Some final misc points worth noting:

• Double glazed windows are a must for us when fronting a busy street.  Street noise can be significant and not being able to open doors to balcony or windows can take away from the holiday experience.
• Might seem great to be near the local square with Cathedral or Ancient Church.  But the bells may be strong enough to shake your pen off your night table.  We previously stayed in a great apartment in the wrong area.  Hourly bells that shook your mind from 7 am to 9 pm...
• Being near a bus or train station may seem convenient but those places (depending on the wealth of the city) are typical hang outs for the unemployed, homeless, pickpockets and drug dealers.  We tend to transit out of those areas quickly.
• Laundry facilities in Europe are typically found in kitchens.  Ease of plumbing perhaps?  Sometimes in the bathroom.  The machines can be combo ie. washer and dryer in one.  As a warning, it will take about 4 hr to wash a load???!!!  We still haven't figured it out despite reading many manuals.
• WiFi is something we are finding more and more.  It's nice to be able to check flight status and check in.  Saves time at the airport.
• As you will not be given unlimited paper products in your rental apartment, be prepared to buy and transport toilet paper that may be pink and packaged in the largest possible footprint!  Kleenex isn't commonly found by default in a lot of places either. 
• Check reviews of the apartment to glean valuable info re:  nearby supermarkets, quality of walking streets, safety etc.
• Some European city rentals will insist on charging for utilities, taken out of the security deposit at the end of your stay.  We tend to avoid such rentals.  I like one price.
• Black out blinds in the bedroom can make a huge difference in your quality of sleep.  Same with having a bedroom that faces an inner courtyard.
• We prefer apartment locations to be in areas where we can walk to almost everything.  It's usually cheaper to stay 30 min by bus or train ride away but after a long fun day, do you want to commute or stroll home?

The infamous Church and its deafening Bells. Nice, France.



I wasn't lying about my old hotel pen habits.  Not any more!





Well I'm off to start my long weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian Readers!

Norway & Travel Etiquette

Norway is an extraordinary place.  It is a combination of many take your breath away elements of which I tend to be drawn to -- Water, rock, colour, elevation, pristineness.  And the people I met, albeit a skewed example, were purposefully intense, honest and straightforward -- How I attempt to come across so we got along well.

Outside of Oslo, I travelled mostly along the west coast of the lower half of the country via cruise ship.  You can do it with ferries too but I wanted to unpack once and be done.

Here's where I went: 

Day 1     Amsterdam
Day 2     At Sea
Day 3     Stavanger
Day 4     Olden
Day 5     Molde
Day 6     Geiranger
Day 7     Alesund
Day 8     Skjolden
Day 9     Bergen
Day 10   At Sea
Day 11   Olso
Day 12   At Sea
Day 13   Amsterdam

You had full days in each port.  To get to many ports, you sailed along long arms of some of most beautiful fjords in the world.  It was a busy schedule and if you were travelling independently (you could chose to do organized excursion too), you had new maps to acquaint with almost everyday. 

Before I start into my thoughts of Norway, I'd like to write a bit about travel etiquette particularly applicable during high season (whole families) travel time.

• Please book your airline seats way ahead of time if you wish to sit together.  Otherwise it creates major back up during boarding when you have families and couples blocking everywhere, trying to ask people to switch seats.  Please realize some people chose their seats deliberately.  (I was asked both ways...)
• It isn't the end of the world to not sit together.  People are watching 3 plus movies anyways.  And despite what you may have seen in Hollywood movies, you are not going to get lost on a plane.
• It is a good thing to be able to sit quietly, by yourself, without need for constant stimulation.  Besides, you could end up meeting other interesting people that you didn't know existed outside of your own sphere of life.
• Just because an airline allows you to buy a connecting ticket doesn't mean it is because they think or will guarantee you will be able to make your connecting flight.  I would not buy a flight that connects in Paris CDG or Heathrow or AMS with less than a 2 hr connection time.  I heard many complaining people who were within 15 min of boarding waiting in line (switchback lineup of 6 rows) at passport control.  Even if they got sent to the front of the line, they would not make it to their gate in time.  Folks, European hubs are large airports.  I managed to get turned around twice even though I've flown quite a bit.  Thank goodness for Sky Priority or else I would have been late.
• Yes, I realize you may be embarking on a "once in a lifetime" trip but so are most of the other families you see.  Please do not throw your common sense out the door and start walking 8 abreast or create extra mess because you've "paid" for other people to pick up after you and thus expect to be treated like royalty...Airports and cruise ships have a lot of room but not enough for everyone to behave like that.  Act like you've been there...

Now that I've got that out of my system, I'm ready to start with Stavanger in my next post.  Until then, a little teaser...I didn't mess around.

Munich Travel Tips

• There are 2 train lines from the airport to the main train station.  Get on either one.  The time difference between the 2 are just a handful of minutes so don't sweat it.  It will take about 45 min each way. 
• Get your ticket at a counter as the automated ticket machines were a pain (very un-German) for us.  It took longer for me to buy 2 tickets than it would have had we just got into the line.  Note the tickets we got out of the machine were too wide for the validation machine so we took a chance and got on the train.  You are Always supposed to validate tickets as checks occur randomly and they will fine on the spot.  We didn't get caught and next time I would try folding it and sticking it in and hope it doesn't get stuck.  Otherwise I have no other ideas for you.
• The ticketing area for the train station in Munich is not intuitive.  It is located on the far right side (if you are facing the station), to the right of the info counter (which won't face you), in its own boxed in area.  You have to take a numbered ticket and wait until your number shows up on the screen which will direct you to a counter.
• This was our second visit to Germany, first was Berlin.  And we are starting to see the same trend.  We don't think Germans cook much in the cities.  It is near impossible to find supermarkets.  We love markets but it is handy to be able to pop into a supermarkets for stuff like water and snacks.  You are probably thinking 'how could she have room for snacks when it looks like she eats like a pig?'  To which I answer, 'there is always room for snacks', especially when they are pepperoni (spicy pepper) potato chips.  The best I've ever eaten.
• It is also near impossible to find chicken or beef in Munich.  Pork rules.  I finally found a stall in the market that sold chicken a week after we arrived.  Duck is found on some menus as well and it was good.
• We found the tap water to taste too much like water softener for our liking.  So we existed on sparkling mineral water.  Best deal in town, at 39 cents for 1.5L.  No way we could buy that at home.  If we were to buy still mineral water, it would have cost 19 cents.  Crazy cheap.

Hawaii Tips

I used Roberts Hawaii  for my shuttle to my hotel.  I found them to be friendly, reasonably priced and professional.  They will meet you at the end of the gangway for domestic flights and just outside of luggage claim for international arrivals.  They greeted me with a big smile and a small shell lei. 

Note that the closer you stay to Waikiki, the longer you will wait to be dropped off.  I was last.  Don't be surprised with how long it will take to traverse the 9 -10 miles from the airport to Waikiki.  It took over 1 1/2 hr for me.  I thought I'd have time for a swim before it cooled down and instead, I ended up trolling the streets for a suitable restaurant for dinner instead. 

There are no shortage of Sushi restaurants in Honolulu.  I can't believe there is enough business to support them all.  I ended up eating at an Asian seafood restaurant frequented by movie stars and Presidents of the US, past and present.  The food was good, not mind blowing. 

Waikiki beach was different from what I had pictured in my mind.  In fact, all the beaches I saw on this trip were.  It could be I wasn't in the correct place, but the beaches weren't the long expansive ones.  The sand is coarser than you would find in the Caribbean and the colour of the water is definitely Pacific Ocean -- Darker, with occasional turquoise.

In the case of Waikiki, the erosion was severe enough there was a good 3 - 4 ft drop to get to the water.  Active effort was underway to truck in sand from drudging a nearby river so expect areas to be fenced off.  The beach I visited in Lahaina Maui, had a pretty fierce (for me) undertow not far in from the water line.

I flew with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in Kauai.  Would definitely fly with them again.  Regretted not signing up for another flight on time when I was on the Big Island.  I would return to Hawaii just for the helicopter tours. 

On their website, there are a few minutes of video intros of each island worth watching.  Looks like they offer discounts for booking online.  I wasn't aware of that as it was a spur of the moment thing for me. 

There is a pub located in the same small plaza as the Blue Hawaiian office in Lihue called The Feral Pig.  The staff there are really friendly and the menu is diverse.

Updates

D and I finally made it up to the cottage to face the potential mess of the bag of shrimp left by mistake last fall.

I was worried it would have exploded from bacterial gases and bears would have broken in, lured by the smell of rotting seafood. We were fortunate it had just expanded with no explosion.

Now I hope there isn't a glitch with our weekly garbage pickup as it is quite warm in Ontario and it has for sure melted by now.

I'm happy to report the cottage made it through another winter with no major glitches.

We also had to stop by the airport Nexus office on the way home to get my new passport scanned into their system.

Warning to fellow Nexus users, there has been incidences where passport updates done online hasn't gotten through both systems. And I was one of them despite being assured everything was good when I called the US office.

D brought along his passport and card so we could inquire about the automatic enrollment into Global Entry available now. We were shocked to find his Nexus application hadn't shown up in the Canadian side and we had been using it for the last year...

Anyways, they took care of it and he can use Global Entry and doesn't have to got through the rigmarole I experienced at the JFK office last summer. Despite the administrative inconveniences, these programs are worth it to us.

Travel Clothing Update

After a couple of months of use I have some feedback on the new travel clothes I bought. I wanted to see if there really was something to them and if it was possible to find clothing that didn't look like too stereotypical travel.

At a local hiking/camping store I found a couple of items on sale made by Kuhl. They happened to fit so I came home with their "Sierra" skirt and "Kuhl Jean". Both worked really well in Scandinavia. Really comfortable and looked urban enough to wear everyday and I have been.

I then ordered another jean and skirt (same style, different colours) online from Campmor for about the same sale price as my local store had no more stock.

I found them to pack well, light as anything and even water resistant. They looked a bit wrinkled at first after unpacking but once hung they straightened out. They also straightened out well when worn. Easy to wash.

My only issue was with the 2nd pant which fitted snugger than the first even though they were the same size. But I had lost weight after that trip so the first pair seemed a bit loose. After a few minutes in the dryer it shrunk just enough to be perfect.

There are many brands available. None of them I would call cheap. You can even get travel underwear which are supposed to dry in 3 -4 hrs after hand washing. Be prepared to shell out $25 - $35 a pair.

The main thing in common with all the pieces I saw was the strong feeling of durability. I think if you are in market, you'll probably only need a few key pieces and they will likely last you "forever".

Port Logistics

I cannot comment about other cruises but on this cruise, because of the size of the ship and the port facilities of the respective cities, the ship did not always dock in a walkable area. This meant needing to purchase a bus transfer into the city. Not a big deal. The cost was usually around 6 euro each way and they ran quite frequently.

You wouldn't believe the number of times I heard people complaining about how "far" the ship was and how long the drive was (15 - 25 min)! Maybe they had the romantic idea that we were supposed to dock right in the middle of town within a few steps to the best restaurant or something?

I happen to like looking around at the different port facilities. For example in Gothenburg or Goteburg, they are a serious shipping port and I find it neat to see numerous large freighters and tugs and cranes at work. These port cities weren't created just for cruise ship travellers!

The 2 ports of Copenhagen and Tallin didn't require transfers as both were within a 30 min walk into town. The walk into Tallin wasn't as nice looking or intuitive as Copenhagen but was clean and safe.

The maps you get from the ship aren't very good. Not all the streets are labelled so you do have to figure things out on your own or better yet, bring your own maps for a less frustrating experience.

I do wonder if the maps are done that way to encourage the purchase of excursions and tours from the ship. There is big money to be made. At an average cost of $40 a person for each port for the most basic of tours right up to $180, a family of four taking all the excursions for each stop will cost a bundle.

Judging from the number of tour buses waiting to meet the ship each stop, I can just imagine how much money is made. And I haven't even started on the amount of alcohol that I saw people drinking on board.

Practicalities

Some final thoughts on Venice before moving on to recent trip.

We took a taxi upon arrival because we were tired and wanted to just go. It cost 38 euro. On the way back we took the airport bus which was a good experience for 5 euro each. You can take a ferry (Alilaguna) to and from central Venice but it takes over a hour each way.

At the airport, you have to got through additional passport screening before you are able to proceed to the check in counter. Why? I have no idea. They used this small magnifying eye cup like jewellers use to look at the watermark on your passport. If they like what they see, you get a security sticker.

If you are a fan of churches, get a Chorus Pass for 10 euros which allows you in 16 churches. Single admission is 3 euro.

We really enjoyed wandering around the shopping streets. They are full of unique shops. I'm not into souvenirs but I appreciate things that are hand made and artistic.

D is a huge fan of Persol sunglasses and have been scouring stores looking for a cool replacement pair. He had no luck when we were in Rome earlier this year but lucked out in Venice.

Turns out this store was where Elton John bought his last pair of glasses from. There is a picture of him with the owner behind the counter. D's glasses are no where as flamboyant.

Travel Tips

I've been asked how I go about finding my travel deals. There really isn't a secret method but there is a pattern of search.

First of all, I do not use a travel agent. It's nothing personal, I just find it easier and quicker to look up stuff online. If your itinerary is complicated ie. round the world tickets, needing multiple entry visas, then I would look up an agent that specializes in the area to help expedite if I cannot figure things out from the various embassy websites.

Right now, my travel locations of choice are pretty much all 1st world countries so accessibility isn't a factor.

If there is a national airline to the country of choice, I start there. Searching there will give information re: What the main airport hub of choice is. Sometimes, it can be cheaper to catch a flight deal out of JFK or Boston. Then I would compare flying out of Canada.

Know the travel seasons as it will make a real difference in price. I tend to travel in low season ie. winter time in Europe and colder countries and winter time (my summertime) to warmer countries (southern hemisphere).

I subscribe to email notifications from my favorite airlines as well as travel compilation sites like Travelzoo and Sherman's. They will email once a week with the best deals on the web and I've seen some great stuff there. It's also too tempting some days.

Recently, I got to playing around with multi-locations searching on the airline sites. Two of our trips this years has been a result of that. For some reason, direct flights were pricing much more expensive than if I hit 2 countries instead. So if you are flexible, give that a try.

Just remember, the one country has to be the main hub for the airline. For us we wanted to get to Amsterdam with KLM. We paired it with Rome, Prague, London, Bucharest and picked the best deal which turned out to be Rome -- Amsterdam combo for $705 vs. Amsterdam alone for $1150.

I tried the technique again with Icelandair and ended up with a good flight to Reykjavik and either London or Stockholm. I chose Stockholm. Flights to Scandinavia are not known to be cheap and I got my combo flight for $843.

When I am just searching for fun and do not know where to start, I use Expedia to get a general idea of who is flying where and what hotels are available. D is a big fan of Hipmonk as a flight search engine.

For hotel feedback, I'll read a few comments on Tripadvisor. Combine what people have to say with a grain of salt, use your common sense and go from there. Then I go to Homeaway to look to apartments which when available have beaten hotel pricing every time.

I collect travel points from all sorts of places. Right now my favorite is with Delta Skymiles. I find I earn points faster and because their flights code share with KLM/Air France, I do better than if I were to collect Flying Blue. There are some airlines I like to fly who don't give great miles. British Airways is one of them so I don't worry about it.

My primary Visa is a travel card as well. As soon as I get enough points for a flight, I will use the points. I'm not one to save for years and years in hopes of getting a first class flight. Too impatient for that and with points expiry to keep track of, I can't be bothered to remember. My card will allow me to use my points on flights if I book with them. This is the only time I will use a travel service.

The limitations I've found with a travel service linked to a travel card is that they control the reservation. Sometimes you cannot get all the information from airline sites about your reservation or are you allowed to pick seats on a long haul flight (very important to me).

Case at point. I just used up my points to fly to Buenos Aires this summer (a rebook of the trip I cancelled last summer due to my work place move) with LAN. I didn't have seats and tried to book seats online which didn't work completely.

When I called the travel service, they told me I had to contact the airline directly. They were really great about it and I got most of my seats and will have to call back in a few months to confirm the last leg. Much easier when you can manage everything online. Had I booked with LAN online, there wouldn't have been any issues but this is one cost of using points.

Another points issue is the amount of work needed to the get the flight of choice when the reward flight is coming from the airlines themselves. What I've found is that the best flights go first and go early.

I've booked at least 6 months in advance for some routes (high season) to get direct flights. Otherwise I have to tolerate an extra hop or 2. Aeroplan and Delta have been tough ones to find good flights on points.

All the hoops just forces me to be organized and to think 1/2 yr to 1 year in advance in order to save the most money.

Some final scattered thoughts.

I don't use a service to book rail tickets. It is cheaper and easier to buy non high speed train tickets once in the country. Same with ferry.

Other than a cruise, I've never been on an all inclusive vacation to a tropical country so cannot comment on how to get the best deal there.

With respect to cruising, it is a great way to see a number of places (ie. Russia, Scandinavia, Asia, Alaska) that may be hard to get to otherwise. The way I see it, if I really like the place, I'll go back and stay longer. I use cruise review to read up on the various ports.