Archive for the ‘Travel Destinations’ Category

Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida: Be sure to pay a shelled friend a visit!

Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Be sure to pay a visit to these special patients the next time you are in the Florida Keys.

Be sure to pay a visit to these special patients the next time you are in the Florida Keys.

Turtle Hospital?  What’s a turtle hospital?  We were staying in Marathon, Florida which is nicely situated between Key Largo and Key West.  Our drive to Key West took us past an unusual sight, especially if you are from northern Canada, like we are.  Glad we stopped.

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St. Lucia in the Caribbean: Home of “Cow Heel” Soup!

Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Lewis, our terrific taxi driver on St. Lucia, shows off his chicken coop.

Lewis, our terrific taxi driver on St. Lucia, shows off his chicken coop.

St. Lucia lies in about the middle of the arched string of Caribbean islands located between the Dominican Republic and South America. It’s one of the prettiest islands to tour, and, as far as I know, it’s the only place you can chow down on “cow heel” soup. And the only place I have ever been where your cabbie will take you to his house.

Dominica: Roads Awful, but Rain Forest Tram is a Must-Do!

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Tentative Touch – EXPLORED

Dominica in the Caribbean, is a small island that plays big. Especially if you brave the tiny winding roadways filled with rubble, and make your way up to the rain forest aerial tram. Bring your rain poncho.

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Scarborough, Tobago – Cabbies are cheap, and the sightseeing is priceless!

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Handyman Special: A Fixer-Upper in Scarborough, Tobago

Here is an instance where smaller just might be better. Tobago is much smaller than its sister island of Trinidad (Tobago is only about 26 miles long and 6 miles wide), but you might discover it has way more charm.

What’s more is that the cost to travel around the island is affordable compared to other places in the Caribbean.

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“Hey, lady! Want to meet my pet?” A visit to Boca da Valeria, Brazil!

Friday, February 20th, 2009

“Hey, lady! Want to meet my pet?”
Boca da Valeria. Ever heard of this place? It’s a tiny village in Brazil. If someone offers you the chance to visit here, grab it. It’s not the greatest experience you’ll ever have, but I guarantee it will be an experience you have never had before.

Boca da Valeria is located on the great Amazon River in Brazil. For some people, this tiny village is just not there thing. But for others, it is the perfect out-of-the-ordinary adventure.

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Devil’s Island, French Guiana – A Must-See Destination!

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Deserted Old-timers on Devil’s Island, French Guyana

Devil’s Island was made famous in the movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen: “Papillon.” But the Devil’s Island that tourists are welcomed on today is not the island associated with the unfortunate French prisoner, Papillon (Henri Charriere).

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Anchored off St. Barthelemy in the Caribbean

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

“Two if by Sea!” or Stealth Ship

If I NEVER return to St. Barth’s in the Caribbean, it will be too soon.

Some places, and some of the the inhabitants of certain places, take themselves all too seriously. St. Barth’s is like that. From the moment my foot hit the dock, I suspected that this was not the place for me.

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Port of Manaus, Brazil – Why Would Anyone Want to Go There?

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Port of Manaus, Brazil: A Photographer’s Dream Shoot

Manaus, Brazil? Who has ever even heard of Manaus, Brazil except, of course, a few corporate giants like Honda and Sanyo? And those folks who have set the Amazon River as a destination.

Yet, Manus is one of those cities that simply must be visited at least once in a traveler’s lifetime.

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Moonrise over the Amazon

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Moonrise over the Amazon

If you are looking for a truly memorable adventure, an awe-inspiring vacation, then set your sights on Brazil and the Amazon River.

At first glance, the dirty brown Amazon is confusing, but once you get into a small wooden boat or canoe, and head off down one of its tributaries, it will all come clear.

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Florida Keys and the Everglades – See the Gators close up at Gator Park!

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

“Go ahead, make my day!”

We can’t bear heading straight home to our climate of snow and ice after spending weeks in the tropics. Having just finished off a 14-day adventure through the Caribbean islands and up the Amazon, we felt a short stay in the Florida Keys would help to ease the pain of transition. And so it did, in spite of the unusually cool temperatures.

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