Five Days on The Green Shores of Ireland

My trip to Ireland was two and a half years in the making. In December 2006 I saw my favourite band, U2, play the last show of their world tour in Hawaii. After that show, I promised myself that I see them on their next tour, in Ireland. Flash forward to July 2009, where I honoured my promise. Now, some people’s ideal Irish vacation would be leisurely drives through quaint bed and breakfasts, soaking up the culture along the way. My Dad and I? We ran around Dublin for two days then clocked over 1300 km in three days touring the countryside.

Three Days of Heaven

Johanne and I just returned from a three-day trip to luxurious Beaches Turks & Caicos. In a word: WOW! I cannot use that word often enough to describe this resort. Best of all, it’s a family resort, so whether you’re travelling with young kids or with your significant other, there is something for everyone. I’ve been to almost all of the islands in the Caribbean, and this is BY FAR my favourite.

Honeymoon: How Does a Couple Decide?

Like most people about to get married, my fiance Scott and I have spent many evenings trying to decide where to go on our honeymoon. There are so many destinations that appeal to us, so how do we choose?  

Mexico H1N1

Many of the airlines are allowing passengers to change their flights to enable them to avoid any possible symptoms of the flu.

Check with your travel agent or directly with the airline involved to find out the terms and conditions.

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day 11

 MAKING HISTORY IN NICARAGUA:

 Our impromptu change of itinerary has put us in the history books. Today the ms Westerdam became the first Holland America Line ship to dock in Nicaragua. We berthed at Corinto, a picturesque coastal town located in the northwest region of the country.  With a population of 20,000, Corinto is an important tourist centre and home to the country’s largest port. The streets are lined with shops, churches and stream of peddle cabs.

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day 10

ADIOS MEXICO – SWINE FLU BRINGS NEW ITINERARY:

 Our Tuesday at sea included an assortment of activities including poolside lounging, raising money to fight breast cancer, a cocktail party and a formal dinner.  But the question on everyone’s mine is “will the Swine Flu keep us from visiting Mexico?”

 We get our answer during cocktail hour (which may have softened the blow for our passengers). Nope, for our safety, the captain announces no Mexico.  It’s adios Acapulco, hello Guatemala. 

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day Nine

LUSH COSTA RICA, BEAUTY, BANANAS AND BOAS: Today we landed at Puntarenas, (Spanish for Sandy Point) to venture deep into the Costa Rican rain forest.

First known “Villa Bruselas” in colonial times, Puntarenas was discovered by famed explorer Ponce de Leon in 1519. Unlike the famed Spanish explorer before us, our voyage of discovery is substantially more civilized as we spent an hour on an air conditioned motor coach heading to the rain forest.

About halfway to our destination, our coach came to a stop on a bridge over a muddy river where we get our first taste of local wildlife. Our guide spotted a collection of crocodiles enjoying the morning sun. They paid no attention to our coach, but the herd of nearby cows, however, did appear to have a worried looks on their faces.

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day Eight

IF IT’S SUNDAY THIS MUST BE COSTA RICA: OK, I admit it. I’ve lost track of the days and because they’ve stopped putting those day-of-the-week mats in the ship’s elevators, I’m struggling to realize that it’s Sunday. It’s a lazy Sunday for sure. We enjoyed most of it poolside, in the gym and at the restaurants.

 

We’re heading west from the Panama Canal and enjoying scenic slow-speed cruising in the calm sheltered waters of Golfo Dulce just off the rugged coastline of southwestern Costa Rica.

 

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day Seven

AWESOME IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD:  If there’s a word that gets overuse and misused these days, it’s “awesome”. This powerful word has fallen victim to daily use describing such simple things as a new pair of jeans or a haircut. What a shame.

 

Today’s transit of the world famous Panama Canal, however, lived up to the word’s true meaning. It did indeed “inspire me with awe”.

 

CAA Group Tour through the Panama Canal: Day Six

THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS:  This was a day of extreme contrast. We began it awash in luxury aboard a multi-million dollar cruise ship only to find ourselves touring dirt-floor huts just a few hours later. Our destination was Carti Island in the San Blas Archipelago, which consists of no less than 365 islands.