Ytravelblog:  Caz and Craig have been traveling around the world since 1997!  They are typically ranked in the top 3 in terms of traffic to their site.  Not only will you read about their adventures…if you’re a travel blogger you can learn about the craft of blogging.

Cumi & Ciki:  I love food.  You love food.   They love food and write all about it in their adventures.

Pause The Moment:  Bored with “Work Hard.  Save Money.  Stay out of Trouble”, Ryan went to Dublin in 2007 and has been traveling since.

Nomadic Samuel:  “Miles away from ordinary…dripping from sarcasm”.  He invites you on to share his journeys and promises it won’t be a boring life.

Johnny Vagabond:  I actually stopped reading his blogs and just rediscovered it.  He’s got a nice layout and his stories focus on traveling on a budget.

The Runaway Guide:  Leif is a young but well traveled 23 year old travel blogger who has been on the road since he was 16.  He is proud he has never drank his own urine to survive though he does mention he ate an ant in Australia that tasted like lemonade.  And his favorite country is Turkey.

The Travel Tart:  Offbeat trails from a travel addict.

Translates to - "Oh the places still to go". I picked this up in an the art gallery store in San Miguel de Allende.

The sky was passionately red.

Getting there was an adventure in itself.   We started off at sunrise.  The sky was the deepest fiery red we had seen.  We were in a rented apartment in neighborhood of Trastavere and we pulled our luggage through the quiet streets of Rome half a mile to the train station.  The ride was about an hour long.  Once we arrived at our train stop, we started asking where the bus stop was.  The hard thing was that NO ONE spoke English and we did not speak Italian.  We took a gamble after some muddled English/Italian and stood by our bus stop.  We board a bus which stopped to pick up the rowdiest high school kids we had every encountered.  It was a bumpy, loud, and crowded.  There weren’t much seats so we had to put our luggage on our laps.  Comfy!

I can almost see the chestnut trees from here.

We were so relieved to finally get to Soriano nel Cimino.  Which is a lovely hill town overlooking valleys famous for their Porcini mushrooms.  The town was quiet… and hardly anyone was walking around.  We later found out the population was extremely small.  Most of the inhabitants were older.  Again… we realized we didn’t know where our Castle…. yes I said Castle… was.  We had booked a room in the Palazzo Catalani and didn’t know how to get to it.  After a few minutes… we figured… well… it’s a castle.. so let’s just head up as it must be in the highest point.

Road leading up to the castle.

After a few minutes of admiring the views.  A very nice gentleman came by on a red moped.  He asked us if we were staying at Palazzo Catalani to which we said yes.  He introduced himself as the GM.  He let us know he had been looking for us all afternoon (how nice) and that he was going to send the porter down for our bags….but that we would have to walk (we didn’t mind) because the porter’s car was very small (see picture below)Not enough room for us in this one.

Not enough room for us in this one.

This is the super cool scooter of the GM.

So what’s Soriano Nel Cimino like?  It’s quiet!  And after the chaotic busy streets of Rome – this was a welcome surprise.  Staying in a castle that was built in the 17th Century was delightful.  We took a walking tour and marveled at how old everything was.  How most of these structures were still standing after 300 years.   During our walk the older citizens of town would come out and say hello.  Our guide told us that there wasn’t a lot of “street traffic” and the older inhabitants were friendly and craving company since all their kids and grandkids were living in the busier cities.

During the time we were there, the month long Chestnut festivals were going on.  To celebrate this the town decorated by flying their “family flags”.  Each of the four roads belonged to a family and each gate – led to that families area of town they controlled.  It was fun to watch the parades and skits in the town center.

We ended our evenings back in our “castle”.  There were only 6 or so other couples there.  We enjoyed the evenings over great food and wine.

We could see this from our castle.

The flags symbolize the family in that section of town.

There are four main roads that lead to the town's center. And the colors of the family flag were flying that day. Each street was different.

Jus to make sure ... the families even made sure the roads clearly stated who was in control in this part of town.

Quick... take the picture.

When you stay in a castle you get an old key. And the GM gave us a bottle of wine too.

This mural tells the story of the lady who raised the alarm during an invasion... which allowed the town to rally.. .and ultimatley save it from invasion.

Very very old church.

Hmmm - trying to get out of a parking ticket doesn't work even in country hill town.

Baskets for sale in the town center during the Chestnut Festival

These gates are about 300 years old.

Quiet hallway galleries

Probably one of the coldest days for me in my life. This was at Orsini Castle. It took me about 2 hours to defrost. I had one 4 layers.

Quiet evenings back at the castle.

It’s been three and a half years since our last New York vacation.  Been all around the world since.   And in deciding this year’s annual trip…. we both looked at each other and agreed it was time to visit New York again.

Central Park was where we started and ended our days.  We’d wake up in our quaint railroad style B&B in Spanish Harlem, drink our coffee and head out through the Park.   I enjoyed those quiet mornings when it seemed we had the park to ourselves while everyone else was at work.  We’d sip our coffee and chat about the adventures ahead.  Always kept a loose agenda and let our feet, nose and eyes lead the way.

Here’s a few photos of those morning walks.

We'd walk for miles in the morning

Central Park, Great Mall

I had always dreamed of walking here.

And so we lingered a while.

We actually never crossed that bridge... maybe next time?

I can see we're close to the edge of the Park. Not quite ready to leave yet.

Let's hold on to this quiet time a little while longer.

ok... so we're a little hungry. Time for a donut!

You have to fly into Dipolog via an airline from Manila such as Cebu Pacific.   The resort is about 45 minutes from Dipolog downtown area.  You drive through a very remote area.  The landscape is lush and green with the occasional small farm houses or shacks.

The resort itself is situated on private grounds.   You stay in bungalow type accommodations, rustic traditional Filipino design but comfortable.  Even had a small fridge in the bathroom.  Has AC and even hot water.  Resort has 1 pool, restaurant, beach, tennis courts, basketball courts, walking and I think even horse trails.

Dakak beach resort is a great quiet alternative to the most popular spots such as Boracay.  Very quiet here – and just how I like it. Nearby towns Dapitan has the best seafood, small little town and still feels like the old quiet times I new as kid growing up there.

Outrigger at Dakak Beach Resort

View of Dakak Beach Resort from the Restaurant

Our Bungalow

And after 14 years of visiting Cabo…I finally made the…errr… pilgrimage to this famous hotel in the middle of the Baja Desert.

I found myself in the car with my friend…and my conservative self was asking…was this a good idea to be driving out to the middle of nowhere? Between my “hola” and her “como estas” I figured we knew enough Spanish to get by.

So off we went, cameras in tow into the car we went an hour through the surprisingly (desert) lush country. Sand on the left. Dirt and cactus on the right. My eyes firmly on the windy yet very well paved road below. I kind of felt like a race car driver until I got reminded I didn’t want to get a ticket on this deserted road.

We arrived at the hotel, small and plain looking at first glance. It reminded me of old photos I had seen. I’ve since done my research and learned that the hotel has had different names. Don Antonio Wong Tobasco and his wife, Sra. Trinidad Castillo de Tabasco, began construction on the hotel in 1947 and named it Hotel California. In the 70′s to early 80′s it was known as the Hotel Mission Todos Santos and then it became the Hotel California once again.

Now… keep in mind that this small little town is … in the middle of the desert in an unknown part of the Baja peninsula. As the story goes, a real estate mystery man started a rumor in the 80”s to create excitement about the area. Call him a marketer beyond his time and one that liked to bend the truth… he started to tell everyone that listened that the very hotel was where Don Henley stayed for $2 per night and that’s where he wrote that song. By the way – he slept on a hammock. No turn down service for him.

Todos Santos grew. A fine Italian restaurant opened and attracted further attention. Journalists, tourists, and groupies (ahem) have flocked since. All while humming the song in the car on the drive there.

In 1997, a journalist by the name of Joe Cummings wrote Don Henley to verify the legend. Don Henley immediately replied by fax (there was no emails, texts or such back then), “I can tell you unequivocally that neither myself nor any of the other band members have had any sort of association – business or pleasure – with that establishment.”

Oh SIGH!

Of course – I only found this out after my visit.

Nevertheless.

It was a fine boutique hotel. Extremely colorful lobby. Charming gift shop, bar, and courtyards. The colors were from the very warm and vibrant palette only found in Mexico.

It was about 4pm and there was impromptu tango in the hotel lobby. Everyone was having fun. And who care’s that Don Henley hadn’t been there. It’s still a worthwhile place to visit while you’re in Cabo.

I wonder how many women he's delighted and danced with?

A painter spilled all his paint and used broad strokes to turn it into art

Intricate door in Hotel California courtyard

]]> http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/don-henley-stayed-at-the-hotel-california-urban-legend/feed/ 2 http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/dapitan-philippines/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/dapitan-philippines/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:30:50 +0000 magically http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/?p=947 During our vacation in the Philippines, we had the opportunity to check out Dapitan, which is just on the other island next to Dipolog.  Dapitan is a sleepy fishing town famous for having been where Filipino national hero – Jose Rizal spent four years in exhile.

We were meeting my cousins for lunch – and passed the time away watching life pass us by.

Filipino's prefer these to limos

This is a filipino stroller

Filipino SUV

Ocean front dining

The first part of this journey was at the top of my most unfavorite places.  Patong sucks for women.   It’s about as appealing as a rascal pirate’s sweaty armpit.  It’s hot and humid.  Patong is busy.  And Patong is all about selling sex.  There’s a street called Bangla and the ratio could be as high as 69 women to 1 man.  1000 Bhat (or so I hear) is all they need which is 30 USD.  The alternative – work in a hotel as a housekeepr for 7000 Bhat per month.  210 USD.  The money is so good the lady boys are also in the business.  I don’t feel sorry for them.  I’m not disgusted.  I’m affected only when I get mistaken for being Thai.  The energy is a frenzy similar to that in a carnival.  To top it off, I’m working a lot of hours, two time zones and I’m sticky…and the mosquitoes eat me for breakfast, lunch and dinner … and they snacked on me in-between.

Finally when I could not take it anymore I met the nicest people and I was intoxicated with their happy energy.  I was hit with the insight that the experience of all the frustrations I felt the first part of the week… all the beings that crossed my path…good and dark…where I felt mentally broke down – that they were my angels, my teachers, my guardians.. and we all came together to do very important work… to illuminate our souls.   And that we were on our individual karmic wheels.  And I had a breakthrough… I realized this opportunity of this lesson was given to me and then….I became grateful and I loved this journey for what it was.

I did have fantastic moments.  I met the most solid and centered individuals over a long delightful dinner at a restaurant overlooking Kata Bay.  The wind was blowing that night.  It felt cool and the rain also whispered through.  Also had some friends to hang out with each night (thank you both – you know who you are) … we would eat, drink, and laugh… and we’d swap stories on how business is just so different in this part of the world.  I speak English.  Yes – they speak English.  Yes Yes.. But not really…not “same same”…

This week I’ve gotten glimpes of the different towns, had amazing dinners, seen spectacular views, and four elephants, many tuk tuks, scooters loaded up, learned how to do the Wai and say Sawadeeha and yes I did some shopping too.

This country is called the Land of Smiles.  Yes – some actually smile from their livers and out.  I understood that phrase here.  So friendly.  So bright.

Today we went to Phi Phi Island and was giddy with excitement.  Now This Is What I’m Talking About I thought… as I looked around.  Me liking this place afterall.  Put this on the bucket list.  For me – I’m keeping this on.  Next time for leisure.  This was way too good and just has to be shared.  Next time my lover, playmate and best friend will be enjoying this view with me.

My last night… relaxing ..and  I am reflecting on just how much I’ve learned from this trip and how much stronger I feel.  And I’m thinking also how much traveling leads me to appreciate life and my beloved.  I am going to enjoy this last evening…. so looking forward as well to coming home to my  mahal.

Monkey Bar at Koh Phi Phi - Best Raggae Music

Totally island organic fruit plate

I love coconuts in Koh Phi Phi

]]> http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/phuket-patong-and-koh-phi-phi-are-polar-opposites-armpit-and-paradise-ha/feed/ 0 http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/zip-line-in-maui/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/zip-line-in-maui/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:30:42 +0000 magically http://magicallydelicioustravel.com/?p=765 In the age of digital media it’s so easy to experience something “virtually” which may push you over the edge to try it … or keep you in your seat to not try it.

Disclaimer:  My review and presentation below is not a substitution for the real thing.

View from the longest zipline in Maui

We tried the Zip Line.  Actually I’m a big fan of zip lines, sky jumping… or any kind of activity that combines a little adrenaline with bird eye views of the place you are visiting.  And that’s what you get at Kapalua adventures – one of the best views of the Maui coastline and Moloakai.   There are other secret views of other places only accessible from their grounds that the guides will show you…..but I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I won’t go into much detail here.

The guides are fantastic.  They have a true love of the island and stories to share.    My recommendation – yes… go zip lining… you won’t be disappointed.

And that’s why you have to seek out the roads less traveled.  Take the road AFTER Hana Highway for instance.  None of the guide books talk much about it.  In fact…if it’s mentioned at all it’s in the same breath as “unsafe and unpaved and NOT recommended”.   At the car rental counter you’ll become familiar with this road because the maps will clearly state the road after Hana as “NOT allowed” and you’ll even have to sign that you agree that driving this road is NOT permitted and any accidents will be your own responsibility.

Well.  Well well.   Our curiosity was certainly piqued.   It built up over the days.  We speculated between ourselves.  And even dramatized what the worst possible scenario could be.  Since the three of us in the car had a natural attraction to doing the exact opposite of what we were told, we threw all caution to the wind and democratically voted to explore the forbidden road.   (I do have to mention a friend new to me, old to my fellow road trippers, did recommend this route… just the extra assurance we needed).

We started this mission at the Seven Sacred Pools on a quiet two lane road through a quiet residential area.  Smooth pavement, sweeping corners that alternated between views of the coast and views of the lush rain forest jungle.  After about thirty minutes the houses thinned out.  The spaces between got bigger.  And we encountered the sections of the famous unpaved roads.  And walls of falling rock.  Narrow and blind turns that would be near fatal had the road been busy.  We quickly understood why this road was forbidden.  But we trekked on with bravado.    They never were dangerous looking enough for us to turn back.  It was either that or our stubbornness that pushed us through.

We discovered farms and ranches and an old forgotten church guarded by a old and content  cow.  We happily snapped away pictures and continued the drive.  And then it started to dry out.  At first it was subtle and then all of a sudden we looked around and thought we had landed on the back side of Mars or some other alien planet.

On our left was the vast ocean.  Wet and wild.  And on our right was barren terrain that looked like it had not seen a drop of water in eons.  The colors were no longer emerald and green.  It was brown … and  gray… and … devoid of any pigmentation.    I remember at that time feeling confused.  Just moments ago we were stomping through the lush topography of one of the wettest parts on earth.  And now we were in what was virtually an island desert.  Life did exist though on this unknown side of this planet.  Here…. Billy goats ruled.  I guess they can pretty much survive on dirt if they had to.  And we even encountered a herd of cows.

Because the road was deserted.  The road condition was spectacular.  It changed elevation dipping up and down like a roller coaster.  Acquiring a lead foot was easy on this open road.  Our car decided to go faster.  Our hands and feet were hanging out the windows, music and wind dancing with our spirits.  We felt free.

Funny it did rain for a few moments.  And yet it was so dry that it seemed all it did was wash in more gray … as if that were even possible.

Our last thirty minutes of this drive were spent in quiet “what surprise could we encounter next” anxiety.  Plus we were hungry and gone through our bags of road trip car chips.  We were dangerously close to running out of gas and probably running on fumes.   We lucked out and found one just in time.  We laughed, stretched our legs and got back in the car for the final moments home.  It was a long drive and a good one.

I look back in fondness….I cherish that drive.   It had all the elements of making it unforgettable.  Adventure, surprise, friendship, laughter and discovery.    It had the feeling of having gone where no man .. or woman.. had gone before… it had the feeling of having unearthed some great treasure and conquering the unknown…. And having survived to tell the tale.  And I will predict, though the road after Hana will never be on the top “published” list …  it’s definitely going to be on mine.

The best of it all… the highlight of my trip was Kalalau Trail hiking in Kauai.  Getting there was easy.  Take the highway as far north and then west as you can go.  It ends at Ke’e Beach.

Before you go: 1)  Wear hiking or tennis shoes.  No exceptions.  2) Bring as much water as you can comfortably carry  3) Bring a power bar.  4) Throw in a towel in the back pack and wear your swim suit under whatever you’re wearing.

Kalalau Trail Peekaboo Ocean and Secret Beach Views

After viewing the sign at the trail head, we decided to do the 2 mile hike.  We headed out about 11am which was perfect as it had been raining quite hard during our breakfast in Hanalei.

The trail takes you along the lush coast offering peekaboo views of the various beaches below.  As we walked through the lush rainforest trail we felt the cool breeze envelope and caress us. The hike took about 90 minutes as we took our time, chatting and admiring the view.   We crossed streams, and went through various micro climates of misty showers and sunshine.

Kalalau Trail - the Beach at 2 miles

At two miles we crossed a small stream and were awarded with a tropical oasis and beach.

Here we relaxed and played.

Beach at 2 miles at Kalalau Trail

Reluctantly after a while, we decided to head back.  It took us another 90 minutes.  And satisfying in a different way.  This time we were the ones with goofy satisfied grins taking our time.  While we were greeted with eager excited hikers heading to where we had just come from.

I will say everyone in Hawaii is on some sort of goofy gas giving goofy permagrins.  We all said Aloha as we passed.  Softly smiling at each other.

Kalalau Trail Tropical Rain Forest Views

About three quarters of the way through we ran into three Hawaiian men carrying harpoons and big loads on their back.   It was during a small incline (for them) that we paused to chat.  They welcomed the break to acquaint and catch their breath.

We found out, they were headed to the beach to do some harpoon fishing.  To which I replied  “Looks like fun!”

The crusty man replied as he bent over trying to catch his breath “Does it look like I’m having fun?”

His friend laughed and egged him to push forward.

But Crusty wasn’t done.  He retorted “It’s easier to go to the store and buy the damn fish”.

We stood aside as they passed.  We met more hikers along the way that afternoon.  We even helped out a man was winded on the side of the trail.  As we passed we asked if they were ok to which he said – yes… my son’s just gone to get me some Gatorade.  To which we replied – oh – we have some.  And so we  gave him our Gatorade.

We continued our hike and admired the views from this new direction.  When we were almost at the beginning of the trail, we could seek Ke’e Beach.  We picked up our pace knowing that a cool dip would be at the end of the hike.

The water was cool to our hot skin.  But really it was as warm as bath water.  The clarity was amazing like swimming in an aquarium.

This hike was definitely a highlight.  I would go back to Kauai and that next time, we would bring some friends to join us in the 11 mile hike.  Camping required =)

Make sure you bring your snorkeling gear