Hello Wales! Nice to see you again!

So then it was back to London, where I spent a few days recuperating. Yes. Recuperating. Between tourist life and running for trains, running for trains with the pink suitcase, heaving 19kg suitcase onto train platforms and up stairs (thank you London Victoria and Ealing Common for the free weight training sessions), I was happy to spend a few very anonymous days in my favourite city.

Being a loyal Hiltoner, I had some Hilton Honours points in the kitty and booked myself a 3-day stay at the newly refurbished Double Tree by Hilton in Ealing Common. Though a bit off the beaten path, the hotel itself was quite comfortable, terribly clean and just of the standard I have come to expect from the Hilton brand. Special mention goes out to the Nespresso machine in the room, which just made the stay that much sweeter. I had the best sleep of the entire trip here – with no maniacal tourist life activity keeping me in the tight clutches of exhaustion.

Hello, Nespresso!

I managed just to see a few people including the lovely Corey and the stay also included a lovely day trip to Bournemouth, to catch up with an old friend as he launched a new chapter in his life. But after a bliss-filled pitstop, I was off to Cardiff, Wales – a reunion with the city I first visited while still a poor post-grad. I love Cardiff though. While not as hectic as London, it has enough diversity, character and beauty to make it a great place to visit. My friends are also the warmest hosts ever, and there was to be no rest! Always eager to make sure her guests are properly entertained, our first adventure was to the Big Pit – and as the name suggests, it was a damn big pit.

The Big Pit National Coal Museum is an actual coal mine and the tour takes you 300 feet underground into the mine, where you get a vivid recounting of the life of the miner, including the evolution of mining, the risks, their domestic situations (wives had to put up with some smelly, dirty, gnat-infested men coming home from work) and the eventual loss of an entire way of life for the region, with the global emergence of natural gas and nuclear energy. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour, though not a fan of dark, confined spaces, and I managed to bump my head more than a few times in the low underground tunnels. But it was a highlight.

Dreary, windy Welsh day. Great day for an underground coal mine

The Big Pit in Wales

This guy is showing off some of the gear I wore on my tour

Of course after a morning in the mines, one simply has to go taste beer at the local brewery. But of course!

Nothing beats a cold beer after a few hours in the mine

I want to save the ghost walk for another entry so will end it here. That ghost walk…something special.

Read more »

Hello Amsterdam!

Here I am again. This time I am coming to you from my hotel's bar in Amsterdam. Almost did not get here. Lol. Sooooo...had some time to kill before my flight and headed to the London Gatwick branch of Jamie's Italian. I love Jamie's Italian. Anyway, got to talking with an older gentleman next to me and next thing I know my half hour lunch became an hour plus. After waiting way too long for my bill, I checked the screen to see my departure gate and the horror...it was closing in 4 mins. Of course the gate was at the end of the freakin' earth, and my morning runs on that treadmill came in quite handy, lemme tell you. Run, Forrest, run. I kept seeing my Euros slipping away as the closed gate loomed. Got there, breathless, but got there! The most maddening part? The flight was delayed. Lol.

So here I am in Amsterdam. I made an Italian friend on the hotel shuttle.  Yeah...about that. So I am a bit of a high maintenance traveller.  The train was the cheapest option at 5 euros. I bought said ticket to be fair. But upon weighing my exhaustion, my 17kg bag (a feat of epic proportions from Ms 23kg plus hand luggage! ) and this heat in my all black get up, I decided I work too hard to be lugging this pink suitcase behind me from some train station when there are perfectly good hotel shuttles with a/c and wi-fi available for 17 euros. And with nice Italian travellers on board as well.

My hotel. So glad I chose it and stuck to my decision.  I did not make a whole lot of effort in choosing hotels etc this year as I was just way too busy. Though not in Central Amsterdam,  Citizen M is comfy, modern, CLEAN and friendly. The room is a bit extra terrestrial with the bathroom and toilet in the middle of the floor, and everything is controlled by a mood pad -the brightness and colour of the lights, the tv, the blinds, the room temperature.  massive and extremely comfortable bed, free movies on demand, including porn...lol. great lobby bar. Pretty cool. I have not had chance to make my way about town yet. That comes tomorrow. Between the running for planes, the heat and pre-vacay exhaustion, I am happy right here at the hotel bar for now. Tomorrow -me, my map and Amsterdam. Tonight - chatting and drinking at the bar.

Read more »

Budget Vacation Accommodation in London...with a difference.

I am realising there is a sure fire way to rape people repeatedly without it actually being physical, or illegal. It's called selling or leasing property. I mean, in my real life I gripe ad nauseum about high property prices here on the island and how everyone thinks their 2' x 4' shack is a million or multi-million dollar property. I have seen it all - real dumps which the owners don't even try to make aesthetically palatable before a showing and then bold facedly tell you they want you to part with TT$1.7 million and upwards, when in your mind, you had it valued at nothing more than TT$700,000.

In Tobago, I always laugh at how home owners rent the downstairs of their house and call it a "villa", when it's...the downstairs of a house. Villa screams "pay me three times as much" and it works, especially on long holiday weekends when one island empties out onto the next.

But hotel hunting when planning a vacation is a whole new level of crazy, especially for the cost-conscious and hygienically aware traveller. As much as I love budget accommodation, especially as I just need a room to park my bag, sleep and shower, I don't do hostels for example. I work too hard to stay in a hostel, sharing a shower with dozens of strangers, so no. Some of these "budget" hotels are not really "budget" and some are just also dumps.

But THIS one took the cake and I found this quite by accident cause I was not really looking for a place in London but was curious as to if ever I visited and needed privacy in a non-hotel environment, what that would look like and what it would cost. Well...this guy, who has a photo up (how brave of him) is  renting out his garden shed. Now, most of the homes I have been to in London have a shed in the garden, and most use it as extra storage - kinda like a garage or an attic. It is a small thing really, and my cousin used his to store wine, tools and other such junk. The neighbourhood fox also used it - dug a hole and slept under it during the winter. This guy has listed his shed on Airbnb for RENT!

The Urban Cabin as I have now dubbed it.

The going rate for this - US$67 a night! Are you kidding me?

I read some of the reviews and while there were others who felt this was craziness to the nth power as I did, he actually got great reviews for his urban cabin. Dunno how I felt about this part of the cabin's amenities though -

Shower + bath for an extra £3 a night when available in house (guarantees cannot be given in advance). Otherwise the local swimming pool is very close!

It just reminded me of how blessed I am that while I may not be able to stay in the same hotels as the Kardashians (my heart breaks from the disappointment), I can afford to stay in more comfortable and convenient lodging. Hell, I am blessed enough to be able to take nice vacations. I do not ever take that for granted. I probably would not stay there if I could afford a room at a Travelodge, but hey...to each his own. I would however be a bit alarmed by this "perk"

Family, dog and cat, all friendly and talkative.

Well, if you're looking for interesting conversation, this may be the place for you. lol.

Read more »

Retreat from Reality - Top O'Tobago Villas

A little down time every now and then is good. So while I primarily hopped over to Tobago to see John Legend, it was also a bit of down time. Down time for me, as you know, is hardly ever relaxing. I just cannot sit still but I gave it a shot during my 3-day weekend.

This time around I stayed at the Top O' Tobago Villas - a beautiful property neatly tucked away in the hills of Arnos Vale, Tobago. Let me just say to those hotels which took advantage of the "jazz" event to enforce a 5-night minimum for guests - you suck!

Anyway, I had rented a car and so forfeited the complimentary pick up from the airport, opting instead for the emailed directions. Insert laughter here as if you did not already know or did not read THIS, I am hopelessly challenged when it comes to finding places. But kudos to Silja, the hostess on the property, for the expert directions because I made it there unscathed.

The property offers everything a person seeking a bit of peace and quiet would want. Nice views, a limited number of guests (there is one main house and three single apartments), only the sounds of the natural life around you. It's very remote; very away from everything, so be prepared for that. The pool area was a great spot for swinging back some grape juice every morning, or as some of my fellow guests had, some beer after a long day. It's a self-catering property, so you can do your own meals if you so desire. I did not so desire, but made use of the pool area to eat what little I did eat while I was on-site. Food with a view is always so much better!

Having a late lunch beside the pool at Top O'Tobago Villas, Tobago

Having pre-dinner zen session at dusk near the pool.
The pool was at the top level of the hillside property

My own private terrace to read , eat and watch birds

Remote. Romantic. Rustic. - Top O' Tobago Villas

Top O'Tobago offers guests snorkelling gear and bikes to enhance the guest experience, as there is a beach a few minutes walk away - Arnos Vale Bay - which is good for snorkelling apparently. After the concert was long over, I took a little time to bond with nature. I don't usually do nature but hey, the weather was good for it that weekend. First, a quick trip to Argyle Waterfall, then a quick drive further north, to Delaford.

Argyle Waterfall in Tobago - gorgeous

Let me just say though, if you can drive along the Windward Road in Tobago, you can drive anywhere. I was soon reminded why I had stopped going up that way when visiting Tobago, but it was truly an adventure.

The villa also offered a bit of a nature trail, which I decided to explore on my last morning. Well, it was more of a workout than I thought. The man made stairs made navigating the very, very steep incline much easier, but it was still slightly treacherous and challenging, especially coming back up. I also went further up the road just to see what else was in the area.

The sign 

The first layer of treachery, i.e. the first downward incline

The view from the bottom of second incline

Along the trail, a Mot Mot posed for photos

The "prize" at the end of the first leg of my morning adventure was this...

Arnos Vale Bay, Tobago

...then I did some more walking hiking before the early morning humidity got the better of me. Beautiful natural and untouched landscape though.

The one thing I will say is that as a Trini, my spider sense was always tingling, and so the inadequate street lighting on the way to the property, and in Tobago in general, was my only concern. I was paranoid about driving late at night back to the property, while I saw female tourists casually walking along dark roads like nobody's business. Not cool.

Other than that though, sometimes a little down time is needed and as short as it was, it was appreciated.

Read more »

Staycation Success at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, Tobago

Relaxation. 
- the state of being free from tension and anxiety; recreation or rest, especially after a period of work.

The crush of work and the crush of life can often become so overwhelming that you cease to function as a normal human being. Time away from the daily routine is essential as far as I am concerned, and while I am good at taking vacations, I hardly ever take a vacation where I do nothing. But I wanted this and aimed to do it. I am happy to report that I passed the test, with a short tropical getaway to Tobago for my birthday, where I did nothing but relax relax relax. The stuff on my list, for the most part - done.

The relaxation spot of choice - Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
The tools of choice - Kindle, mp3 player, sunscreen, wine/cocktails, sunglasses, camera.

In a resort where all the rooms face the ocean, you are guaranteed to wake up to sights like this at least one morning, depending on the weather. Believe me, you thank God for your life when this is the first thing you see when you open your eyes.

Awesome view from the room's balcony

I got what I now believe is typical birthday weather for me, with grey skies, cold breeze and rain for a good part of the trip, but when the sun came out, boy, was it stunning. Yes. I love my life.

The view from my pool chair at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Tobago

My little corner in paradise for the duration of my staycation

The swim up bar at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort - just behind my chair.

Of course, after a morning workout, or even the afternoon sweat, one needed to eat as well, and there was always a full spread at both breakfast and dinner, which came with the special package deal which the hotel was offering. There was a lot to choose from, and for big breakfast eaters, you have so much choice. But in the end, once there are pancakes, a chef doing an omelette, coffee and watermelon, I will probably be right there. No need for lunch after this. Unless it's a liquid lunch - liquid pressed from a few million grapes.

Some people tried every single thing on offer - two pancakes and an omelette - just right.

Dinner time again, offered a variety of food, including a live pasta station on one evening, and of course, where there is pasta, there I am. One had a choice on this evening of roast beef, chicken or seafood for either a cream or marinara based creation.

Fresh veggies in a bit of EVOO

Scallops, mahi mahi, shrimp in the mix. She had me at scallops.

Simmering nicely, in a bit of marinara sauce

Presto!! Pasta!!

During the day I met some really nice people, who joined in my birthday celebrations and made it special in their own way  - mostly through free drinks - but also with laughter from sharing of experiences, and running from the rain. lol. It made for a really fun and memorable trip.

Of course when it comes to service, I am the original service Nazi and I also love to shout out the stars - those who just bring something warm and genuine to your total experience. So, to Nyron, Andrew - my great bellmen, and Nikisha, my pasta queen - thanks for being awesome. The girls at the spa were lovely as well.

This was a good sign that I can do this more often without losing my mind. However, all good things must come to an end, and regular life beckons. Thanks Magdalena, thanks Tobago. It's been awesome.

Magdalena Grand Beach Resort - night time

Read more »

Steam Room Magic

My own personal steam room - every day steam therapy!

Just got back from a weekend getaway in Miami. Well, besides the out-of-this world thunderstorms, the trip was lovely. I slept on the flight to Miami, and the flight from Miami and everywhere in between. So tired was I - this corporate life!!!

The best part of the trip besides spending time with friends?

Steam room magic!!!

I had booked my hotel around the same time I booked my flight about a month or so ago, and let me tell you, I made this hotel decision not on location, or cute pics but on the shower. The room came with a wonderful sauna type experience which every overworked corporate diva needs when on a much needed weekend away from stress and frustration. I swear, the relaxation that came after each steam bath was beyond description and priceless. I feel like a new woman.

Well until tomorrow.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at Hotel St Augustine, in Miami, not just for the exemplary customer service but also for the foresight in ensuring guests could have such luxuries (necessities??) mere steps away from their beds. Awesome!

Read more »

Hotel Hunting

Hotel hunting is a nightmare. I am one of those who just needs a clean room, with clean sheets, a shower and a working toilet, a tv (not always for watching but for background noise esp since silence is deafening to me), hot water and if you're really pushing me to the limit, a buffet breakfast. Does not seem like I am asking too much, right? Wrong. European hotels go for quaint, which can equal old furnishings, musty sheets, communal bathrooms. The last one - communal bathrooms - DEFINITE NO-NO. I shared a bathroom with my brother for years and that was cool, cause that's my brother and I love him. I did the communal bathing after Phys Ed classes in high school - traumatic by any standards. I shared a bathroom with my 60-odd dorm sisters for 2 years and a roommate/friend for another year while in university and that was going beyond my comfort levels. I am way past my youthful abandon years. I am paying for a hotel room. I am NOT sharing a bathroom with smelly tourists. I need my own private bathroom, in my room, at my convenience. I love the quaintness of a town or city and that's why I love Europe, but bring 2010 to my hotel room, please! I am not trying to wholly recapture the frickin' Renaissance. Call me anal, but yeah...some things are not up for debate!

Anyway, I have a shortlist of 4 hotels which meet the above requirements, which means I am improving steadily from vacation to vacation because it only took me a a dedicated 3 hours to come up with my shortlist, when I have gone past the 3 week mark in the past. I am just really picky about where I lay my head at night. I don't need 5-star luxury but when you read some of these reviews from guests, about bloody sheets, puke on the carpet etc, it can really give a girl nightmares. So I am happy with my selections thus far. Go me!

Now I'm hungry.

Read more »