Jungle in Canada in February?

Life is funny sometimes, eh?  Like today, I was thinking about how many different journeys we are all on at the same time.  We've all got our getaway boots on every day, and just don't think about it that way.  Life is a journey, an adventure, or at least we can make it an adventure if we choose to.  Love is a journey.  Music can be an adventure, and a simple trip to the market can be an interesting side-trip if we let ourselves think of it as something other than just a simple trip to the market.

A lot of my friends are down south this week, enjoying the sun and sand and surf and beautiful warm weather while here it's cold and kind of, well,  yucky.  But it's a long weekend, and it seemed like a good day to just take a holiday and have some fun.  It wasn't snowing, in fact, the sun was shining for a good part of the day, or at least trying to shine.  It was a good day to make into a journey.

My journey called "today" started with that simple trip to the market.  I love to go to a little booth that serves locally harvested, sometimes organic food, and they make the best breakfast bagel anywhere.  They start by toasting the perfect whole-grain bagel, and with an omega-3 egg (over-medium in oil), then they fry real smoked bacon in an iron frying pan over open flame.  So far, all we've got is a fancy Western, right?  But wait, there's more.  After putting a slice of parmesan or swiss over all that, they add some organic arugula (just a few leaves so we can fake ourselves into thinking this is actually healthy), and the best aioli sauce I've ever tasted.  Are you smacking your lips?  You should be.

So now that my tummy is full so I won't buy so much food I don't need and will probably wind up throwing out because I bought way more than I can eat before it goes bad....  off I go to explore the rest of the market, and buy some good-for-me food.  Lots of organic fruits, some pea sprouts, mushrooms, spinch leaves, celery, snow peas, trying to ease the guilt-trip over breakfast.  Then I think, maybe I could make one of those breakfast bagels myself, so I get some omega-3 eggs and some real smoked bacon.  But where do I find some really good aioli sauce, and decent whole grain bagels?  Oh yeah, Vincenzo's!!!

The journey called "today" takes a new turn.  I LOVE Vincenzo's.  They have an amazing bakery (because lots of bread is oh-so-good-for-you-ha-ha), smoked Cacciacovello cheese (did I mention that here before already?), organic dairy products, a fantastic seafood department, and some really yummy home-made prepared salads.  So I load up, find some organic arugula for that breakfast bagel, along with some aioli sauce, cheese, bagels, quinoa salad, wild rice salad, grilled mushrooms, and and and and....  OK, better get this home before I buy a bunch of food I won't eat cause I bought more than I can eat before it goes bad.....

How could that bagel have worn off so quickly?  Self-control, must have self-control.  Must move about...  Ah, wait, Spanners had a 1 day, 85% off sale.  I think I have about 6 inches of closet space left.  Look out.  (Oh come on, it's an adventure day!!!)

Ok, a few outfits for work for the price of one suit, and now it MUST be lunch time.  It just has to be.  Yup!  Yayyy!!!  But I'm a good girl, and eat only the good-for-me stuff, and not too much.  Really.

It's "today", a Saturday afternoon on a long weekend in Feburary, my friends are all soaking up warmth, and it's sunny here too, just cold.  What's a girl to do?  Clean?  Oh, come on, that's no fun.  I need a jungle - something hot and humid and green and - Belgian Nursery!!!  They won't have all their greenhouses full, but they should have enough plants to let me pretend I'm in the jungle somewhere south. 

Sunglasses - check.  Running shoes - check.  (no winter boots allowed in the jungle).  Jump in the car, and halfway there it starts to snow.  Not just a little bit of snow, this is like white-out big fluffy flakes should-I-turn-around? snow.  Nope.  I'm on a mission to find a jungle. 

Oh ya, baby.  This is so nice and warm.  And green!  Tall trees and hanging plants and orchids and herbs and even a beautiful blue macaw parrot named Max.  I think it's been about three years since I've been here.  Can't be!  But it's true.  It's my favourite place, and I've been avoiding it... why?  Don't know, but it feels so good to be back.  My house has 0 plants right now, and this is just what it's been missing to make it feel like a home.  First things first, find a plant stand - there's one, looks like it's been sitting here for a few years, but with a bit of TLC should be gorgeous.  Leather shelves, wrought iron with bronze accents, scroll work, love it.  'Twill fit perfectly in the newly decorated master bedroom.

Now, what kind of plants?  Jasmine.  Love that smell.  A prayer plant, string of pearls, schefflera, snake plant, some herbs...  lots of variety.  Perfect.  Oh, and a big bowl of different colours of primula for the dining room table.

My "today" adventure is almost complete.  After setting up the plant stand (it is exactly the finishing touch that room needed), and having a bit of dinner, I'm off to a British pub with a friend to finish the the journey with a music adventure, and some joyous laughter.  What a great way to take another day-step on the life journey!

Next adventure - Lobster!!!

Ah yes, there is nothing quite as yummy as lobster - if you like it, you love it.  If you love it, you absolutely adore it when it is fresh from the sea.  Last year, I considered going on a wee jaunt to the beautiful Canadian east coast, when a friend said "no way would I go unless it was lobster season".  Which made a whole heck of a lot of sense to me.  So I just dilly dallied last year, and bided my time, after finding out that lobster season can be found around Nova Scotia in May.  Ahhhh....

Now, anyone who is frugal enough to save Air Miles for over 10 years and never use them, deserves to get some of that back.  And the first few weeks of May happen to be off-season for flying, even though it is on-season for lobster.  What a magnificent combination - free flights that only use 60% of my air miles, and fresh lobster.  Whaaattt??? 

Checked with the boss at work, checked with the cat (well, the cat-sitters anyway), and I am now in full planning mode for a Peter Pan Getaway Boots adventure to the Maritimes.  I welcome any and all suggestions for places to stay, things to do and see, food to try, so please dear readers, if you have any experience with Nova Scotia, PEI or Newfoundland that aren't already mentioned below, pass 'em on!

Here's the plan so far (I've got 10 days, 9 nights):

1. Fly to Halifax and rent a car, try to take in a day or two of Cape Breton (Cabot Trail, National Park), and south to Peggy's Cove.  I've been to Halifax itself a couple of times, so this time I want to explore the rural NS.  Eat Lobster.  And Digby scallops.  And mussels.  Did I mention lobster?

2. Drive across the new bridge to PEI - this in itself will I'm sure be an experience!  The lure of PEI is mostly the scenery, but if there's anything like a clam dig going on, that would be cool.  I guess as a Canadian, I'm obligated to check out the Anne of Green Gables house, and the beginnings of our country.  And eat more lobster.

3. Fly from Charlottetown to St. John's, NF.  Get a car, pick up my friend Sheila, and head to Gross Morn (not sure if this is spelled correctly?).  I'm not even sure what this is but I'm told I absolutely must see it.  It would be cool to see some Viking stuff if there's any around.  And go whale watching, and iceberg hunting.  Maybe eat some lobster.  If I can fit all of that into a few days, it will be a miracle.

OK, folks, bring it on.  Otherwise I'll just have to sit around and drink Screech for a few days till they pour me on a plane and send me back.

Woot!!!
 

"You Make me feel so Young"

Well, a friend requested that I blog a bit more frequently.  It didn't seem likely that anyone would be interested in hearing of my exploits (ahem, adventures) unless they were somewhat, well, adventurous.  Who knew?  So, here I go again...

After last evening's company "Christmas" dinner (held in February so we could get a better hall at a better rate), morning should not have started so early.  I'm sure that if requested, nature could have delayed morning for at least another hour.  But nooooo....  So when the light started shining in the window, and the cat walked across my head, there didn't seem to be much point in delaying the inevitable.  Besides, the getaway boots were beckoning, even if just for a day.

At first glance out the window, it appeared to be snowing, especially with everything coated in sparkly whiteness, but that's just frost, and the blurred appearance is due to fog.  No, really, it was foggy out, it wasn't just my personal fog from the night before.  Really. 

Am I going to make it to Tonawonda today for the NFCA show, "You make me feel so young"?  Fortunately, the fog clears within an hour, and the sun comes out and the sky is an intense, almost summery, blue.  Soon, a cloud appears in the form of a border guard, with a nasty scowl on her face, and an attitude the size of Texas. 
"What's your destination?" 
Me: "I'm going to Tonawanda to see a show". 
Border b---ch: "What kind of show?". 
Me: "A musical show, all singing". 
Border B---ch: "Talk to me, I need to know what you mean". 
Me: (Thinking, Huh?)  "It's a concert of barbershop singing, a couple of choruses - like choirs - and a few quartets".  (Thinking - How friggin' dangerous does this sound?)
B.B.: "Are you meeting anyone there?" (scowl, sneer)
Me: "Yes, I hope to meet some friends".
B.B.: "How do you know them?"  (translation, why on earth would an American citizen associate with a dumb Canuck?)
Me:  (Thinking, should I tell her that I met them in a Mexican jail?  Probably not).  "I met them through singing".
B.B.: "So you sing?"
Me: "yes"
B.B.: "Are you performing this afternoon?"  (sneer, accusatory tone, as though a Canadian singing on an American stage was a threat to the American way of life)
Me: (laughing heartily) "No, I'm not".
B.B.: "Have a nice day". 
Me: (thinking - ya right, you just spoiled it.  B---ch).

Off I go, finding the venue (a grade school) easily, with just enough time to get a seat, and scan the room for familiar faces (none really, but that's ok).  The bright spot of the show is actually not the star performers/hostesses (NFCA - which will only mean something to my readers that are members of Harmony Inc.).  It is the Senior Men's championship quartet, hot off the presses.  Literally bright (cherry red suits, with cherry red and white wing-tip shoes.  They still make wing-tip shoes?  Yikes!).  Was it worth the trip?  Well, not really this distance, no.  But it got me out of the house to do something besides spend money. 

So, off I go back home.  This time, the border crossing was amazingly friendly. 
Border Boy:  "What was the purpose of your trip ma'am?"
Me: "I went to see a show of barbershop singing" (learning to phrase it less suspiciously)
BB: "Oh, that sounds interesting, did you enjoy it?"
Me: "Yes I did, thanks".
BB:  "Do you have any thing to declare, alcohol or tobacco?"
Me: "No, I don't".
BB:  "Have a nice day".
Me: "Thanks, you too".

(And they say America is the greatest country in the world?   Certainly not if measured by the first face that visitors see).

And the sun shone on...

Day 2 - Tired legs!  We walked all over the city, travelled from 63rd down to 10th, then back up to 110th, and down again to 63rd.  Most of it was walked, but it felt good to cover so much of the city.  It was incredible to see places that have, till now, been only imagined, well-known or historical in some way, but not tourist attractions.  Still haven't seen the Brooklyn Bridge or the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, and don't really care.  I was within a block or two of the place where John Lennon was shot, (didn't know that till later), saw the pier where the survivors of the Titanic landed, and walked through bohemian Greenwich Village.
The day began with a couple of errands, which took us to Madison Square Gardens.

What a huge place!  Well, okay, the building itself is probably about the same size as Skydome, or whatever it's called now, but there are buildings and streets right up against it all the way around, unlike Skydome.  So it looks even bigger.

From there, we walk to the High Line, which is a retired train track that has been renovated into a beautiful walking trail, a couple of stories off the ground, and woven amongst some very interesting buildings, both old and new.  We see some very interesting architecture, and find that there are already flowers blooming, and the grass is green.  Elise has certainly found some peaceful places in this fast-paced city. 

This is also where we see Pier 54 from.

As we come off the High Line, Chelsea Market is just steps away, and it's time for lunch already anyway.  We meander through and find some wonderful food (and more shopping opps), then find a small table outside in the sun.  It is absolutely beautiful, warm sunshine, a bit of a breeze, so we take our time and enjoy.  As we walk toward the subway, Elise nonchalantly comments "That's Greenwich Village" and keeps walking.  Whaaat?  Let's go see what Greenwich Village is all about!  It's just like the movies.  Later, we find out that the exterior of Carrie Bradshaw's (Sex in the City) apartment is actually located in Greenwich Village, just a couple of blocks from where we strolled, even though the address given in the show is Upper East Side.

It's still a gorgeous day, so we decide it's time to see Central Park, and if we have time, a "big church" that Elise likes.  The subway is crammed, and we're going quite a ways uptown, Elise naps a bit on the train, and then the city changes yet again.  The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is big all right.  It's the biggest cathedral I've ever been in.  Reminds me of the pictures I've seen of Westminster Abbey.  We walk around the gardens first, where there are tiny hand-cast figurines in bronze all over, of animals, people, small books with quotations (why is there one that says "I have a dog named Sue"?).  The architecture is somewhat Gothic, I think, and the huge brass doors on the front seem both welcoming and fort-like at the same time.  The inside is open to the public, and it's well worth the donation requested.  The windows are stunning, as are the massive columns, arches, domes, and inlaid marble floors.

 From the cathedral we head to Central Park.  My very energetic young niece is quite determined to show me the reservoir, another of her favourite peaceful places.  It looks very familiar from the movies and televisions, and it is gorgeous, but by this time, we're hungry, tired, and looking forward to an evening with our feet up.  So we walk the path instead of jogging it.  The skyline is amazing from here, and I hear that it's even prettier just before sunset, but sunset doesn't seem likely with all these clouds.  Soooo,  Peace Food Cafe here we come!

OK, boots back on yet again.  The adventure this time began in Syracuse NY, where Region 16 Sweet Ads contest was held.  My first experience on the region's quartet contest stage, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.  Phew!  Nuance met our goals (we didn't puke during the performance, and didn't place last).  And we had some fabulous comments from members of the audience.  Tons of fun singing around Saturday evening too. 

This morning though, back to reality.  Or rather, the adventure changed gears.  I left my singing friends in Syracuse, and flew into the Big Apple to visit my niece for a few days.  NYC wasn't really high on my bucket list, but this opportunity was just too good to be true.  Cheap flights both ways, chance to take a few days off, and staying with my niece is a real treat! 

The day dawned sunny, cool, but with a promise of warmer temps to come.  Perfect flight, smooth, early, in fact, we flew past JFK and way out over the ocean until we could get into the circuit.  Interesting that I flew into the same airport as my very first flight.  That was going to Washington DC with my brother to visit my sister for Easter weekend, and see the cherry blossoms.  A very, very long time ago.  There was a brief stopover at JFK during that flight as well. 

Elise had provided instructions to get to her place from the airport, and they seemed simple enough.  Take the airtrain (pretty cool - reminded me of the one in Vancouver), then the subway - wait, the New York subway?  THE NY subway?  Oh boy.  Well, it's Sunday morning, so hopefully it won't be too busy.  And it was fine.  Long, about an hour from JFK to 42nd St. station.  Time for some air.  Up to the outside world, and I find myself on 42nd and Broadway, and it was like entering a different world.  Someone dressed up like a bumblebee, lights and flashing signs and taxis and people everywhere.  It's extremely obvious that I've arrived in the heart of New York City.  However, still have a bit further to go, so back into the tunnel, this time taking the A train (isn't there a song about that?) a few stops till I get to Columbus Circle. 

When I surface, it's a different world yet again.  A dozen or more people waving signs for bicycle rental, a huge steel globe, trees everywhere, quite lovely.  Feels more like a midwest city than what I felt at 42nd and Broadway.   I call Elise to come and meet me, and find a park bench in the sun.  Is that Central Park behind me?  Indeed it is.  So I've been here for about an hour and have already seen Broadway and Central Park. This isn't such a big city!  LOL!  More later.

After dropping luggage and having a quick bite, it's off to the first stop on the adventure - "Venus in Fur" on Broadway, at the Lyceum Theater.  Balcony seats, but hey, $30!  The theater is obviously very old, and has had upgrades galore, but the ornate carvings in the ceilings walls, and around the boxes are equally as obviously the original.  The play is incredible - not a musical, not well-kinown, but has been called the best of the year and it certainly lives up to that.  Two people, single set, no intermission, and the audience is riveted from the very start.  Comedy, drama, light-hearted, dark subject, we come out with our brains in a whirl.

We stop for dinner at a Thai place - wonderful food and very nice decor.  And of course the company is fabulous!  Pick up some food for breakfasts/snacks, and agree to eat out for dinner (she better let me pick up the tab!!!) and then it's off to a movie - again in the theater district.  We pass through Times Square, which is nothing like I expected, but very interesting all the same.  We finish the day with a walk up to the Hudson River, through a cycling park that I'm sure I've seen on TV.  Love it that now that it's dark, there are dogs frolicking on the lawn, right beside the sign that says "No Pets".  Trump Place is right there (saw Trump Tower earlier), and when we walk out on the pier, we can see the lights of both New Jersey and Manhattan.

And now, I have to go figure out why my camera's not working properly, so that I can take pictures for tomorrow's blog! 

Playa del Carmen in the daylight

Thursday Jan 5 - Unbelievable, have to leave tomorrow and I don't have any souvenirs yet! Can't wait to see what the shopping is like in Playa del Carmen, as I've heard it's a huge area that's blocked off to traffic and full of interesting shops. There are a couple of ways to get to PDC, one is by taxi, at about $250 pesos ($20 USD), or take a shuttle van for $3 USD each way. The shuttle vans go up and down the highway between PDC and Tulum, and are a little like a tiny Greyhound or big taxi. They seat about 15 people each, and it's pretty tight, but relatively comfortable. There are stops along the highway, one right out front most of the mega-resorts along the riviera, and the shuttles run every 10-15 minutes. On the way to town, I meet Cindy, a 20-something from Vancouver, who is working as a dancer at one of the resorts.

Arriving in downtown PDC, the shopping is "two blocks that way" from the shuttle stop. I'm reminded of Spark Street in Ottawa, or Market Village in Kitchener, but this is shopping on steroids. A few miles of streets all blocked off to traffic, shops of every description, and every shop has someone outside inviting "senorita" to come and view what they have, as it's very unique. Uh huh.

I have some pretty distinctive things in mind though, and am on the lookout for "real Mexican vanilla" for my mom, a bit of silver jewellery for me (there's tons of it here, cheap), and a few trinkets. Not much room in my suitcase, nor much weight allowance left! Takes me a couple of kilometres of walking to find the vanilla, as most of the stores are jewellery (the diamond jewellery stores have armed police out front - more semi-automatic weaponry), hammocks/blankets/ponchos/sombreros), junk (cheap tourist souvenirs), or restaurants.

On the way, I realize that this street - 5th Ave no less - is only a couple of blocks from the beach. And that many buildings are brightly painted - typical of the Caribbean area and also of the Mediterranean. Love the snowman on one side of the street, and the palm tree on the other. Although the sky threatens rain, the sun stays above me the whole afternoon.

I finally find the items I'm looking for, and am happy to find that most places will bargain - the silver necklace I pick out dropped in price from $690 USD to $120. Interesting, considering the prices are posted by weight of the silver. I dodge the sales people on the way back to the shuttle. Of course, I take the wrong street at first, and find myself on a side street full of potholes, really just a dirt track, and whatever you picture about urban Mexico and the plight of the people who live there, it was here. Mildly concerned, I backtrack, and find the right street and the shuttle to take me back to the hotel.

When I get dropped off at the Palladium, I find that the easiest way to get across the highway is to take the tunnel underneath - which is really meant for the resort workers. The staff live in tiny apartments on the other side of the highway, and as they come through the tunnel from the resort, they are frisked and bags are checked to ensure they're not stealing. Hmmm. What a different life!

Realizing that I should have stopped at a restaurant for some refreshment while in PDC, as my tummy is now grumbling quite loudly, I quickly change and go to the Mexican restaurant. This evening, the guests are serenaded by a couple of gentlemen with guitars, singing and playing traditional Mexican music. Beautiful. Now, if I can see a spider monkey and maybe a kinkajou tomorrow, my trip will be complete - just in time!

Slow and mellow

Wed, Jan. 4 - With nothing planned until much later this evening, the sun called me to the poolside. As I lay there, getting some rest from the activities of the past couple of days, all the things I've seen and done started coming to mind. Beautiful tropical flowers, and interesting birds, including cranes, egrets, flamingoes, pelicans, orioles, and "Social Flycatchers". Animals that I never thought I'd see outside a zoo or pet store - iguanas for example, perched atop a delicate flowering bush. Crocodiles - fortunately not while I was kayaking, but in a penned in area here at the resort. White-nosed coati, which are cute little things that look a bit like raccoons.
Not so cute was the van marked "Federale Policia", resplendent with officers fully decked out in flak jackets and bearing AK47's at the ready.
Coconut palms, with coconuts hanging in various stages of growth and ripeness, banana trees, bromeliads and mother-in-law's tongue plants all growing wild.
The taste of real Mexican food like Marguerita shrimp and nachos the way they're supposed to be, having fresh guava and candied figs and fried cheese for breakfast, pineapple/spinach/parsley juice (sounds gross but quite tasty).
Wed. night - the Sunquest pub crawl in Playa del Carmen. A large coach bus picks me up at the lobby, and it's already full of guests from other hotels - 35 in total - all ready for a party. The plan is to meet up with another bus at a club called Coco Maya, stay there for an hour, then hit another couple of clubs for an hour each. To finish, we will go to Coco Bongo - which is quite well-known here for it's shows.

At the first pub, the club manager welcomes us (we're early, it's only 9 p.m.) with whatever drinks we want (except whiskey or wine for some reason), although they're a bit watered down. It's right on the beach and like most buildings here, there don't appear to be any walls or doors. What fun to sit on the beach in Mexico drinking a Tequila Sunrise! Interestingly, they really do have "beds" complete with drapery for privacy, along the sides of the club. Guess that's so that couples don't need to get a room.

Second pub was just up the street, and a bit smaller, but the drinks are stronger. I'm only partway done with the first drink, and the waiter brings over shots of tequila with lime for everyone. Not fussy on the whole salty thing, but when in Rome... Meet up with a group of young girls from Hamilton and as we're dancing more drinks arrive. Uh oh.

Third club is Mandala, middle Eastern decor, complete with hookah pipes at some of the tables. There I meet a couple from Birmingham, Mick and Josie, about my age, and they are just full of energy.
Finally we get to Coco Bongo, and it is simply packed. You literally have to shove and squeeze your way through the crowds, but the show is spectacular. Starts at midnight, and goes for a couple of hours. Full stage show, plus a huge screen, and actors/dancers hanging from drapes/ribbons from the ceiling and acting out everything from Queen to Guns n Roses to Lady Gaga. More tequila, and I swear Tattoo was asking me to "go with him to paradise". (Dee plane boss, dee plane!). I don't think so Herve.

Mick and Josie have to pull me along through the crowd as we leave at 2 a.m. to meet the bus. What an experience! When the bus drops me off at the hotel, the shuttles have stopped running of course, and I face a 20 minute walk back to my room (it dropped me at a different lobby). Of course, having had a couple of drinks, it's dark, I'm navigationally challenged, there's virtually no one around - even the hotel bars have closed by now), so it takes me closer to 45 minutes. But at least now I know where the spa is! Good thing I can sleep in tomorrow.