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In Search of the New Seven Wonders of the World

January 19, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment 

In the summer of 2007, more than 90 million people cast their votes to determine which architectural marvels in the world deserved to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. There were a total of twenty-one landmarks vying for that title.

Of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, only the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt still stand. The pyramids were given an automatic spot after infuriated Egyptian officials said it was a disgrace to have to compete for something that had belonged to their country for so long. I agree!

In January, 2007, we made it to Giza to see the Pyramids, and then we cruised down the Nile for five days seeing more incredible tombs and temples. We then boarded another ship on Lake Nasser for three days and ended up in Abu Simbel. (If you want more details on our trips scroll down or type in the search bar on the top right)

It was our most favorite vacation up until Antarctica in 2009. We found out we like adventure in our vacations. In the six years we have been together we have been to all seven continents. We have lots of adventures planned for the next several years.

It is our goal to see twenty of the twenty-one landmarks. We decided that Timbuktu (once one of the world’s richest cities, in Mali, Africa) isn’t one we care to venture to. But hey, that may change!

Also, Chris and I have collectively seen a lot of the twenty, however, not together. So the rule is, we go back and see all of them together!

In 2005, on a trip to Cozumel and Cancun we spent a very long, cramped day on a bus getting to the Chichen Itza Pyramid. And it was worth it! It is an ancient Mayan city on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. And you thought all Mexico had to offer was beer, margaritas and sandy beaches!

FUN-travel: Tahiti & French Polynesia

January 4, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment 

Day 1 – Wednesday, January 6, 2010 – Tahiti & French Polynesia – 10 days – First Paul Gauguin cruise  ******

• Good News – depart San Diego 4:45 pm to Irvine for fabulous meal with son Mike (pre birthday celebration for Chris) Love that carpool lane – No traffic!
• Good News – spend night at LAX Hacienda Hotel, 14 days free parking included
• Good News – free airfare included with cruise – flight departs 1:00 pm
• Bad News – new security measures since December 25th attempted bombing on Detroit bound aircraft creates massive lines to x-ray checked luggage
• Good News – upgrades to business class available
• Bad News – costs $800 per person one way – can’t justify it (you can’t wear an upgrade! so will get nice piece of jewelry instead)
• More Bad News – no economy plus – 8 hour flight in coach
• Good News – arrive Papeete, Tahiti  on time, transfer to ship, incredible service and dinner, set sail 11:00 pm

FF (FUN Facts) – m/s Paul Gauguin offers highest standard of luxury cruising in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and South Pacific – was sold by Reagent to Pacific Beachcomber Company – this is “history in the making” as we set sail on the maiden voyage

Day 2 – Thursday, January 7, 2010 – Arrive Huahine, Society Islands -8:00 am – Depart 5:00 pm – Sunrise 5:37 am – Sunset 6:42 pm

• Good News – sleep great, nice sheets & feather pillows
• Good News – nice & warm

• Good News – free shuttle into town
• Bad News – not much to see
• Bad News – cloudy with torrential downpours all day

Not so FF (FUN Facts) – January is rainy season – May, June, July the best – temperature the same all year long – more humid in rainy season

Day 3 – Friday, January 8, 2010 – Chris’s Birthday – Arrive Raiatea, Society Islands – 8:00 am – Depart 5:00 pm – Sunrise 5:42 am – Sunset 6:43 pm

• Good News – see sun
• Bad News – only briefly!
• Good News – get off ship and walk around  town
• Good News – share cab with fellow passengers for tour of island
• More Good News – rain stops – see ancient temple ruins – majestic view of ocean & Huahine
• More Good News – have Chris’s surprise birthday party with 10 new friends we met on the ship

FF – Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands and was the religious center of ancient Polynesia

Day 4 – Saturday, January 9, 2010 – Arrive Rangiroa, Tuamotu Archipelago – 12:00 Noon – Overnight – Sunrise 5:34 am – Sunset 6:25 pm

• Bad News – more torrential downpours – drift snorkel tour canceled
• Good News – take tender to shore
• Bad News – not much to see
• Good News – rain stops – see first ever full, complete rainbow!

Day 5 – Sunday, January 10, 2010 –Depart Rangiroa, Tuamotu Archipelago – 12:00 Noon – Sunrise 5:31 am – Sunset 6:31 pm

• Good News – cloudy but no rain
• Good News – take snorkel tour at “the Aquarium” – small island surrounded by reefs
• Good News – see the most incredible fish & coral – the sheer volume of fish and different kinds never seen before make it the “best ever”
• Good News – great FUN with fellow passengers at the Pool Deck Bar
• Bad News – set sail amid more torrential downpours with thunder & lightning

FF – Rangiroa is 200 miles NE of Papeete – consists of a series of islands around a lagoon- largest atoll in Polynesia and second largest in world – most lagoons in the Society Islands often murky due to volcanic runoff – water here clean & fresh – Tuamotu Archipelago consists of 78 islands roughly half the size of Western Europe and largest chain of atolls in the world

Day 6 – Monday, January 11, 2010 – Arrive Bora Bora, Society Islands – 8:00am –Overnight – Sunrise 5:46 am – Sunset 6:45 pm

• Good News – see sun
• Bad News – hot & 100% humidity
• Good News – fellow passengers share boat for snorkeling & tour
• Good News – feed t he stingrays, see sharks & tons of fish!
• Good News – Jimmy Buffet is at Bloody Mary’s
• Bad News – we foolishly didn’t go there for dinner

Stingrays

FF – Bora Bora is the eroded cone of an extinct and extensive volcano

Day 7 – Tuesday, January 12, 2010 – Bora Bora, Society Islands –Depart 10:00 pm – Sunrise 5:46 am – Sunset 6:45 pm

• Good News – no rain
• Good News – fellow passengers share open air jeep for tour of island
• Good News – Paul Gauguin has private beach on Bora Bora Motu
• Good News – more snorkeling

Day 8 – Wednesday, January 13, 2010 – Taha’a, Society Islands –Arrive 8:00 am – Depart 10:00 pm – Sunrise 5:46 am – Sunset 6:45 pm

• Good News – more sun
• Good News – go to Motu Mahana our own private island
• Good News – white sand beach, sumptuous grill buffet and floating bar await
• Good News – more great snorkeling, purple coral
• Good News – go water skiing
• Bad News – get up but can’t stay up so must try again

FUN at the Floating Bar

FF – Taha’a is located in same barrier reef as Raiatea

Day 9 – Thursday, January 14, 2010 – Moorea, Society Islands –Arrive 8:00 am – Overnight – Sunrise 5:39 am – Sunset 6:39 pm

• Bad News – downpour first thing
• Good News – sun attempts to peak through – clouds consist of varying shades of grey mixed with stark white cotton candy ones
• Good News – free ride to shopping village across island
• Good News – buy one of a kind black pearl bracelet (my trade off for sitting in coach- remember you can’t wear an upgrade!)

FF- Moorea consists of jagged peaks, lush greenery, deep blue ocean –crystal clear lagoons create varying shades of turquoise, pale green and aqua colored water depending on depth (same on Bora Bora)

Day 10 – Friday, January 15, 2010 – Moorea, Society Islands – Depart 10:00 pm – Sunrise 5:46 am – Sunset 6:45 pm

• Bad News – more rain!
• Good News – it stops – we take walk to town
• Bad News – there is no town
• Good News – lavish party and food spread for final sail to Tahiti
• Good News – invited to special six course dinner by Pacific Beachcomber  (new owners of Paul Gauguin)

Day 11– Saturday, January 16, 2010 – Arrive Papeete – Sunrise 6:24 am – Sunset 5:50 pm

• Good News – no rain
• Good News – there is a town
• Bad News – very expensive
• Good News – don’t have to depart ship until  12:30
• Good News – three hour tour included
• Good News – have a day room at the Sheraton
• Bad News – have to leave at 7:40 pm for a midnight flight
• Bad News – get to airport to stand in line for an hour
• Good News – plane takes off on time and we have sleeping pills

Day 12 – Sunday, January 17, 2010 – Arrive LAX 10:00 am

• Good News – we land on time
• Bad News – takes two hours to clear customs
• Good News – stop for Starbucks before we head home
• Good News – no traffic
• More Good News – we LOVE coming home!

Cost of Paul Gauguin Cruise $$$$$
Cost of Ship Cabin – 2 for the price of 1
Cost of all food, beverages & tips – included
Cost of Airfare – Free
Cost of sandwich & 2 cokes last day at hotel – $32.00

Doing your homework so you go at the best time of year – Priceless!

Synopsis: We had an expectation of Tahiti and the islands that did not get met. We were a bit underwhelmed.  Tahiti is great if you like “remote” and filling your time with water sports. I think Bora Bora was our favorite because the sun shined there and it did have a bit of a “town area.”  It is a very long flight and everything was very expensive. We like the Hawaiian Islands. They’re a lot closer and cheaper!

FUN-travel: Pasadena Rose Parade

January 4, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment 

Friday, January 1, 2010 – 8:00 am – Pasadena

I feel very fortunate to have been to the Rose Parade six times and this year I had the best seat ever! Thanks to Kaiser Permanente for the tickets (my husband, Chris, worked for them the past 45 years and just retired.) We were right on the corner of Orange Grove Avenue and Colorado Boulevard where all the TV cameras are positioned.

What that means is, all the bells and whistles that occur on the floats happens right there. The floats with fireworks require a generator to be plugged into the rear. A 50 foot extension cord on wheels trails behind. After they pass the cameras the fireworks are done so you miss that part if you are not near the  beginning.

Another reason you want to be at the front of the parade is the floats have a tendency to break down. If you’re at the end of the parade route it can take a long time to see all of the floats. (Been there, done that!)

I also prefer to be about 5 levels up from the street. We had seats at row 26 and that was too far for me. So half the time we stood at street level for that very different perspective.

I am including my favorite floats (they were all spectacular!)

Shanghai was by the far the biggest in terms of the sheer number of people. There were the cutest young girls on roller blades that skated to form a caterpillar and then broke away and lifted their arms to reveal fabric butterfly wings. Jackie Chan is on the float as well.

Jack was at his finest Salsa dancing! There were Salsa dancers both leading and trailing the float. Really FUN!

FUN-travel: Panama Canal

November 25, 2009 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment 

Day 1 – Sunday, December 6, 2009 – Depart San Diego – 14 days – First Celebrity cruise

• Good News – told by several people, “You’ll love Celebrity”
• Good News – 91 year old dad (looks & acts like 70) wants to take a cruise so we pick this one
• Good News – no flight!  Depart San Diego 5:00 pm – only 15 minutes to ship
• Good News – get to experience concierge class for first time
• Good News – sparkling wine, fresh fruit & flowers in room

Day 2 – Monday, December 7, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 7:22 am – Sunset 5:45 pm

• Bad News – cloudy & cold
• Good News – eat, nap, eat, nap, eat
• Bad News – very bad coffee, must buy cappuccinos

Day 3 – Tuesday, December 8, 2009 – Arrive Cabo San Lucas 10:00 am – Sunrise 6:50 am – Sunset 5:36 pm

• Good News – sunny & warm, cute town, get off ship and walk aroundBad News – already been to Cabo three times
• Good News – go to Mi Casa for best Margaritas, chips, salsa & guacamole
• Good News – great entertainment on ship – singer Alfreda Gerald

FFTK&T (FUN Facts To Know & Tell) – Cabo is on southernmost tip of the 1,000 mile long Baja Peninsula

Day 4 – Wednesday, December 9, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 6:23 am – Sunset 5:20 pm

• Bad News – day at sea, like to be in ports doing something
• Good News – eat, nap, eat, nap, eat
• Good News –more great entertainment – piano wizard & magician Garin Bader

Day 5 –Thursday, December 10, 2009 – Arrive Acapulco 9:00 am – Sunrise 6:38 am – Sunset 6:07 pm

• Good News – sunny, very warm
• Bad News – humid
• Bad News – been here before, not a clean or pretty city
• Good News – take long walk by beach & see old city fort – Fuerte San Diego
• Good News – great chips, salsa, guacamole & cerveza
• Good News –more great entertainment –Paradise String Quartet

FFTK &T – most famous attraction “clavadistas” (cliff divers) scale rock cliffs more than 150 feet about sea

Day 6 – Friday, December 11, 2009 – Arrive Huatulco, Mexico 8:00am – Sunrise 6:41 am – Sunset 5:55 pm

• Good News – adorable port & shops – small town charm
• Good News – walk to city La Crucecita – clean, quaint tree filled Main Square surrounded by shops
• Good News – great chips, salsa, guacamole & cerveza
• Bad News – have to leave at 3:00pm
• Good News – more great entertainment- Alfreda & Garin share stage

Would definitely come back!

Day 7 – Saturday, December 12, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 6:21 am – Sunset 5:38 pm

• Bad News – getting bored
• Good News – go to wine tasting, find 3 good California wines
• Good News – table mates next to us in main dining from India have special meals made by Indian chefs onboard, tell our waiter, “We want what they‘re having” – get same wonderful Indian food

Day 8 –Sunday, December 13, 2009 – arrive Punta Arenas, Costa Rica – Arrive 7:00 am – Sunrise 5:46 am – Sunset 5:20 pm

• Good News – get off ship, walk around port town, shop local vendors along water front
• Bad News – not very cute or clean
• Good News – find tour guide – goto tropical rain forest in Carara National Park, have lunch, walk around 70 year old restored village
• Good News – stop on bridge and see more than a dozen crocodiles in river below
• Good News – have very good dinner in casual dining restaurant
• Good News – more great entertainment – Perry Grant – comedic singer

FFTK &T – Costa Rica has no military, spends that money on education & health care – What a concept!

Day 9 – Monday, December 14, 2009 – Day at Sea- Sunrise 5:43 am – Sunset 5:03 pm

• Bad News – still feeling bored on days at sea
• Good News – go to Ocean Liners restaurant for dinner
• Good News – great wine, lobster tail & lamb
• Bad News – $30.00 per person service charge
• Good News – entertainment – Sean O’Shea impressionist singer

Day 10 – Tuesday, December 15, 2009 – Panama Canal – Sunrise 6:27 am – Sunset 6:02 pm

• Bad News – have to get up early to experience going through the locks
• Good News – not as early as they told us night before
• Good News – view from heliport front of ship, very interesting
• Bad News – must book tour on ship to get off
• Bad News – take overpriced tour that is not what we thought; spend too much time on bus in traffic
• Good News – get to see Colonial Panama, architecture very French
• Bad News – only 30% of it has been restored

FFTK &T – The Panama Canal was completed in 1913, opened in 1914 and operates today just as it has for the last 95 years – New additional canal in process of being built to accommodate bigger ships -  Panama is another neutral country with no military that spends that money on education & health care

Day 11– Wednesday, December 16, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 6:24 am – Sunset 5:50 pm

• Good News – Brunch at Sea, mimosa’s half price
• Bad News – basically same food as buffet, just served in formal dining room with ice carvings
• Good News – get more good Indian food for dinner
• Good News – more great entertainment – Craig Dahn, pianist

Day 12 – Thursday, December 17, 2009 – Arrive Cartagena, Colombia 8:00 am – Sunrise 6:19 am – Sunset 5:44 pm

• Good News – find taxi driver for day, $50 + lunch, love a bargain
• Good News – go to La Popa Monastery, atop highest point, 420 feet, grand view of city
• Good News – next stop, enormous Fortress San Felipe, lots of underground tunnels & cannons
• More Good News – next stop, the Old City, very French & charming with picturesque wooden balconies hanging over narrow streets, bougainvilleas abound
• More Good News – next stop, the new City, Miami Beach of Cartagena, have authentic Columbian lunch, grilled fish with garlic & Aguila Columbian beer
• More Good News – go shopping for souvenirs and emeralds
• Bad News – have to be back on board by 4:45 to depart, need more time

Would definitely come back!

FFTK &T – Fortress San Felipe is largest Spanish fort in the New World – Emeralds come in 200 shades of green

Day 13 – Friday, December 18, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 6:19 am – Sunset 5:31 pm

• Bad News – getting cabin fever again
• Good News – sun comes out, getting warmer

Day 14 – Saturday, December 19, 2009 – Day at Sea – Sunrise 4:49 am – Sunset 9:40 pm

• See Day 13

Day 15 – Sunday, December 20, 2009 – Arrive Miami

• Good News – going to stay and hang out in Miami
• Bad News – it’s cold and Versace’s mansion is closed

Day 16 – Monday, December 21, 2009 – Miami

• Good News – ready to go home
• Royal Caribbean purchased Celebrity
• Bad News – told by previous Celebrity cruisers, “This isn’t the old Celebrity”

FUN-travel: Thanksgiving Week

November 10, 2009 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment 

Monday, November 23, 2009 – Disneyland

• Good News – get to spend day with twin grand-daughters
• Bad News – unbelievably crowded – long lines!
• Good News – next year go on their birthday for free – not during holiday week

Tuesday, November 24 – Temecula Wine Tour

Lunch & Tasting at Thornton

• Good News – finally schedule limo certificate from 5 years ago
• Bad News – limo never shows – unable to call – phones not working
• Good News – have great time at Thornton Winery for lunch and tasting

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