**Prints are available. Please leave a comment for more information.**

Friday, June 25, 2010

"The Girl from Ipanema"

This spectacular beach that was made famous from a song written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes has been held in Brazilians hearts since. In 2008, Diana Krall rewrote the song as "The Boy From Ipanema" which again brought this Brazilian beach in Rio de Janerio into the forefront of our minds and our hearts. Sitting adjacent to Copacabana beach, Ipanema is one of the most expensive places to live in all of Rio.

Two mountains called the "Dois Irmaes" or in English, the Two Brothers, rise at the western end of the Beach and overlook all the sunbathers. Posto's or lifeguard towers dot the expanse of beach and divide the beach into different areas.

While Ipanema Beach was named the sexiest beach by the Travel Channel, there are a few different areas to that title.

By the Rua Farme de Amoedo, there is the 'gay beach' which is extremely gay friendly, and always has a rainbow flag flying. To the west, is an area called the Posto Nove which is infamous for it's long history of pot smoking (illegal in Brazil), police raids, and gatherings of left wing and alternative activists and groups. Posto Nove's tradition began around 1980 when the present senator, Fernando Gaberra returned from political exile in France, and was photographed in a thong on this stretch of beach. Since then, it is where the young and often beautiful 'Carioca' men and women hipsters congregate.

While surf can reach 9 feet in the winter, sunbathers and worshippers flock to the sandy shores in all weather.

What could be better than a getaway to the Brazilian beach of Ipanema, where you to can become a girl or boy from Ipanema.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Backroads of Bohemia

See the backroads of Bohemia with this amazing self guided tour from Trek Holidays. From the tourist free heart of the Czech Republic, you will get to see what makes this country tick from a more indepth view. This tour starts at $1,825 per person for the land only portion, and departs quite regularly, so please speak to your local travel agent for more indepth information regarding booking at a specific time.

From the Trek Website:

“Explore the magnificent landscapes of the Czech Republic on foot on this incredible journey through Bohemia This superb self guided walk takes you into the diverse landscapes of Bohemia in the south of the Czech Republic where you’ll get off the beaten track and encounter historical villages, magical fairytale castles, magnificent medieval churches and monasteries as well as some of Europe’s most picturesque countryside. You will walk along the intricate network of pathways known as the Czech Greenways. This web of trails dates back over 100 years and connects walkers to the cultural heritage and natural beauty of this stunning country. As you crisscross colorful pastoral fields and vineyards and meander in and out of tiny villages you’ll discover places that for decades were hidden behind the Iron Curtain. This trip is perfect for recreational walkers looking to explore a unique part of Eastern Europe.”
Highlights of this tour are the Cesky Krumlov, the Charles Bridge in Prague, being able to explore the Lake District and Trebon’s medieval heart, while sampling Prague’s beers and wandering the Lednice.


Itinerary:

1: Arrive Breclav train station and transfer to hotel in Valtice.
2: Explore the Baroque Valtice chateau. Walk through fields, vineyards and forest to Lednice and explore the Gothic Revival Chateau of Lednice. Transfer to Mikulov (11km).
3: Walk along the Palava hills through the ruins of Divci hrady (Maiden's Castle). Continue on to the ruins of Sirotci hradek (Orphan castle) and climb Tabulova Hill. Descend through vineyards to castle town of Mikulov. Transfer to Vranov nad Dyji (10 km).
4: Tour the magnificient Baroque Chateau in Vranov. Explore the Podyji National Park and walk from the village of Cizov to Austrian village of Hardegg (14km).
5: Walk from the Landstejn castle to Nova Bystrice. Take the narrow-gauge railway to Jindrichuv Hradec (15km).
6: Visit the historic town and castle of Jindrichuv Hradec. Continue to Bohemia Lake District and visit medieval city of Trebon. Walk to Kojakovice then transfer to Cesky Krumlov (14km).
7: Transfer to Zlata Koruna and explore the monastery. Walk over Klet, the highest peak of the Blansky Forest. Hike back to Cesky Krumlov (16km).
8: Transfer by bus to Prague where trip ends.


For more details, check out the website.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Why use an agent?

Old-Style Travel Agents Still Alive and Kicking, Despite Numerous Predictions of Their Demise

With so many online travel agencies, it became common to hear how the offline travel agent had gone the way of the dinosaur, amidst bankruptcy and downsizing. So why are these obsolete travel agents still selling 51 percent of all airline tickets, 87 percent of all cruises, 81 percent of all tours and packages, 45 percent of all car rentals and about 47 percent of all hotel stays?

It’s because they’re sentient human beings, they’re offline and frequently offer the best deals.

According to Fast Company:

As travel technology leaders have observed, when it comes to disappointing travelers, software is rarely the limiting factor. The technology powering Expedia, Orbitz, etc, is pretty advanced e-commerce stuff. However, what’s driving them is a strategy that invests in sophisticated margin logic and multi-level algorithms to get you to see, click, and buy what they want you to.

But this is where the rubber meets the road, literally — when the next volcano explodes and your shoes stay glued to the ground, stuck in whatever far-flung limbo you happen to be, no computer is gonna proactively re-book you or find you a hotel so you can avoid curling up indefinitely on the terminal carpet hoping to find a way to get home.

So what do brick-and-mortar travel agents have over their online counterparts?

The human element. Despite our attraction to electronics and gadgetry, computers still can’t replace human interaction, especially a human with years of experience dealing with airlines, cruise lines and tour operators. Unlike computers, they know the human pitfalls and loopholes the customer will be experiencing.

Customer loyalty. Offline travel agents make their living by keeping their customers satisfied with their services. Their one-on-one interactions create a customized itinerary based on their preferences and needs. At the opposite end of the spectrum, online travel agencies offer the lowest prices and have no loyal customer base because what they offer is essentially no different than any other OTA.

Education for the customer. Part of the travel agent’s job is to educate the customer on their choices, some of which they might not have realized. While many customers would pass up a packaged tour or cruise, a travel agent may be able to show why both options can be attractive.

Value. For those spending more than $1,000 a person on a trip this summer, a travel agent may be a sensible investment. With more expensive travel, customers are less likely to begrudge travel agent their fees in return for a painless vacation. And if there are problems on the trip, travel agents can make sure restitution is made.

When I used one last month to book a last-minute trip to Singapore, the travel agent bested every online travel agency by $400 and was able to get me two seats together (a seeming impossibility online). The entire process took a half-hour of calling and maneuvering but was surprisingly painless. When finished, my technophile husband turned to me and said, “Why would anyone not use a travel agent?”
I have never felt my feet firmly planted on the ground.  When I was a child, I would dream of far away places filled with jumping kangaroos and gladiators.  I took my first trip when I was 19, running away from my issues and neglecting to deal with skeletons in my closet.  

Since then I have returned to my first home, and have found that while it has a special place in my heart, it is no longer home.

So I roam the planet, looking for a place for me to plant my feet, and find a home.  Will I find it in this life time?  I'll never know until I find it.  But I will continue looking for it, until my last breath.

These are my journeys.