tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8478176624898188142024-03-25T23:47:18.625-07:00Christine in Vancouver......my trip reports...Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-74338019405033790982023-11-14T22:25:00.000-08:002023-11-22T01:43:18.857-08:00Honolulu Trip Report - November 5 - 12, 2023<p>Our <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2011/02/honolulu-trip-report-feb-3-10-2011.html" target="_blank">last trip</a></u></b> to Waikiki was in 2011 so twelve, almost thirteen years, a long time ago! We <i>splurged</i> this trip, double the price of what we originally thought of booking. We got good non-stop flights and a nice hotel smack-dab center on Waikiki beach, truly a dream spot to stay. The flights coincided with check in on arrival and check out on departure. We booked the Moana Surfrider which opened in 1901 and is nicknamed the "First Lady of Waikiki.". Below the pic is from their <b><u><a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/hnlwi-moana-surfrider-a-westin-resort-and-spa-waikiki-beach/overview/" target="_blank">website</a></u></b>. We didn't splurge for ocean-view as the price was already $2600 CAD each which included air/hotel and our <b><u><a href="https://www.speedishuttle.com/waikiki" target="_blank">transfers</a></u></b> to/from airport. This didn't include full insurance which was another $180 CAD each and our luggage of course, $60 each - $30 per leg. We chose two double beds, City View room. The luxury of this trip was the <b><i>LOCATION</i></b>. I believe there is only seven hotels (8 with the Hale Koa 'military only' one) that sit directly on Waikiki beach and this is one of them.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6mtqwN7_KbzkBUnJp-T96Qyep4KPvgz1v3hMyBKa9eKEzIXL173RIQrxTvASJBJ_5xeHlc-qIv0L9u3qGU53T3eZ_-YN2TrvECWFV-4MPFCYaTgJytlqWtTMx-JrjbFHx1zF0h7KKhrGsRk2KT-hoV5C1RD-KNEj5a6BRlP39x_fUG4D4E-OOCfo1hn1/s1072/MoanaSurfrider.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1072" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6mtqwN7_KbzkBUnJp-T96Qyep4KPvgz1v3hMyBKa9eKEzIXL173RIQrxTvASJBJ_5xeHlc-qIv0L9u3qGU53T3eZ_-YN2TrvECWFV-4MPFCYaTgJytlqWtTMx-JrjbFHx1zF0h7KKhrGsRk2KT-hoV5C1RD-KNEj5a6BRlP39x_fUG4D4E-OOCfo1hn1/w640-h446/MoanaSurfrider.png" title="Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><p>I had just returned home from a British Isles trip, emptied the suitcase then turned around and re-packed it for summer weather. I wasn't looking forward to the travel portion of the trip <b><i>at all</i></b>...however, I was looking forward to spending the time with my son and Hawaii is his favorite vacation destination, that and Vegas. We both used <b><u><a href="https://alosim.com/" target="_blank">esims</a></u></b> which was ($11 USD normally) for 3 GB of data. I already had credits and referred him so we got a bit of a deal and both paid $11 CAD. That with the free wifi (well, included with resort fee - $50 USD ($69 CAD) per day!!! 🙄) at our hotel we thought would be plenty. Every eyeroll emoji from here on out will be about <b><i>prices</i></b> in Waikiki...</p><p>Final preamble: This trip was about quality family time, R&R and would be food centric. There most likely won't be any extensive scenic shots, tourist attractions or new explorations in nature...I will try not to repeat the pics, like of "Duke", etc. 😉 It'll be hard not to show <i>one more</i> of Diamond Head from the beach though, won't it? And beautiful palm trees never get boring, do they? However, I think a lot of Waikiki will be new for our eyes being that it's been 12 years since last visit and "newly discovered" pic shots are a possibility... For cash, we had a budget of $300 USD ($415 CAD) for both of us...and then our credit cards we use for foreign exchange which has no additional fees for the conversion...</p><p><b><u>Sunday, November 5, 2023:</u></b></p><p>We got an extra hour of sleep due to "fall back" and Hawaii doesn't follow DST anymore, so they would only be two hours earlier than Vancouver now. Our flight left at 10:00 am so we arrived at the airport for 7:30 am. The flight was to be just under 6 hours and it was, six LONG hours, lol. My son likes to take pictures of when we're in the air, so here is one leaving Vancouver, all gray and rainy:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoQnkp9WDU0OJ9Z1Y_Clztcf5wxE31khaFM8qyvJ2ILsuFvn5mlX9i9-J-c0YAwFJVZFs2P4YLG3k1yebcIr93EJlREaDi-4JfFh_gV5FqHL4i2CRmeFcJvED21kvPMsFizmYxbpkI653Aej1eXXgpzcrcKFuiF8hxMqE40Wvr0h_zyCksfecyWhMB_0v/s3623/IMG_5383.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2876" data-original-width="3623" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoQnkp9WDU0OJ9Z1Y_Clztcf5wxE31khaFM8qyvJ2ILsuFvn5mlX9i9-J-c0YAwFJVZFs2P4YLG3k1yebcIr93EJlREaDi-4JfFh_gV5FqHL4i2CRmeFcJvED21kvPMsFizmYxbpkI653Aej1eXXgpzcrcKFuiF8hxMqE40Wvr0h_zyCksfecyWhMB_0v/w640-h508/IMG_5383.JPG" title="Gray Vancouver" width="640" /></a></div><p>We sat in the last row of the plane pretty much so were also last off. It was a long walk to baggage claim and you do that through everyone else who is waiting for their flights to head out. Our esims were both working as we landed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLGq6ZM9gkv3Mem1nE3JCRfO9q5d4cWe9lzRbS9y09XRirXvalFFdk5Jo3R5c7xAiL7Cbuuc2rBD1HdUZylfuocKyn3rBDaLMmceko5ZcLNXqZhCUAm8UlNI-bV4PFig3nqSvwmwBBZ4NmKkrPJadWiWSXr0d3Y6v1y3OIcPO_8PmxExJVsTcmCgeHaVJ/s3927/IMG_7185.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLGq6ZM9gkv3Mem1nE3JCRfO9q5d4cWe9lzRbS9y09XRirXvalFFdk5Jo3R5c7xAiL7Cbuuc2rBD1HdUZylfuocKyn3rBDaLMmceko5ZcLNXqZhCUAm8UlNI-bV4PFig3nqSvwmwBBZ4NmKkrPJadWiWSXr0d3Y6v1y3OIcPO_8PmxExJVsTcmCgeHaVJ/w480-h640/IMG_7185.JPG" title="Honolulu Airport" width="480" /></a></div><p>Upon arrival in Honolulu I pre-booked a <b><u><a href="https://go808express.com/" target="_blank">shuttle service</a></u></b> that was supposed to be private, direct service for $80 USD or $110 CAD return, cash only with 15% tip additional, the confirmation email requested. Our driver pulled up at meeting place shortly after and we were off. He was a nice guy, filled us in on what we'd missed in Waikiki over the last 12 years (not much he said) and dropped us off at our beautiful hotel. I tipped him $10 USD and he said he'd pick us up next Sunday. He kindly sent me a list of restaurants he recommended on WhatsApp.</p><p>Check in was quick and we were placed in the "Diamond Wing" which was at the far left of the hotel by the Chapel. Our room was nice but small. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ5wi93dp3yz1hG1HQInGPZp1H3Z-RJ40vZGa6RtjI-PZk0rmbLRajhFwViCXR3eAKW2GIliFjgtMBhZs0zCtHb60hUMWt688eKZ2DSOxTM1dbvKcpi_JHru52cbmUkPdulYwPeZkYDYiwz2C7cVCXASMxZEg_ZydyMfA9gUyeDhi_RPOiVG64mHMrRgP/s4032/IMG_7186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ5wi93dp3yz1hG1HQInGPZp1H3Z-RJ40vZGa6RtjI-PZk0rmbLRajhFwViCXR3eAKW2GIliFjgtMBhZs0zCtHb60hUMWt688eKZ2DSOxTM1dbvKcpi_JHru52cbmUkPdulYwPeZkYDYiwz2C7cVCXASMxZEg_ZydyMfA9gUyeDhi_RPOiVG64mHMrRgP/w640-h480/IMG_7186.JPG" title="Two Double Beds - Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHQdGhOAH7s74LN3Pm5SEiZ7zw8Z2BIMP4Dj0ocx_GpZFvJM3iSlqOoDKVhGnrF7IqvqvpxXxscgHvQTTxC48G0PcCjYPuaiwyndC-E3fD5bc39fphi2CG4jzgpXdxZS-E3LxMcKFCbgUAoH0PLg051LR2UeUkH2ra4y9EwLoV_krO2iM3YwDmC4zxbE_/s3737/IMG_7187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2803" data-original-width="3737" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHQdGhOAH7s74LN3Pm5SEiZ7zw8Z2BIMP4Dj0ocx_GpZFvJM3iSlqOoDKVhGnrF7IqvqvpxXxscgHvQTTxC48G0PcCjYPuaiwyndC-E3fD5bc39fphi2CG4jzgpXdxZS-E3LxMcKFCbgUAoH0PLg051LR2UeUkH2ra4y9EwLoV_krO2iM3YwDmC4zxbE_/w640-h480/IMG_7187.JPG" title="City View Room - Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgh2BArca94uj-OnlYWeKcGqrnd2YofuHKWuHEKkMRH0r-DON5829iN_e05ISNlud-vaR_GXurUC7fUyDqo5e7KfDVCF32Snhz0JezGc65wXVQUnFbDpxK-WroNGoIy2ofgRgdnGkAaFJ0353uK0UU13GJoWSIijnNZX7Y-m2LxhdKTPeasZ4vsTxvznG/s4032/IMG_7188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgh2BArca94uj-OnlYWeKcGqrnd2YofuHKWuHEKkMRH0r-DON5829iN_e05ISNlud-vaR_GXurUC7fUyDqo5e7KfDVCF32Snhz0JezGc65wXVQUnFbDpxK-WroNGoIy2ofgRgdnGkAaFJ0353uK0UU13GJoWSIijnNZX7Y-m2LxhdKTPeasZ4vsTxvznG/w640-h480/IMG_7188.JPG" title="City View Room - Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our 37th floor view overlooked Kalākaua Avenue (The <i>main strip</i> of Waikiki)</div><p>The bathroom had a bidet with heated toilet seat but there was little to none counter space. We unpacked as much as was comfortable for now and headed out to the Royal Hawaiian <b><u><a href="https://www.royal-hawaiian.com/dining-overview/mai-tai-bar/" target="_blank">Mai Tai bar</a></u></b>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7wdewdKmgzwtwIX8B0HhZ2PIJ23hbykxR6PbJB5hLynetiGxmTSMOJuAibT0WC4Xs1xzTdER7ndewTHqyQMmQXXX5npkhprBs8h_XxrUbG8Vz5bYtkVE4hyphenhyphenp22qlytXeBR7Ul3DBjkBeNcP3G82enhgVDZsqXp3dJWplfWidt3OoBI-eWb0cUXzef6K7/s4009/IMG_7194.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4009" data-original-width="3007" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7wdewdKmgzwtwIX8B0HhZ2PIJ23hbykxR6PbJB5hLynetiGxmTSMOJuAibT0WC4Xs1xzTdER7ndewTHqyQMmQXXX5npkhprBs8h_XxrUbG8Vz5bYtkVE4hyphenhyphenp22qlytXeBR7Ul3DBjkBeNcP3G82enhgVDZsqXp3dJWplfWidt3OoBI-eWb0cUXzef6K7/w480-h640/IMG_7194.JPG" title="Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Bar" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The bar was packed but we found a table though not on the beach. We each ordered different Mai Tai's (on the left below, mine was the "Royal Hawaiian" and on the right my son's was the "Vic's 44") and both were fantastic, they never disappoint! They're not cheap at $21 USD ($29 CAD! 🙄) each but well worth it to celebrate being back in Waikiki. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4qG3CGyyJ7rIAIwoquzuAyDZIeQmSGrEO2sOAgOErt1VexcRxTnjzZ_vZUMoCevlfNHbTuwsTRHLwcud1PJ1zRUDQDAIOjD8P3DzUevnHVxJOMJpELOkPmc8r1iUbVx4bI7jZ581h6l0D086aGbY4xaMo3UHznd7b0PDjBkB_IWwpUw2fCNHF4RqAYXb/s3865/IMG_7198.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3865" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4qG3CGyyJ7rIAIwoquzuAyDZIeQmSGrEO2sOAgOErt1VexcRxTnjzZ_vZUMoCevlfNHbTuwsTRHLwcud1PJ1zRUDQDAIOjD8P3DzUevnHVxJOMJpELOkPmc8r1iUbVx4bI7jZ581h6l0D086aGbY4xaMo3UHznd7b0PDjBkB_IWwpUw2fCNHF4RqAYXb/w500-h640/IMG_7198.JPG" title="Mai Tai Bar" width="500" /></a></div><p>Below is the <i>mandatory Diamond Head beach picture</i> required for every trip, to my son it never gets old:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjl4QjHGg6TAr7GssZOGm6cfrxVhxhizZzz1AuaHKY0da0st4jPiA8bibVaQgyHhusTHz1LK4E0tUadO4TzfOMpeRgHgN2gUVrSN0J0yB8-cwPebcZS8quAK2SUnE8iTJjO1-AnAtANWjrxcOUBOCX-5NFDOa3DyWf_Hd8tpUUA4AhoUxNaP9KDYCKnyT/s3913/IMG_7195.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="3913" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjl4QjHGg6TAr7GssZOGm6cfrxVhxhizZzz1AuaHKY0da0st4jPiA8bibVaQgyHhusTHz1LK4E0tUadO4TzfOMpeRgHgN2gUVrSN0J0yB8-cwPebcZS8quAK2SUnE8iTJjO1-AnAtANWjrxcOUBOCX-5NFDOa3DyWf_Hd8tpUUA4AhoUxNaP9KDYCKnyT/w640-h480/IMG_7195.JPG" title="Diamond Head from Waikiki Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p> Sunset happened while we were sitting and we managed to grab a couple of pics. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHlXkDQwp26Qy-u1tMsDaxz5kF9rVmkGflnN9Qe0RsIf4WJOSYdJ-g2omOkymtgfb0C29QgMkKZbuM0LeR2H41xzFIHuBYtNJicGXk0NPOPvsYKmosjgzofrUiu5Pxpb_S7IesMn6fOUBX80MTEgcYykV2GVfFcYAxgi1G7RDfr98hCHQxpKxQwKv4IAR/s3994/IMG_5393.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2995" data-original-width="3994" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHlXkDQwp26Qy-u1tMsDaxz5kF9rVmkGflnN9Qe0RsIf4WJOSYdJ-g2omOkymtgfb0C29QgMkKZbuM0LeR2H41xzFIHuBYtNJicGXk0NPOPvsYKmosjgzofrUiu5Pxpb_S7IesMn6fOUBX80MTEgcYykV2GVfFcYAxgi1G7RDfr98hCHQxpKxQwKv4IAR/w640-h480/IMG_5393.JPG" title="Waikiki Sunset" width="640" /></a></div><p>As we left son said he felt buzzed and so did I actually, those drinks pack a punch! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzprBKMlDbHgYt9O_Y0LIUOevh8DPECjZLz1ydiDaDbrcLOZD4U9YnaK5JEkqfo_Yg4-_WklmoZoAkTzk_f4Y1ql7kxPS092p4BR8FFlGi7lyTeBVOaQfjYzW3FCCNm20fGyWzw4EH3wg_MyreunDy0nbpYF1B15mhJ5DoVMUrcvn3VrZNYLxAjjwrEOj/s4032/IMG_5394.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzprBKMlDbHgYt9O_Y0LIUOevh8DPECjZLz1ydiDaDbrcLOZD4U9YnaK5JEkqfo_Yg4-_WklmoZoAkTzk_f4Y1ql7kxPS092p4BR8FFlGi7lyTeBVOaQfjYzW3FCCNm20fGyWzw4EH3wg_MyreunDy0nbpYF1B15mhJ5DoVMUrcvn3VrZNYLxAjjwrEOj/w480-h640/IMG_5394.JPG" title="The Royal Hawaiian property" width="480" /></a></div><p>Then it was off to dinner. I had read about this Asian food court called "Stix" and apparently one of the shops had really good Ramen, so we went there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHmzwyPr5fPhOyJP-rE-OkG8MohyjkY0k7LBY7PqnG4lTCRfoK7xBzYFNosdogVsuXkMmIcYpoNf-5qeSLmPSVdPiWNVPTk3zaMnUjNPygIazETwKe99RGJYbR7kjaBCZDVNnWlHp6hZ5YODm0sauZ0UIDv6gZ_u8or4m9cUHOQAst34XoYUfeKBLTWJK/s3613/IMG_7203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3613" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHmzwyPr5fPhOyJP-rE-OkG8MohyjkY0k7LBY7PqnG4lTCRfoK7xBzYFNosdogVsuXkMmIcYpoNf-5qeSLmPSVdPiWNVPTk3zaMnUjNPygIazETwKe99RGJYbR7kjaBCZDVNnWlHp6hZ5YODm0sauZ0UIDv6gZ_u8or4m9cUHOQAst34XoYUfeKBLTWJK/w518-h640/IMG_7203.JPG" title="Stix Asian Food Court" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZyd5En5xlE9Z869ycRRLs0z3oTi7TgP4u-T8IUzdqk6LUl3bQBFrtEsdMFUEu8gQ9V9SWPJNQlsHRHtRjiN6D7t_2y8BKCPGsXTDn25F7XG8SiR-XkZRFHmqt-pfKT9sTBvU1HUXUOsF1gAylDbdJVoa1NZBs75FIGer54Hib8Jz5ztVG0a07tIqKeY7/s3927/IMG_7204.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZyd5En5xlE9Z869ycRRLs0z3oTi7TgP4u-T8IUzdqk6LUl3bQBFrtEsdMFUEu8gQ9V9SWPJNQlsHRHtRjiN6D7t_2y8BKCPGsXTDn25F7XG8SiR-XkZRFHmqt-pfKT9sTBvU1HUXUOsF1gAylDbdJVoa1NZBs75FIGer54Hib8Jz5ztVG0a07tIqKeY7/w480-h640/IMG_7204.JPG" title="Ramen Akutusuki" width="480" /></a></div><p>It was called "Ramen Akatusuki" and they apparently made their own noodles. We ordered the special Shio broth with Tonkotsu and I ordered a side of spicy clams to throw in. My son got an extra egg (ajitama). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Fb-hylYWtVTLn9h4R-a_vyKUDjfLmnzBhs8SjEA2M6YT_wDJ7ir1eeG_j9sibKiPGEdt7hATX9D1Bx6jjqcahN84sqNZ0rbWBCbUoO3mI2cq7cJygYaqPsQUKrKk8CgHhLl3eGQRxO5_aZe4gqcY2G1a2hZrwpQ9ke3KrTmGQGG7k6woRVaC4FvxxGlX/s3233/IMG_7207.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3233" data-original-width="2858" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Fb-hylYWtVTLn9h4R-a_vyKUDjfLmnzBhs8SjEA2M6YT_wDJ7ir1eeG_j9sibKiPGEdt7hATX9D1Bx6jjqcahN84sqNZ0rbWBCbUoO3mI2cq7cJygYaqPsQUKrKk8CgHhLl3eGQRxO5_aZe4gqcY2G1a2hZrwpQ9ke3KrTmGQGG7k6woRVaC4FvxxGlX/w566-h640/IMG_7207.JPG" title="BLECH Ramen" width="566" /></a></div><p>Well, what a disappointment!!! I guess we're too spoiled by all the fantastic top-notch , next-level ramen in Vancouver, and this was below average in my opinion. The chashu was TOUGH which I've never had before, it's usually melt in your mouth! The eggs were hard boiled and we like soy eggs that are jammy. Anyway, they also add a 4% tip for the kitchen staff and wait staff expects their own tip as well, our server told us. It didn't impress me for our first dinner back in Waikiki and based on that bowl of soup, I wouldn't return. 🙁 Son said he had zero expectations and with his Mai Tai buzz and hunger said it was fine, not excellent but good nonetheless. To each their own, haha. That might be the worst bowl of ramen I've ever eaten? We shopped a little, ended at the ABC store and picked up some wine/water and snacks for the room. We brought that back and then decided we'd go to "Duke's" for a night cap. We used to always start our trip with their breakfast buffet. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS-w5j8N721d70WTRC8NfdIpLMTPih_WdSFvMX13sc9PCNqScABInxeJUj5Pz9vOTLMG3v-afNVq3USdstoF4agJOYFCFfkBvppf9vs7YDLVFukT8TelEL0XRAbD99Ll_9ddePL6dhsZxKR_HUKkFteeLxgnE66667215W02oxuIP08g7gUuwoQViR8yI/s4032/IMG_7218.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS-w5j8N721d70WTRC8NfdIpLMTPih_WdSFvMX13sc9PCNqScABInxeJUj5Pz9vOTLMG3v-afNVq3USdstoF4agJOYFCFfkBvppf9vs7YDLVFukT8TelEL0XRAbD99Ll_9ddePL6dhsZxKR_HUKkFteeLxgnE66667215W02oxuIP08g7gUuwoQViR8yI/w640-h480/IMG_7218.JPG" title="Duke's Restaurant & Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>The outside was packed and no table to be found so we sat inside watching/listening to the band. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGZXc0z_425D_NOV2rHhXIZfV0_7oyIfFNsO0EcZxR5dl5t3qYx32LefojF3Lnws9b0covB2r0GihqREsSZElNiFR-u6ZZ_u31pB9-2ER0JwxJA2d2sMPvrsZYWdhYSeV8HCU61zjLtpIEjv_gHnmeGUoT-CiXuYTFu2WMouZ-E4YuUmxk8CMOJjn5Aoe/s3524/IMG_7215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3524" data-original-width="2889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGZXc0z_425D_NOV2rHhXIZfV0_7oyIfFNsO0EcZxR5dl5t3qYx32LefojF3Lnws9b0covB2r0GihqREsSZElNiFR-u6ZZ_u31pB9-2ER0JwxJA2d2sMPvrsZYWdhYSeV8HCU61zjLtpIEjv_gHnmeGUoT-CiXuYTFu2WMouZ-E4YuUmxk8CMOJjn5Aoe/w524-h640/IMG_7215.JPG" title="Duke's Mai Tai" width="524" /></a></div><p>I got another Mai Tai which didn't compare... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9nHu_1CqYdJSZOGsGboPBhbW2GdDlMaWJHDFtOI4x5VdvkO9p-ddw0TgMa52lILztgKhvFan1ktU0dq3_zUum779Ww0Z8IsMUPSiUqTc2lLDhBENT8upgsIwK1Jq1uepKf_NtdMgNMU2lRCW2Zyh9_SUpjZlaPdJ-5OCsDuWITdjmx1kuLxCv_Nx1wgl/s3016/IMG_7213.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9nHu_1CqYdJSZOGsGboPBhbW2GdDlMaWJHDFtOI4x5VdvkO9p-ddw0TgMa52lILztgKhvFan1ktU0dq3_zUum779Ww0Z8IsMUPSiUqTc2lLDhBENT8upgsIwK1Jq1uepKf_NtdMgNMU2lRCW2Zyh9_SUpjZlaPdJ-5OCsDuWITdjmx1kuLxCv_Nx1wgl/w620-h640/IMG_7213.JPG" title="Duke's Hula Pie" width="620" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Macadamia nut ice cream piled high on a chocolate cookie crust and topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and more macadamia nuts.</div><p>Son got the infamous "Hula Pie" and I got a Kale/Caesar salad that was just okay (not picture worthy). He enjoyed the pie and did a good job at finishing that $16 USD ($22 CAD) monster of a dessert! I just picked listlessly at my salad, meh...</p><p>We walked back to the hotel and shared the elevator with a couple who mentioned they were swaying in their steps after Mai Tai's at the Royal Hawaiian. We agreed with them and all had a good laugh about it. Back at the room, the beds were super comfy and it was time to sleep...6.5 km walked today and our whole $300 budget was pretty much spent, like we were.</p><p><b><u>Monday, November 6, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I was awake at 4 am island time. I had a good 7 hour sleep too so it let me unpack fully and write this report. We were going to try to get to the pool for 7 am and swim for a couple hours before our brunch reservation at "<b><u><a href="https://www.heavenly-waikiki.com/" target="_blank">Heavenly Island Lifestyle</a></u></b>". We did make it to the pool at 6:45 am. I do love those banyan trees! This pic below was not taken early in the morning when it was quieter. Also the beach bar didn't open till 11 am.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzybRQxcDdu5oUmHym4pFP25RYc5MmikhCFJlOxW73iEZI0hyphenhypheneCoyK5h3XSCteAd-VaNNiqs3e3CLiKqED4vhaq4TKilXl2ZA_fXAnZf65yXMdrAaMCP2tr9030mIC9iGGGmvTDLdAxxHA9MJsoZG8QwK5hkwlmpytNIqbhcP4IrJyyOHoP6EaH0s0JSEB/s3964/IMG_7193.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3964" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzybRQxcDdu5oUmHym4pFP25RYc5MmikhCFJlOxW73iEZI0hyphenhypheneCoyK5h3XSCteAd-VaNNiqs3e3CLiKqED4vhaq4TKilXl2ZA_fXAnZf65yXMdrAaMCP2tr9030mIC9iGGGmvTDLdAxxHA9MJsoZG8QwK5hkwlmpytNIqbhcP4IrJyyOHoP6EaH0s0JSEB/w640-h480/IMG_7193.JPG" title="Banyan Trees at the Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><p>We lined up for towels and grabbed a couple of loungers. A lot of them were reserved with people's stuff even though the pool didn't open till 7 and they didn't have pool towels on them. That really bothered me, and always does at all-inclusives as well. All good loungers were gone already. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3bePdhCBSCnhalDn55yIL_NZHaygZFbl7lPVGs-s2QWYUBYde-zgta1cxfw8jxIUwh7tUcPKn-Xgtx8BxsA0kxXhn5Bjhr0d6rge9-5p61x403KyZCnoUHkopNhHY5idw4-pNdiAJkw3pyFtSDGJSg43Gw9w0nwrrbzBiwqRdyUzYJQ-95yHPw1By4SV/s3949/IMG_7219.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="3949" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3bePdhCBSCnhalDn55yIL_NZHaygZFbl7lPVGs-s2QWYUBYde-zgta1cxfw8jxIUwh7tUcPKn-Xgtx8BxsA0kxXhn5Bjhr0d6rge9-5p61x403KyZCnoUHkopNhHY5idw4-pNdiAJkw3pyFtSDGJSg43Gw9w0nwrrbzBiwqRdyUzYJQ-95yHPw1By4SV/w640-h480/IMG_7219.JPG" title="Moana Surfrider Pool" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni-LEZIhQVitBGMy78Vk_IBsb13AlXn3tMV7mO_brPd8YH9avgD1MA9aSKfwDC2fMCuVQaTTZ918RL2vZiX4p-J9YemOIq620Y7lJ-HZvAerVYq-LFiHMUbusp4gq-5YQ9hcwF5cHcRYBCOUu8AX6uNl0C3ULcljdzuB1jBZytHJrRkSt6sHnlHRtPePk/s4032/IMG_7220.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni-LEZIhQVitBGMy78Vk_IBsb13AlXn3tMV7mO_brPd8YH9avgD1MA9aSKfwDC2fMCuVQaTTZ918RL2vZiX4p-J9YemOIq620Y7lJ-HZvAerVYq-LFiHMUbusp4gq-5YQ9hcwF5cHcRYBCOUu8AX6uNl0C3ULcljdzuB1jBZytHJrRkSt6sHnlHRtPePk/w640-h480/IMG_7220.JPG" title="Moana Surfrider Pool" width="640" /></a></div><p>Worse than that though was the pool! It was teeny! We were both very disappointed with it and it sure didn't make you want to return to it. Anyway, son swam and had the pool to himself as it was so early. We had a couple of coffees, a bagel w/ cream cheese and an ube (purple yam/superfood) breakfast parfait for about $30 USD ($42 CAD) from their poolside cafe. It was at this point where I realized that Waikiki was going to be an <b><i>uber expensive</i></b> vacation; even the ABC stores which used to be so reasonable and cheap for everything were now priced like a luxury store. I bought a bag of Hawaiian kettle chips and was shocked to see I paid $8.59 ($12 CAD) for a 7.5 oz bag! 🙄 Below are the "pay loungers/umbrella"...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsGEk0onDAtksgtiTvFpq3ovsbYeQIQT8_AYUzvsHhBx4whMi7fUxxVIlatqU16jjhTVGNU-JBO5wBwP42mK30dn7J4VBEwx3o9ak42CRWjN-4RS_xa4rhqPBKvXyxDG3JZzynWpEWsEi6y_WISvFw4uwu0IHB6CY65tS64qX4BNpdtrcFGs1_Gtry0B5/s4032/IMG_7222.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsGEk0onDAtksgtiTvFpq3ovsbYeQIQT8_AYUzvsHhBx4whMi7fUxxVIlatqU16jjhTVGNU-JBO5wBwP42mK30dn7J4VBEwx3o9ak42CRWjN-4RS_xa4rhqPBKvXyxDG3JZzynWpEWsEi6y_WISvFw4uwu0IHB6CY65tS64qX4BNpdtrcFGs1_Gtry0B5/w640-h480/IMG_7222.JPG" title="Pay Loungers @ Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><p>We went back to the room, showered and walked around, buying stuff (lol) before our lunch ressie. Waikiki is a shopping mecca! Wow, you could literally spend your day going through all the different stores here and not be bored if you like that kind of thing. The weather was was very windy which provided a nice relief from the hot sun. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r7vo1K-NbIGMZV2UI94zf4aQxOIbzeMhDABfPVAbeFfFITE6Tskp2m1nM7OW8rrP7KrtwjKmr0ZbTHwGjElPjiJ49Tq7ylJvlMgQkORTXuDBw65gejtwsju-eqRzS3t90w5zSvImlKPezNna1rXNk-tOTebJl6ZzWms-252wkMX0BQ6FG-Deqz8g9sjK/s3330/IMG_7228.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r7vo1K-NbIGMZV2UI94zf4aQxOIbzeMhDABfPVAbeFfFITE6Tskp2m1nM7OW8rrP7KrtwjKmr0ZbTHwGjElPjiJ49Tq7ylJvlMgQkORTXuDBw65gejtwsju-eqRzS3t90w5zSvImlKPezNna1rXNk-tOTebJl6ZzWms-252wkMX0BQ6FG-Deqz8g9sjK/w582-h640/IMG_7228.JPG" title="Heavenly Island Lifestyle" width="582" /></a></div><p>We were seated on the patio where one of the chairs had blown over (up the stairs to the right, above). I had the loco moco which was a healthy version with brown rice and lentils. $23 USD or $32 CAD.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBDKRVLtgqxP-dMPgPHvgtp1zZGiur0b8jHphEam9-BsK1LPaKsAh2JWWn6Jhm86MFmDP6UATKHjHCLwoj4q4GqYNxPE6L-i6e52O2qkjPXLsqvMxtIzCYvmjbo95AIbWgz5SvFVpprUNqP-x3L5tV_APnhhWGsbv8dBp5J7EtdT0s_iz4P1-nijFMmX/s3568/IMG_7233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3568" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sBDKRVLtgqxP-dMPgPHvgtp1zZGiur0b8jHphEam9-BsK1LPaKsAh2JWWn6Jhm86MFmDP6UATKHjHCLwoj4q4GqYNxPE6L-i6e52O2qkjPXLsqvMxtIzCYvmjbo95AIbWgz5SvFVpprUNqP-x3L5tV_APnhhWGsbv8dBp5J7EtdT0s_iz4P1-nijFMmX/w542-h640/IMG_7233.JPG" title="Healthy Loco Moco" width="542" /></a></div><p>Son had a "Kalua pig" eggs Benedict that came with purple yam fries. Also, $23 USD or $32 CAD.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlHBsQiy8YR1UzL6KDwCaCpuDK9hfv5Oi_tJNa-Q4DPLVJCFd-QQo7LTy99q2DTKb6Fu0X5nvc5ZZyTOYy8AELaVM3j1QjlAtqaajbgeG2GgsYWheG2uXgoDpSQtfXkfItoy-4TAMLbVxCQzgsRqIo6L4PV0_cozHBB4ctJY8xCf0vAS-7xW3K-s3koca/s2787/IMG_7236.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2452" data-original-width="2787" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlHBsQiy8YR1UzL6KDwCaCpuDK9hfv5Oi_tJNa-Q4DPLVJCFd-QQo7LTy99q2DTKb6Fu0X5nvc5ZZyTOYy8AELaVM3j1QjlAtqaajbgeG2GgsYWheG2uXgoDpSQtfXkfItoy-4TAMLbVxCQzgsRqIo6L4PV0_cozHBB4ctJY8xCf0vAS-7xW3K-s3koca/w640-h564/IMG_7236.JPG" title="Kalua Pig Eggs Benedict" width="640" /></a></div><p>Both were fantastic in taste though my rice was cold and son's pork was also cold. And we were served at different times. I was half done before he got his meal. However, we could let it go as the food was damn tasty and was an excellent meal. I'd return. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLt5TtavYx8gZVvHiUOLc9SaSWG0YV9L9JSNhSBmCkGI1S8Cz1wrrX9p9Offr0wlBo1MlmMEh2RVvnRffdzeF_fEMSH4K16Ik9JL9Dvg4KXn_b6xMmHnKLbNwXFdp1yPKoJU81emZwjQPd4ZRBPVW08kGr3FgNzxAu3TJfKu419dODTLyOTWxHOC0qUVB/s3870/IMG_7229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3870" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLt5TtavYx8gZVvHiUOLc9SaSWG0YV9L9JSNhSBmCkGI1S8Cz1wrrX9p9Offr0wlBo1MlmMEh2RVvnRffdzeF_fEMSH4K16Ik9JL9Dvg4KXn_b6xMmHnKLbNwXFdp1yPKoJU81emZwjQPd4ZRBPVW08kGr3FgNzxAu3TJfKu419dODTLyOTWxHOC0qUVB/w640-h480/IMG_7229.JPG" title="Marugame Udon" width="640" /></a></div><p>We walked a little bit around Kuhio avenue. This is the street we'd normally stay on when visiting. We saw a huge line for an Udon place and it was also recommended to my son by his dental hygienist. I had seen the good reviews too, so we put it on the list. There was lots of familiarity walking along Kuhio for the blocks we walked so far, at least to Kaʻiulani Ave. We made our way back down the main strip of Kalakaua Avenue and stopped at Long's drug store. They had reasonably priced wine! So this would be my new shopping place for it. I bought a bottle of "19 Crimes" by Snoop Dogg for $12 USD and called that a bargain! My first one since we've been here! 😀 We dropped everything off at the hotel and then it was time for happy hour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhsuslfrzXxVDVwV58PAA70A95q1M-_xsIncFl2jZU7Tc54KCGdL38hUJOM8ZpPW4PgBHiBnHbxNLhOF4j5wYh-ijdq5GKEsET4NDvuhYvA2bLCpU4oqV0rNPX7l_du-U4Q5bWY7BgvklTawSMI9AG6H4fYeDtbTLMArlisHZ-gKEO0yezau5mV2jwf9W/s3782/IMG_7237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="3782" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhsuslfrzXxVDVwV58PAA70A95q1M-_xsIncFl2jZU7Tc54KCGdL38hUJOM8ZpPW4PgBHiBnHbxNLhOF4j5wYh-ijdq5GKEsET4NDvuhYvA2bLCpU4oqV0rNPX7l_du-U4Q5bWY7BgvklTawSMI9AG6H4fYeDtbTLMArlisHZ-gKEO0yezau5mV2jwf9W/w640-h480/IMG_7237.JPG" title="Tommy Bahama" width="640" /></a></div><p>We walked to the Beachwalk and went to <b><u><a href="https://www.tommybahama.com/restaurants-and-marlin-bars/locations/waikiki" target="_blank">Tommy Bahama</a></u></b>. This place is a store underneath and bar/restaurant on top. Below is the view from our table when seated:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLJGuxbCVmrZ-YaIgVmoBK6Wl_kRUcI7wLFk0hjWXbzOzcJY5s1AHpsk2yQ3jZ3Qsld84dftY9wuLv6DyhwXiTV_ChaQSW4G35-s_LNTiA1n8tton0-KL9MO4EgAa991ttWhLKktlWKvF7Z_rURiQt8bzNiys90sNQ2jcjrDub1t_WogwDboY7Hc00jeh/s3942/IMG_7238.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2956" data-original-width="3942" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLJGuxbCVmrZ-YaIgVmoBK6Wl_kRUcI7wLFk0hjWXbzOzcJY5s1AHpsk2yQ3jZ3Qsld84dftY9wuLv6DyhwXiTV_ChaQSW4G35-s_LNTiA1n8tton0-KL9MO4EgAa991ttWhLKktlWKvF7Z_rURiQt8bzNiys90sNQ2jcjrDub1t_WogwDboY7Hc00jeh/w640-h480/IMG_7238.JPG" title="Tommy Bahama Rooftop Restaurant & Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>I had the usual Mai Tai ($12 USD or $16.50 CAD) and son had an Espresso Martini ($13). We split "mahi mahi tacos", one each for $12 as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtFDC2NxTAPZn0Iug-zwoQ-C5awZRJEU3bCTOGQhBxIxa8K6tqLJ_HEfPqGKkCqPU3mg5dDskXA4-V7DmMFqxCwpZehYZi6UQhQDmZq0WgjwXYLmjC4b2OyIXyFwna96pNAs_rOaffOGraFpn0eT8j3z29ju0wO9qoz6g69HM6KjrvlQ24BKkvHOC6Ux0/s3314/IMG_7242.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3314" data-original-width="2906" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtFDC2NxTAPZn0Iug-zwoQ-C5awZRJEU3bCTOGQhBxIxa8K6tqLJ_HEfPqGKkCqPU3mg5dDskXA4-V7DmMFqxCwpZehYZi6UQhQDmZq0WgjwXYLmjC4b2OyIXyFwna96pNAs_rOaffOGraFpn0eT8j3z29ju0wO9qoz6g69HM6KjrvlQ24BKkvHOC6Ux0/w562-h640/IMG_7242.JPG" title="Mahi Mahi Tacos" width="562" /></a></div><p>Service was excellent and we sat here and enjoyed the wind and the warmth and I started to feel like I was in vacation mode. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqi9vV2YZUUK35tMW0ZQfXQ8Ojb9m8PXd0Kb78hzYO2a1SsJXqyu6gFzfDGxK4tnWn6IOsRtSr0LUg5uMJ7sbAkYnfdv0GT7YPMciotlJBdTc7M1LFiQvFHe2XSLumyIS8LtepF2d7-6m4pojT8NrFJFUWrMpnVbr5z3D3FRONfRnF90sDW5PcN_agfV1/s3434/IMG_7240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3434" data-original-width="2303" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqi9vV2YZUUK35tMW0ZQfXQ8Ojb9m8PXd0Kb78hzYO2a1SsJXqyu6gFzfDGxK4tnWn6IOsRtSr0LUg5uMJ7sbAkYnfdv0GT7YPMciotlJBdTc7M1LFiQvFHe2XSLumyIS8LtepF2d7-6m4pojT8NrFJFUWrMpnVbr5z3D3FRONfRnF90sDW5PcN_agfV1/w430-h640/IMG_7240.JPG" title="Mai Tai" width="430" /></a></div><p>Next stop was Wolfgang's Steakhouse for dinner happy hour. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6FdHU8kNLAZyOzkq73T3LO1kf0QfqVZgw4c_x3akR65SneQHT-FKur38PeXxOhSNGIi4MqVNDa6A8lRjwsJ28NIGFqCt1iy79UO0s82uvaBTfjC7l92TD2unaIsqj15vbgrIV_ZKIQRgmrW9gMyPXGipCQHMSygxkSIiZzSrMoefSYQrKqHLUMNOfCRu/s3905/IMG_7246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3905" data-original-width="2929" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6FdHU8kNLAZyOzkq73T3LO1kf0QfqVZgw4c_x3akR65SneQHT-FKur38PeXxOhSNGIi4MqVNDa6A8lRjwsJ28NIGFqCt1iy79UO0s82uvaBTfjC7l92TD2unaIsqj15vbgrIV_ZKIQRgmrW9gMyPXGipCQHMSygxkSIiZzSrMoefSYQrKqHLUMNOfCRu/w480-h640/IMG_7246.JPG" title="Wolfgang's Steakhouse" width="480" /></a></div><p>Son had wanted to go here for loco moco since he had passed on the healthy one at brunch earlier, haha. We were seated and ordered the mini loco mocos ($10 USD) and lobster crostini ($18 USD or $25 CAD). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGG_MfCP4s7NusLvdiby_qHP6wKfvMxdDO7SSwcG5QzHaiJRpb6kk_z2Iu0WoBAMCfuXDJ_XqycDM2K-BL8MQNeyac86P3c3xJbY0PsEqtl1UZU23hv0SgtRuceg4xcbA0BCSSpobJ2CUwx21IHaAtKyb9ivxQrAMY3ijyFTaNkpMr5eZDYZdH3edpxMC/s3606/IMG_7252.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3606" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGG_MfCP4s7NusLvdiby_qHP6wKfvMxdDO7SSwcG5QzHaiJRpb6kk_z2Iu0WoBAMCfuXDJ_XqycDM2K-BL8MQNeyac86P3c3xJbY0PsEqtl1UZU23hv0SgtRuceg4xcbA0BCSSpobJ2CUwx21IHaAtKyb9ivxQrAMY3ijyFTaNkpMr5eZDYZdH3edpxMC/w640-h536/IMG_7252.JPG" title="Lobster Crostini" width="640" /></a></div><p>I had a Mai Tai and son had a Lemon Drop Martini, both cheap at $8 USD ($11 CAD) each and loaded with booze, lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRG0Z-ACR3zzLSYyrKFWamo9MBA-Cbe-eFCnE-6Pleg9oS2W244kkdIU4XPTMjkifPQ7QutbsGaG253g8IgCqHPwJsIVf_sWc7x2GAZtVTR5rxu08m35TCFHq-FBOrndkEOnfu2cBmgsiB0kySrBG7-laZDvaKQ9rl5CcAi4sQhBs-8JeoV_dwJDVnXWP/s3048/IMG_7249.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3048" data-original-width="2441" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRG0Z-ACR3zzLSYyrKFWamo9MBA-Cbe-eFCnE-6Pleg9oS2W244kkdIU4XPTMjkifPQ7QutbsGaG253g8IgCqHPwJsIVf_sWc7x2GAZtVTR5rxu08m35TCFHq-FBOrndkEOnfu2cBmgsiB0kySrBG7-laZDvaKQ9rl5CcAi4sQhBs-8JeoV_dwJDVnXWP/w512-h640/IMG_7249.JPG" title="Lemon Drop Martini & Mai Tai" width="512" /></a></div><p>We were both buzzed after this round. The food was okay. I definitely preferred the lunch loco moco though the beef was better here as it <i>should</i> be. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-sIT1CgdAYHnrZzNnXiEji-IdoiOcLLI-oJAPsvyrltHnWvt-EXPuBqwETceMNxM6m3iZmIq0MdExFYBUrjfLylWkyoTJbLcjQni3tIy2dkdGTirbSkojO3VxOZwVSAuPyxmewQ8NSManEl1SV_dWEHeirtXTTKsAK2ZSrUjpVBc-YUZYmaVdhG56vpV/s3781/IMG_7256.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3781" data-original-width="2948" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-sIT1CgdAYHnrZzNnXiEji-IdoiOcLLI-oJAPsvyrltHnWvt-EXPuBqwETceMNxM6m3iZmIq0MdExFYBUrjfLylWkyoTJbLcjQni3tIy2dkdGTirbSkojO3VxOZwVSAuPyxmewQ8NSManEl1SV_dWEHeirtXTTKsAK2ZSrUjpVBc-YUZYmaVdhG56vpV/w500-h640/IMG_7256.JPG" title="Loco Moco" width="500" /></a></div><p>We shared the lobster crostini and that was a sad, sad disappointment. Couldn't even taste or find the lobster, could have been pollock for all we knew. Son ordered a hot fudge sundae and I got an Irish coffee to close the meal. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEEJp_FcOP4M682CyrVPIT5HlmHGhGP-smxfAsRj59vyZzaeUahFjWLevfwv2WnueFrjpR13D1nRAJdcHmdZDEwd5FZP-K9Ff0G_zR59Q-uBK6KnK2fONPJUUz2oSq_rVFlxZWo8sO13b9iNrVa5q8_JhJ0w_KbtMZGIQhZj4JOwd-izDUzZ8OMMWdL9J/s3345/IMG_7257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3345" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEEJp_FcOP4M682CyrVPIT5HlmHGhGP-smxfAsRj59vyZzaeUahFjWLevfwv2WnueFrjpR13D1nRAJdcHmdZDEwd5FZP-K9Ff0G_zR59Q-uBK6KnK2fONPJUUz2oSq_rVFlxZWo8sO13b9iNrVa5q8_JhJ0w_KbtMZGIQhZj4JOwd-izDUzZ8OMMWdL9J/w286-h640/IMG_7257.JPG" title="Hot Fudge Sundae" width="286" /></a></div><p>Both of these had whip cream on top that were like lumps of churned butter. It didn't taste very good either, like butter with sugar added to it. We both scooped it off and let our server know. He said it was supposed to be that way, so we shrugged our shoulders and let it go. Another server came over and said he heard we didn't like the whip cream. He explained that it was dairy free (being vegan in a steakhouse, lol) and was made with coconut oil. I told him it may be healthier but it looked like turds. I couldn't believe I said that and when I did, he replied, "Well, since you put it that way...." and scurried off. My son and I laughed about that all night. That's what a potent Mai Tai will make you say! It was a fair cost and bill was $95 USD ($131 CAD) after 20% tip. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby_Xg8Rm5aP4tP2K51LgP9qT7zLVnzWr9q5l26PIpxw_bNCXh3PGUV6bFNq605dGOBbta05ndC4QjuKU9muE7cJXL9zkxuW21OFr2LnHYcbmfcn07sjLZHPsE_IYODMODTUqh6qbpbfvGpaqW7OGdpMf-6CUBu3g6SJwcWQsRfyr_7R33eIimtD8Cq0US/s3756/IMG_7259.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2817" data-original-width="3756" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby_Xg8Rm5aP4tP2K51LgP9qT7zLVnzWr9q5l26PIpxw_bNCXh3PGUV6bFNq605dGOBbta05ndC4QjuKU9muE7cJXL9zkxuW21OFr2LnHYcbmfcn07sjLZHPsE_IYODMODTUqh6qbpbfvGpaqW7OGdpMf-6CUBu3g6SJwcWQsRfyr_7R33eIimtD8Cq0US/w640-h480/IMG_7259.JPG" title="International Market Place" width="640" /></a></div><p>We walked back to our hotel and took a rest in the room before deciding to walk through the new "International Market Place". It was night now but the pic above was obviously taken during the day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IVjL3RTmIDuHTZ89WMB9h-efAZ_HOEIpKKwT_I4EfUR1dVqjacoxMFMFeAgLx6w0NHsVp8z-n2XI0a0aXWpZQ0xsni46MZhD76DvWkXpSp6HjtkmSPNMJcXj16v7amYjL_0pA0w04i9OEwh6c__Cb3yypJwOzlSXwJlDoVIr7dLnwdNVfZM6e4ZY87S7/s3810/IMG_5405.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3810" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IVjL3RTmIDuHTZ89WMB9h-efAZ_HOEIpKKwT_I4EfUR1dVqjacoxMFMFeAgLx6w0NHsVp8z-n2XI0a0aXWpZQ0xsni46MZhD76DvWkXpSp6HjtkmSPNMJcXj16v7amYjL_0pA0w04i9OEwh6c__Cb3yypJwOzlSXwJlDoVIr7dLnwdNVfZM6e4ZY87S7/w640-h508/IMG_5405.JPG" title="International Market Place" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was kind of sad to see it redone all fancy like this but I guess it was bound to happen. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPuzo9V7L8vXNjIfSSTQX7U-B_KaiJv8m-GsF6-cCiDr5_vmWd5M8ZvfmWAcox-9W75lK-vpA1t6aV_rjAfvfmERocngAvm-tk2vnRuItbrb73cONtQHLCp7Wh0TdlmxKJmcUNdJ7m_G8_O7rxqNWbrABN8FNvahSq-RIDl8wl1YCr6Tlzjjb8mjMWkEj/s3979/IMG_7264.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3979" data-original-width="2984" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPuzo9V7L8vXNjIfSSTQX7U-B_KaiJv8m-GsF6-cCiDr5_vmWd5M8ZvfmWAcox-9W75lK-vpA1t6aV_rjAfvfmERocngAvm-tk2vnRuItbrb73cONtQHLCp7Wh0TdlmxKJmcUNdJ7m_G8_O7rxqNWbrABN8FNvahSq-RIDl8wl1YCr6Tlzjjb8mjMWkEj/w480-h640/IMG_7264.JPG" title="Top Shelf Dining" width="480" /></a></div><p>The top floor was all high end restaurants like you'll find in Vegas and the shops were upscale. We went through the food court and there was live music though lacking the "Aloha Spirit" that used to be there. We missed the old marketplace that was like a flea market atmosphere.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIcPibz08WX-nhZWKP-utwXSVwOOgWgSEMNlbzj4crO0cRmssuNuQp9mQXiMJLWnC1QtBjg3tnpTPf_PXy-9PNwizBRVf38q3eGqpc0dSAHeKpinx7HspICUS9nSQceKhLXn0wyx5i7PZ7qHTbUixe3EPr4MH5lLhZ-277xKDB8Y_wXIZFcgoa3HB9NVY/s4032/IMG_7267.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIcPibz08WX-nhZWKP-utwXSVwOOgWgSEMNlbzj4crO0cRmssuNuQp9mQXiMJLWnC1QtBjg3tnpTPf_PXy-9PNwizBRVf38q3eGqpc0dSAHeKpinx7HspICUS9nSQceKhLXn0wyx5i7PZ7qHTbUixe3EPr4MH5lLhZ-277xKDB8Y_wXIZFcgoa3HB9NVY/w480-h640/IMG_7267.JPG" title="Marugame Udon Line Up" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DAK2VEB3YDDEMr-49fG_A9X4yXVvp1kVdpoazxG_CS3UNKr5Ae_Pn_fSunLq75fDR9024nCwj5Y91deFrVZwfCQzVuWuP1DKs8PZA1z3VQnTkWHF5i55a7eJ1qExURExnL-zxndmNfRtyE0CfUmizOip88rZulgReOVdJ6sWgzP_wU10tFEBP_AZhF2X/s4032/IMG_7269.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DAK2VEB3YDDEMr-49fG_A9X4yXVvp1kVdpoazxG_CS3UNKr5Ae_Pn_fSunLq75fDR9024nCwj5Y91deFrVZwfCQzVuWuP1DKs8PZA1z3VQnTkWHF5i55a7eJ1qExURExnL-zxndmNfRtyE0CfUmizOip88rZulgReOVdJ6sWgzP_wU10tFEBP_AZhF2X/w480-h640/IMG_7269.JPG" title="Marugame Udon" width="480" /></a></div><p>We ended up stopping at the Udon place which we had to queue up for. The line moved fast though and tables were cleaned as soon as someone left. Service was very efficient. We both ordered curry soup and I grabbed a mushroom and crab tempura. Son got a chicken katsu. The price was about $35 USD ($48 CAD) for everything. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlG3G1MRnu_t0lKB036zAUcS0WDUWWYNiI0lIC22JmwLOpF5aRnTqwgOAknCfrIZO3j8psXbqZm8nKkuXKpCaAprSPwLWAEgL22Hvl4AidSes5nQMT4ZCSYpE8-fIry02jaNh2PFyX1ypPfZ4XspidqRYDr-262Kkzsn6lyg-gFrKhw6PO6-x0pcg42ay/s3742/IMG_7271.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3742" data-original-width="2888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlG3G1MRnu_t0lKB036zAUcS0WDUWWYNiI0lIC22JmwLOpF5aRnTqwgOAknCfrIZO3j8psXbqZm8nKkuXKpCaAprSPwLWAEgL22Hvl4AidSes5nQMT4ZCSYpE8-fIry02jaNh2PFyX1ypPfZ4XspidqRYDr-262Kkzsn6lyg-gFrKhw6PO6-x0pcg42ay/w494-h640/IMG_7271.JPG" title="Meh Udon" width="494" /></a></div><p>UGH, I did NOT like this meal at all! I barely touched it. I guess the lineups are because of the pricing, it's something <b><i>filling</i></b> and <b><i>affordable</i></b>. It is not because the food is good! Son wasn't thrilled either and unfortunately we left almost all of it there, I ate the mushrooms and son ate the katsu, lol. Neither of us like fat udon noodles though either, to be fair...son said he thought the curry had nice flavor, I did not. Good for them though, a business model that works.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WY6TSQ0BpTTr8qIE2g59fpfYMSB1qJlvaxQsXEQx1H3_-Mipj6CKsui92Nbe0XqnRH4SE_67QdPS-O-bYwDCTN5l_lS1tJ-trcxF_h8ZL-ujmdA112jhTKSIjeVG_O_ZB_YFcNSCtmnte5iCcyJ1CGSfijRoGw9yMUzkEAPmg3J3DVbe0K_1mioEZHFh/s3913/IMG_7266.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="2934" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WY6TSQ0BpTTr8qIE2g59fpfYMSB1qJlvaxQsXEQx1H3_-Mipj6CKsui92Nbe0XqnRH4SE_67QdPS-O-bYwDCTN5l_lS1tJ-trcxF_h8ZL-ujmdA112jhTKSIjeVG_O_ZB_YFcNSCtmnte5iCcyJ1CGSfijRoGw9yMUzkEAPmg3J3DVbe0K_1mioEZHFh/w480-h640/IMG_7266.JPG" title="Kuhio Food Hall" width="480" /></a></div><p>We walked back through the food court, bought a sub for lunch and a skinny wrap we could split for breakfast. We had booked loungers and an umbrella on Waikiki beach through the hotel for tomorrow and that was $100 USD ($138 CAD 🙄)! Those chairs were ours from 7 am to 5:30 pm. We had to charge it to our room as that was the only option. Anyway, we overspent our budget today by $100+. We also walked 10.5 km and dropped off to sleep pretty quickly...</p><p><b><u>Tuesday, November 7, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I awoke at 5 am island time and started writing the trip report. We were ready to head to the beach for 7 am. We had coffee in the room (Keurig) and our wrap we split for breakfast. The hotel supplied two 500 ml bottles of Aquafina water per day as well included in their exorbitant resort fee. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YzGCGfTQl04zn1JJ5ziM0VpH_LTrmVYQC2LLvxvmsDylZnoYeWPQVy7GrcCap2-HAi3O4FEqMyc5ybNG88QlXgUj3EaG-rANJQ-6i7heOTHf9G41bo_wegAdOjqZwouqclrnSHYJV-SUmu12HvrxVxByqHVWDkXnelj3lQWbDdhbLaLwucu7JM-YIkx5/s3986/IMG_7276.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3986" data-original-width="2990" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YzGCGfTQl04zn1JJ5ziM0VpH_LTrmVYQC2LLvxvmsDylZnoYeWPQVy7GrcCap2-HAi3O4FEqMyc5ybNG88QlXgUj3EaG-rANJQ-6i7heOTHf9G41bo_wegAdOjqZwouqclrnSHYJV-SUmu12HvrxVxByqHVWDkXnelj3lQWbDdhbLaLwucu7JM-YIkx5/w480-h640/IMG_7276.JPG" title="Pay Loungers Moana Surfrider" width="480" /></a></div><p>At the pool desk a man walked us to our loungers and put the towels down for us. I tipped him a couple bucks. About a half hour later, he presented me with a bill for chairs - $105 after tax. I told him that I believed this was charged to my room yesterday when I booked it. He replied that no it hadn't been and a gratuity was expected. OMFG 🙄! So I put $15 on to make it $120 and I paid that gratuity for what???? - putting towels on the chair and being told I can't eat a sandwich there??? 😳 🙄 The truth was, I was mad at myself for tipping that much. In hindsight (which is 20/20) our hotel was so close to the beach that we didn't even need chairs. We could have just brought our key card, swam till our heart's content, grabbed a towel to dry off and left... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbnMwBGUSZ-Io8-kWhMbeU3d9X2Bb8zvkOYq2MBd3SdmHGs17pHXFe8Lh1vE55CO5ibSLqUnNgPDJ4vOsb-OKVD0tXoPx7LHydoW4aNhfx9IrGclpYLk1Tm7tAva3CZv8pzpcpva4U6mhy9KjSxuLMvjyyq_wxLpyioLqpjuEE2aedJOp4hKK3aVLohn7/s4032/IMG_7279.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbnMwBGUSZ-Io8-kWhMbeU3d9X2Bb8zvkOYq2MBd3SdmHGs17pHXFe8Lh1vE55CO5ibSLqUnNgPDJ4vOsb-OKVD0tXoPx7LHydoW4aNhfx9IrGclpYLk1Tm7tAva3CZv8pzpcpva4U6mhy9KjSxuLMvjyyq_wxLpyioLqpjuEE2aedJOp4hKK3aVLohn7/w640-h480/IMG_7279.JPG" title="Waikiki Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>At about 11:30 am I went upstairs and grabbed our sub (we split a 12") and pop for my son. No sooner did we take a bite, a pool guy was at our chairs telling us we couldn't eat our food there. 🙄 Seriously? My face must have expressed that as he quickly said he'd let us finish it if we hurried up. UGH, that ruined the rest of my day there. After he left I wished I would have asked him if he wanted us to step over the rope a foot away and eat it on the public beach then. I was really unhappy we couldn't eat/drink what we wanted without being spied on. Pic of rope is below (of course with another chance to show Diamond Head too, lol): </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBe6xaJbDGGBJ6tCO3iaDDfrgd4Rrsu7qZtuHGbL_9Tf0SvxV6JVQMKkH7r8BLmnvbXdxuqsUklGiHW2o8soWQ5i4YZVh4WMNovyHkd_vCS-8TOF7MMTbWzSFRXzJf1OT-b4bnrUjUC77QUSURYdJ9Vfn3IPh7D1AKNoWCOc3uDL3RxbetikxY-ninNyS/s3942/IMG_7278.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2956" data-original-width="3942" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBe6xaJbDGGBJ6tCO3iaDDfrgd4Rrsu7qZtuHGbL_9Tf0SvxV6JVQMKkH7r8BLmnvbXdxuqsUklGiHW2o8soWQ5i4YZVh4WMNovyHkd_vCS-8TOF7MMTbWzSFRXzJf1OT-b4bnrUjUC77QUSURYdJ9Vfn3IPh7D1AKNoWCOc3uDL3RxbetikxY-ninNyS/w640-h480/IMG_7278.JPG" title="Rope Division from Hotel Property to Public Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>Also, little did I know, that the sub we ate would also ruin part of my son and I's evening later on as well... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAiKma91oFsP-xNBjE4_D2s9PMmjhUAdD-BjzNT8eqA73dibDIQmY-hx2ohwBBzKGDaTuJx5W7nCWsp38Ygokn8PsrL3_qP4J8F_0fhfcazr830pCYV5lHhC8_9bIICjjxl5OnJXwhntEnGdj0EMv_P48Qweofq3RGhabOS-lbXiD4c1FOctxXx7wJqcw/s4032/IMG_7287.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAiKma91oFsP-xNBjE4_D2s9PMmjhUAdD-BjzNT8eqA73dibDIQmY-hx2ohwBBzKGDaTuJx5W7nCWsp38Ygokn8PsrL3_qP4J8F_0fhfcazr830pCYV5lHhC8_9bIICjjxl5OnJXwhntEnGdj0EMv_P48Qweofq3RGhabOS-lbXiD4c1FOctxXx7wJqcw/w480-h640/IMG_7287.JPG" title="Catamaran Crew" width="480" /></a></div><p>We lasted till about 2:30 pm and had enough sun. It was tired and draining watching hawt instagram men/women at the beach all day, lol. The red flag/jellyfish warning had been out since we arrived as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCQpYPIZQPcZNKf9dei-6pKAwG8l_TMbGccymGRfA46_T_fWieRYVvtWusiNQ5fsxAe3nO-xBr6DuFKSTC9O7QZRbb83_-V5FHvdA1Y9ac1pf0hTghJ0dwlpcH8Pk3FZnqAwntwSiJJGoPKqo-CRbNDh8LzazXBzzrEGtDNzjHH2c1CLCqg9Xlr88rzZx/s3699/IMG_7281.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3699" data-original-width="2775" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCQpYPIZQPcZNKf9dei-6pKAwG8l_TMbGccymGRfA46_T_fWieRYVvtWusiNQ5fsxAe3nO-xBr6DuFKSTC9O7QZRbb83_-V5FHvdA1Y9ac1pf0hTghJ0dwlpcH8Pk3FZnqAwntwSiJJGoPKqo-CRbNDh8LzazXBzzrEGtDNzjHH2c1CLCqg9Xlr88rzZx/w480-h640/IMG_7281.JPG" title="Red Flag Jellyfish Warning" width="480" /></a></div><p>My son said while he was swimming a woman in an inner tube float had told him to be careful as someone had stepped on a sea urchin yesterday and explained how the spike went right through their foot. Ouch! It put him off being in the ocean finally but he did enjoy a few good hours swimming. It was rocky (sharp) going in and I had forgot my water shoes in the room so I only went in once. The waves were forceful too and rolled me over getting out onto the beach. Rain was intermittent throughout the day as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNPPtn28TwglXuv-eHjwqkxexeNeP8XEXfCtC9phmYXWs3CtKe5uXDbTmyq9otPbiRT7FsjkVDH4jJgdFpuXRqjuC61jxU0v6OeWuOq8olkYftYNeB1hDU2QZpySzodZ2Ex0ElxGsS5qK5RviODiGdrfv4vLmkBzybZ8iZLrStJjlBDSDHztFV6JR94lL/s3986/IMG_7292.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3986" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNPPtn28TwglXuv-eHjwqkxexeNeP8XEXfCtC9phmYXWs3CtKe5uXDbTmyq9otPbiRT7FsjkVDH4jJgdFpuXRqjuC61jxU0v6OeWuOq8olkYftYNeB1hDU2QZpySzodZ2Ex0ElxGsS5qK5RviODiGdrfv4vLmkBzybZ8iZLrStJjlBDSDHztFV6JR94lL/w640-h480/IMG_7292.JPG" title="Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><p>We showered, I washed our swim gear out and we got ready for dinner. I had found a Japanese place that had great reviews. It was like a hidden gem, stowed away in the back of a hotel by the pool. It was called <b><u><a href="https://wasabibistro.com/" target="_blank">Wasabi Bistro</a></u></b> and was packed full or reserved signs on all the tables. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh57n6FOVPK5Sl29Fal9jRtvlqRyZbvOgxRHjnGRxww88QvW1mvRMP4iSBT_AEGYmmVfEfgjcedarwSZEnH13x4nMvlpvTNOjfnGIVHgVMmrszB3PIZbVklgXAG8w9VINYGK2tqzrZlDUPI31iDuTLAjy29ZiIFQfnfKx1IxV2Na8kmG5rf8Ny-B2qjWz/s3898/IMG_7293.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3898" data-original-width="2924" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh57n6FOVPK5Sl29Fal9jRtvlqRyZbvOgxRHjnGRxww88QvW1mvRMP4iSBT_AEGYmmVfEfgjcedarwSZEnH13x4nMvlpvTNOjfnGIVHgVMmrszB3PIZbVklgXAG8w9VINYGK2tqzrZlDUPI31iDuTLAjy29ZiIFQfnfKx1IxV2Na8kmG5rf8Ny-B2qjWz/w480-h640/IMG_7293.JPG" title="Wasabi Bistro" width="480" /></a></div><p>Food was very good here. Everything was thoughtful and tasteful. Portion sizes were smallish but we ate enough. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwOnjDV9NImdkyRrwkO_k0R7gTfUQqd0yyNdH0SYMhdnEVnFZ9x9xVKdSOgqAyXrRpfvWzF39NM6SUl5YcHCsV_A33wJ7jOFoKg4j-PFMYUFBUGpm8Kten4p5HZf791M6XEqat0RSA9uv8VPfSaSoqSgsPuMiCI9c-AXsEci9EWoOOIoYypRAio1rxOqe/s3024/IMG_7294.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3024" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwOnjDV9NImdkyRrwkO_k0R7gTfUQqd0yyNdH0SYMhdnEVnFZ9x9xVKdSOgqAyXrRpfvWzF39NM6SUl5YcHCsV_A33wJ7jOFoKg4j-PFMYUFBUGpm8Kten4p5HZf791M6XEqat0RSA9uv8VPfSaSoqSgsPuMiCI9c-AXsEci9EWoOOIoYypRAio1rxOqe/w640-h626/IMG_7294.JPG" title="Sashimi Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sashimi Salad – $24.00 USD or $33 CAD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvM7XqwBwKJdeouIPnmyM9fuY8TvsIHztZz4MX50WBQB14FBE_RMt4lyTdulQ7D-EpU9hkeQ1QFw_UYF85yJbu9vnPKw584Zcq_fZoAo33Pblg46YnDYEkDvzScXwTlGt1-g9GvLnM-cmMjfawsA73nhO-VgQzCe1trrAyxvrm8F3XiQk1AYTPySHBu2g/s2865/IMG_7296.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2163" data-original-width="2865" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvM7XqwBwKJdeouIPnmyM9fuY8TvsIHztZz4MX50WBQB14FBE_RMt4lyTdulQ7D-EpU9hkeQ1QFw_UYF85yJbu9vnPKw584Zcq_fZoAo33Pblg46YnDYEkDvzScXwTlGt1-g9GvLnM-cmMjfawsA73nhO-VgQzCe1trrAyxvrm8F3XiQk1AYTPySHBu2g/w640-h484/IMG_7296.JPG" title="Pork Gyoza" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pork Gyoza - $8 USD or $11 CAD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikykYeIo-X2ARGhgwvZTggLwLJRJk-d1Hf_2w5hacPsvLYBR69Q2Tch-arJlZtCl1Wa1Y2iu_-2QgbRAU2rZVkllUjCBX9gZ4IofRLhpwGWF4rjbhqkeJvkHNGJ9oDeSUlEiq-rhbvU9H6dbHodTLatKINRVsUu647KHeNlIyWK0SF0NHh6K9u0ipLdyfX/s3316/IMG_5414.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2195" data-original-width="3316" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikykYeIo-X2ARGhgwvZTggLwLJRJk-d1Hf_2w5hacPsvLYBR69Q2Tch-arJlZtCl1Wa1Y2iu_-2QgbRAU2rZVkllUjCBX9gZ4IofRLhpwGWF4rjbhqkeJvkHNGJ9oDeSUlEiq-rhbvU9H6dbHodTLatKINRVsUu647KHeNlIyWK0SF0NHh6K9u0ipLdyfX/w640-h424/IMG_5414.JPG" title="Chicken Tatsutaage – $9.50" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chicken Tatsutaage – $9.50 USD or $13 CAD. My son said this was possibly the best fried chicken he's had a Japanese restaurant. High praise!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77ecghkeAmQCYykxIvJ8MkdhyphenhyphenVtvA7eXVg9ybyMnLm4hEJDAFyRvEuBPJ0ikrbIneH7i-dMcRUDjjhJygrsQY1ZtcqpwHSjbHwuku7f_TvLiz1pGKjHLrOhNvqZsz_bfu9SPK1riJi-729rfpsKBqPxYs6EZzBo5Q8DJWa5-0RXK29PG7POUTm7ydkaBV/s2985/IMG_7301.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2920" data-original-width="2985" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77ecghkeAmQCYykxIvJ8MkdhyphenhyphenVtvA7eXVg9ybyMnLm4hEJDAFyRvEuBPJ0ikrbIneH7i-dMcRUDjjhJygrsQY1ZtcqpwHSjbHwuku7f_TvLiz1pGKjHLrOhNvqZsz_bfu9SPK1riJi-729rfpsKBqPxYs6EZzBo5Q8DJWa5-0RXK29PG7POUTm7ydkaBV/w640-h626/IMG_7301.JPG" title="Wasabi #1 Special" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wasabi No.1 Special – $15.00 USD or $21 CAD - Crab Meat and Avocado with White Fish, baked with Secret Sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpWeLwT5ys86WFewvcXtxSdTyOcsugajuimRwn4x35eci7YdI5Ng_jgjPr9jL359EhXyU-RQGxcdXFwFRrzSZQUG5_f0lHFBmkUe1xsgnwyTieEP1uZimg_s3g9VbcAaAiZzrX-8w2bLQJ-7LN_AS1iudCK_1UMauYsqeT_bdF2KMJwlluk69bt_WA7ZK/s2841/IMG_7303.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="2841" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpWeLwT5ys86WFewvcXtxSdTyOcsugajuimRwn4x35eci7YdI5Ng_jgjPr9jL359EhXyU-RQGxcdXFwFRrzSZQUG5_f0lHFBmkUe1xsgnwyTieEP1uZimg_s3g9VbcAaAiZzrX-8w2bLQJ-7LN_AS1iudCK_1UMauYsqeT_bdF2KMJwlluk69bt_WA7ZK/w640-h262/IMG_7303.JPG" title="Real Crab California Roll" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Real Crab California Roll (teeny!) $15 USD or $21 CAD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAaljT124fM2YX3663iIphTjBG9nNlNrsUZnzn1DsmhKEXBLFO5RZXVry-HxVzWhZ81PdAlXzLNfNRYqHxJhyphenhyphenk2SSXeKbG3mjkRXcXg-_EamdtR8CaqdKTcAeN2iA0WLqvqj2bN4Y0OcRU3kqkR1cB1G8zY9bbZdElT3R4jVQcIQqp98Dd7cA4Rn0wqM9/s2903/IMG_7305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="2848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAaljT124fM2YX3663iIphTjBG9nNlNrsUZnzn1DsmhKEXBLFO5RZXVry-HxVzWhZ81PdAlXzLNfNRYqHxJhyphenhyphenk2SSXeKbG3mjkRXcXg-_EamdtR8CaqdKTcAeN2iA0WLqvqj2bN4Y0OcRU3kqkR1cB1G8zY9bbZdElT3R4jVQcIQqp98Dd7cA4Rn0wqM9/w628-h640/IMG_7305.JPG" title="Bluefin Toro Scallion Roll" width="628" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bluefin Toro Scallion Roll (Teeny!) – $14 USD or $19 CAD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5-6e_d8A_Sg2J4HncELzGIwB1FxW-K47uzEpR_apPoOc-FBxYPzqcLZPL-nHDRF2qzRg3SVdKvD2KZhViua3wxQnS8jYAPz0Jxm71Vuq0EOPUhravXUprpzt1Zdhv-emMG03p4M_WoNKGbtb5m3T1gtzIhiZgGsCfH4K3TWseJBUM7Z7IcPR8g_HhEGC/s2822/IMG_7308.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="2822" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5-6e_d8A_Sg2J4HncELzGIwB1FxW-K47uzEpR_apPoOc-FBxYPzqcLZPL-nHDRF2qzRg3SVdKvD2KZhViua3wxQnS8jYAPz0Jxm71Vuq0EOPUhravXUprpzt1Zdhv-emMG03p4M_WoNKGbtb5m3T1gtzIhiZgGsCfH4K3TWseJBUM7Z7IcPR8g_HhEGC/w640-h444/IMG_7308.JPG" title="Japanese Layer Cake & Salted Caramel Ice Cream" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Some sort of Japanese layer cake with salted caramel ice cream. We saw this at a Japanese grocery store later for about $3 a slice, haha. </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Pricey bill was $135 USD ($187 CAD) after tip and service was excellent. Again, I appreciated where I live more as we have some of the most awesome sushi ever at home and in Canadian dollars...</span></p><p>We walked back to the hotel, stopping at a couple of shops until I had to <i>RUN</i> for the washroom. Ugh. My son had the same problem a short while after. At least we felt better after that. We decided to watch t.v. and just retire early. The 7 hours at the beach had taken its toll on us. We awoke to a blaring loud alarm in our room and announcement that there was an emergency and we had to evacuate the hotel. It was 11:30 pm. We got dressed and went into the hallway where most people on our floor were trying to figure out what to do. Someone called the front desk with the phone by the elevator and was told it was a false alarm and they were sorry. We went back inside. About 15 minutes later, 2 more booming loud announcements (same one 5 minutes apart) said the minor emergency had been resolved and we didn't have to evacuate. That made it difficult for both us to fall back asleep but we eventually did...I only walked 4 km today and we had $100 leftover from our budget. I cancelled my reservation for "Afternoon High Tea" I had booked at our hotel which would have been about $200 USD without drinks. I decided I was not giving them another cent of my money other than the resort fee and beach chairs I had to pay on check out. Below is the Veranda restaurant where tea was held, it's out back where the beach bar/pool is.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv-XY2wQ10B5UnF590ShKQuuYK0-0zx-uJgslfdVw_uBvGv5vH0NGLFOAPrqJchjsX8S8VWi-QW2X1HQxn9XAWhgFfOSUIXT7mJFUlHx9EE0Bsz_vKCvmSMKHMMlzqLvvJFKfflyi5Owq0pZIbVJNUnhJMC6qXb2niO-fcCgSNOCxu9LI2r49EdKqaZX0/s3942/IMG_5389.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3942" data-original-width="2956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv-XY2wQ10B5UnF590ShKQuuYK0-0zx-uJgslfdVw_uBvGv5vH0NGLFOAPrqJchjsX8S8VWi-QW2X1HQxn9XAWhgFfOSUIXT7mJFUlHx9EE0Bsz_vKCvmSMKHMMlzqLvvJFKfflyi5Owq0pZIbVJNUnhJMC6qXb2niO-fcCgSNOCxu9LI2r49EdKqaZX0/w480-h640/IMG_5389.JPG" title="Veranda Restaurant - Moana Surfrider" width="480" /></a></div><p><b><u>Wednesday, November 8, 2023:</u></b></p><p>We awoke about 7:30 am and I wrote the trip report while son had a coffee and I had a glass of wine, yes I did. This morning we were going to Uber to a "Top Cheftestant" place called <a href="http://kokoheadcafe.com" target="_blank"><b><u>Koko Head Cafe</u></b>.</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn3-QsRA9EWWV8ktJUWIEKIjioR0Rf3pA-kv7P4M-1FRps5D36qWkQm7UXDsw9Jh4GV6uKf8JRHNEEXT4W3cY09ca7jKjX9VxN-WHx-i5L5b4OUfb1ctYdYuTicvFs-96DoEBg2BPYNSsIRuW6VvRxaU97oIgqNloeM1Ui512mtQqZrJpF47gv5BPOujL/s4032/IMG_7310.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn3-QsRA9EWWV8ktJUWIEKIjioR0Rf3pA-kv7P4M-1FRps5D36qWkQm7UXDsw9Jh4GV6uKf8JRHNEEXT4W3cY09ca7jKjX9VxN-WHx-i5L5b4OUfb1ctYdYuTicvFs-96DoEBg2BPYNSsIRuW6VvRxaU97oIgqNloeM1Ui512mtQqZrJpF47gv5BPOujL/w480-h640/IMG_7310.JPG" title="Koko Head Cafe" width="480" /></a></div><p>It is a brunch all day spot by Lee Anne Wong. I was excited to try it! Uber was $11 USD each way before tip. There was no line up and we were seated inside with the A/C as outside didn't serve alcohol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9llEYZHvqNJUX3Jrt8AzbW9F7fyJUtv6XyoXGS0fSijIj4I2zQq0I7nv1wh91dD9SPi22HweFjfwbigB2YsXYvo5zrC32ffWrIU-sCcC2Btru3W2TKrHC9cg6l9HZgD84yitfNHZ0df_b6lhHvgd1KXToxAOlK7GMu__2O6_vlfVMdsqQvJxYeFyP3-6/s3942/IMG_7325.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3942" data-original-width="2956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9llEYZHvqNJUX3Jrt8AzbW9F7fyJUtv6XyoXGS0fSijIj4I2zQq0I7nv1wh91dD9SPi22HweFjfwbigB2YsXYvo5zrC32ffWrIU-sCcC2Btru3W2TKrHC9cg6l9HZgD84yitfNHZ0df_b6lhHvgd1KXToxAOlK7GMu__2O6_vlfVMdsqQvJxYeFyP3-6/w480-h640/IMG_7325.JPG" title="Koko Head Cafe Outside Seating" width="480" /></a></div><p>My son ordered a breakfast plate ($34 USD or $47 CAD!🙄) with his choices paying for each decision (2 eggs, hash browns, pork belly and rye toast). I have to admit I liked the heart shaped toast though. 😊</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBsFpx7MJ68laTHlUJgk1bA7dswBUqRUxBDHU2QgsS3Re4h0K5MP0x7NfzxrgpYW2ahGOrna-C_V4LqyfMdMk9afyTGXqzR1Cwjlwy2rKyN_1Yt_XVNxyJxQ204vYVp-RuzqEkW5GhN8PCWwPAh0yQh4BEdUCYgVJkVJjudDAdM9jcmcBltft98KbsfWB/s2889/IMG_7318.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2889" data-original-width="2828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBsFpx7MJ68laTHlUJgk1bA7dswBUqRUxBDHU2QgsS3Re4h0K5MP0x7NfzxrgpYW2ahGOrna-C_V4LqyfMdMk9afyTGXqzR1Cwjlwy2rKyN_1Yt_XVNxyJxQ204vYVp-RuzqEkW5GhN8PCWwPAh0yQh4BEdUCYgVJkVJjudDAdM9jcmcBltft98KbsfWB/w626-h640/IMG_7318.JPG" title="Koko Head Breakfast Plate" width="626" /></a></div><p>I ordered the pickled veggies which were radish, two types of turnips and sauerkraut ($9 USD or $12.50 CAD). It was underwhelming.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_La4c-QZQxWwKJOHG0D0QvMTlT5e3ZGD9IlYED5-XqpVcjZUh1WReuXD9CYFMntC85CVZUnlPXhN6pdSB0looTP8L7vTN1VNFyxqxLxCKqbBoGnavn9J_HWP_EkyG42B59swb6S1sDhOFNEHdb6qrzKzw1lnwRh3IM8mJWNUUpxuYdJf4YTD-PocTbXnZ/s2622/IMG_7316.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2434" data-original-width="2622" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_La4c-QZQxWwKJOHG0D0QvMTlT5e3ZGD9IlYED5-XqpVcjZUh1WReuXD9CYFMntC85CVZUnlPXhN6pdSB0looTP8L7vTN1VNFyxqxLxCKqbBoGnavn9J_HWP_EkyG42B59swb6S1sDhOFNEHdb6qrzKzw1lnwRh3IM8mJWNUUpxuYdJf4YTD-PocTbXnZ/w640-h594/IMG_7316.JPG" title="Pickled Veggies" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I also ordered the Bibimbap breakfast skillet - $22 USD or $30 CAD.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3e9yo8NzFGj-wpvcWwIXTFvPyWuNSZfsPDlkj7z4HaWsWNXOvLdlTcelXL8bkbP5wALyIKwJlkMFTCunpnTRyiM5oxXhkIw6lkOWuA2aJedV7ObcXYbm9YTpFpahfiNdvaIbzms2wHgd-WRkzHqU-huzRNaO4lkPBNGc0vYQWe_LVffpTgcYH8X09ae4/s3292/IMG_7320.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3292" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3e9yo8NzFGj-wpvcWwIXTFvPyWuNSZfsPDlkj7z4HaWsWNXOvLdlTcelXL8bkbP5wALyIKwJlkMFTCunpnTRyiM5oxXhkIw6lkOWuA2aJedV7ObcXYbm9YTpFpahfiNdvaIbzms2wHgd-WRkzHqU-huzRNaO4lkPBNGc0vYQWe_LVffpTgcYH8X09ae4/w588-h640/IMG_7320.JPG" title="Breakfast Bibimbap" width="588" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately the rice was not crispy enough on the Bibimbap. 😞 </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wD8fzNiKmgoS7Sk4M5UJWEPitc7c6n5OMxc-3EDv5ppM8FPgwCcTMYGjPXFymW2qjB0ZpgVsFVmvlMhnGwPjJevwcCFsxG8AqBb8b2swc9hOzyh0Q_6tywvFse2RhdoUO4DkMeDP7Rnn5moDhACDcmDEdIxHsWi-Ck9eFg63JwY3r5GOU-jpBXRLea2X/s3120/IMG_7322.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wD8fzNiKmgoS7Sk4M5UJWEPitc7c6n5OMxc-3EDv5ppM8FPgwCcTMYGjPXFymW2qjB0ZpgVsFVmvlMhnGwPjJevwcCFsxG8AqBb8b2swc9hOzyh0Q_6tywvFse2RhdoUO4DkMeDP7Rnn5moDhACDcmDEdIxHsWi-Ck9eFg63JwY3r5GOU-jpBXRLea2X/w620-h640/IMG_7322.JPG" title="Uncrispy Bibimbap rice. :(" width="620" /></a></div><p>I also ordered the "Mary Mary" drink ($14 USD or $19.50 CAD) which said it was made with homemade tomato water. Meh, it just tasted like watered down tomato juice...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcNfTiUdSQMSLWh9UF-7xH0hSNBT_D3-TMo6YotLl05M9T4M5YRTW4Hg6-GZ5CONQeHcaFe__k_CBUgg4jqOrgB-mzQ7rYWBMSrlX1avOn_PsxAQZwWZu0GSilSJw0Qfe0tgEi364CVJ1DMdFqLLV8JGwR4t3Wxw1qKkuCgJjBCjXFQ85qRCr2RHhCEy8/s3318/IMG_7313.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcNfTiUdSQMSLWh9UF-7xH0hSNBT_D3-TMo6YotLl05M9T4M5YRTW4Hg6-GZ5CONQeHcaFe__k_CBUgg4jqOrgB-mzQ7rYWBMSrlX1avOn_PsxAQZwWZu0GSilSJw0Qfe0tgEi364CVJ1DMdFqLLV8JGwR4t3Wxw1qKkuCgJjBCjXFQ85qRCr2RHhCEy8/w584-h640/IMG_7313.JPG" title="Mary Mary = Meh" width="584" /></a></div><p>The food was good, but when it's this pricey, it's hard not to be picky and it wasn't great. We've had better, and while flavorsome, it wasn't near being worth the cost for <i>breakfast</i>. I had one drink only and son had one cappuccino. I enjoyed our first breakfast at Heavenly Island better even though it was cold, lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBmY5gRyU6glaN1swWfLpA5FndKDQHE7UBt6TCY9-IzsJ9Exex_7yPLXtz3TGyrd3e0PkDLdGQnyivyFQjcSP2_K1FK8FGfSwL1ll79JVo36gkhZGEUbfcIfUuRN6Bv4lhoYuWIEX4bFFmkKWvFUmGGG6mx6M8IAm9WIRbHD2hAItzuYmz7ya0vt2jcgU/s3823/IMG_7323.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3823" data-original-width="2049" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBmY5gRyU6glaN1swWfLpA5FndKDQHE7UBt6TCY9-IzsJ9Exex_7yPLXtz3TGyrd3e0PkDLdGQnyivyFQjcSP2_K1FK8FGfSwL1ll79JVo36gkhZGEUbfcIfUuRN6Bv4lhoYuWIEX4bFFmkKWvFUmGGG6mx6M8IAm9WIRbHD2hAItzuYmz7ya0vt2jcgU/w344-h640/IMG_7323.JPG" title="Koko Head Bill" width="344" /></a></div><p>They also added a 5% service charge for the kitchen with the explanation at the bottom of the bill. Bill was $112 USD after 20% additional tip or $155 CAD. OUCH, DANG 🙄!!!! Service was spot on though. They didn't provide free wifi either. I was disappointed overall, I guess my expectations were too high...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfsHV7R8si8DI_wsSbkHYeTlGim1neNHcbY5hosa-g6wpQShf4x3_Xt1C_f_HPxYFmot8JuTTqwr_qzXwfoihsieIWQipzpLfy9CopJlLiW55CWrEiTxWIhbmRVrpgyC4LoxIN7fpsmaPutgZrMTse-NbucVynO7C9ToqJ4X_TvCfFMusekfq60n83dKs/s3994/IMG_7326.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3994" data-original-width="2995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfsHV7R8si8DI_wsSbkHYeTlGim1neNHcbY5hosa-g6wpQShf4x3_Xt1C_f_HPxYFmot8JuTTqwr_qzXwfoihsieIWQipzpLfy9CopJlLiW55CWrEiTxWIhbmRVrpgyC4LoxIN7fpsmaPutgZrMTse-NbucVynO7C9ToqJ4X_TvCfFMusekfq60n83dKs/w480-h640/IMG_7326.JPG" title="Kona Coffee Purveyors" width="480" /></a></div><p>We took an Uber back to Kona Coffee Purveyors. This is supposed to be the best coffee on the island, confirmed by our Uber driver who was a coffee aficionado like my son is. My son splurged on a 100% Kona Coffee bean bag that was $52 USD or $72 CAD for a 12 oz/340 gram bag. OUCH, lol 🙄!!!!! We enjoyed a cup there as well and my son had a pastry. Bill worked out to $108 CAD!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzTJJ8TMTpDJZ_str7t_PzzEOYYU2dwXknIniuXWBOwYZQ9SxFBEqeihljmIyhfiZT9fPImL0QoIxbP11Q_YIx22xKCJ2oqF3k65vmgeXPvCHoe7dCpIdkSBX5Mx75LmQfjrWzo3bJsihSg4MHb7-tdk8Dh3LkDuIjsdA9zfro5W2PTrCLgybX3IAhazn/s918/Screenshot%202023-11-14%20145859.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="373" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzTJJ8TMTpDJZ_str7t_PzzEOYYU2dwXknIniuXWBOwYZQ9SxFBEqeihljmIyhfiZT9fPImL0QoIxbP11Q_YIx22xKCJ2oqF3k65vmgeXPvCHoe7dCpIdkSBX5Mx75LmQfjrWzo3bJsihSg4MHb7-tdk8Dh3LkDuIjsdA9zfro5W2PTrCLgybX3IAhazn/w260-h640/Screenshot%202023-11-14%20145859.png" title="OUCH!" width="260" /></a></div><p>From there we walked down Kuhio to Kapahulu and were saddened to see that Kuhio was no longer a vibrant stretch of street with local shops, restaurants and grocery stores. It looked like a run down ghost town. It was HOT and no breeze today, that and we were walking in midday sunshine. We turned down towards the beach on the main strip and walked back to our hotel for a rest. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-z60jv-ExIJFe0kSedFiwRo4pRyfXU-4-JR_reWX3ZjdvzNRQRmwn_KqKw_shyz_9nwLyS8a-XIA-r1zSRB2Bvq3VEvd-oPZesGkDNscihBig-LFPOWV_o5NFmXsfHGufwavYKHePogyF32fmrOOm2qGnIi-YFhbtl141hSe4u787Koz7jYKy0vIwS-w/s3870/IMG_7329.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3870" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-z60jv-ExIJFe0kSedFiwRo4pRyfXU-4-JR_reWX3ZjdvzNRQRmwn_KqKw_shyz_9nwLyS8a-XIA-r1zSRB2Bvq3VEvd-oPZesGkDNscihBig-LFPOWV_o5NFmXsfHGufwavYKHePogyF32fmrOOm2qGnIi-YFhbtl141hSe4u787Koz7jYKy0vIwS-w/w640-h480/IMG_7329.JPG" title="Kalakaua Avenue" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2lL6Ik3G6MrupidjlgQTX-kgc1CJ7JSg-cfIBltapR4WqvNgAU0fghaMiw6tvROZAuKdh8QNq0TPA_Zo3ZOzvz81K0I3A6m_0KsD5-KgluznY14DFOITdON2BTfdvw3r7v3JhafCO-TwHcP_i_WjqjZnZZs8kPU5r-PxCGKFWriyi5P4SjfG-kkdXr1r/s3046/IMG_7331.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2lL6Ik3G6MrupidjlgQTX-kgc1CJ7JSg-cfIBltapR4WqvNgAU0fghaMiw6tvROZAuKdh8QNq0TPA_Zo3ZOzvz81K0I3A6m_0KsD5-KgluznY14DFOITdON2BTfdvw3r7v3JhafCO-TwHcP_i_WjqjZnZZs8kPU5r-PxCGKFWriyi5P4SjfG-kkdXr1r/w636-h640/IMG_7331.JPG" title="Banyan Trees" width="636" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Below is our hotel, pic taken from across the street:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74OqKM-jSMLShx6SsqG51g7bYJs3OOZWMbx8lGiEIZJQaxkyZ8qZSm9c8umgUZMw1POkDJgJ4vGv_H45IcEem0ou9_8y_KubXxUdB2djEHYNTPdkJsawXvZXqWuatcPmLiJ6oVTSUPfUD3duMDerz1uRCm8MNHj-Oa3g2D-plJEMoO5d8YLuGIiq0_Q9T/s3789/IMG_7333.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2842" data-original-width="3789" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74OqKM-jSMLShx6SsqG51g7bYJs3OOZWMbx8lGiEIZJQaxkyZ8qZSm9c8umgUZMw1POkDJgJ4vGv_H45IcEem0ou9_8y_KubXxUdB2djEHYNTPdkJsawXvZXqWuatcPmLiJ6oVTSUPfUD3duMDerz1uRCm8MNHj-Oa3g2D-plJEMoO5d8YLuGIiq0_Q9T/w640-h480/IMG_7333.JPG" title="Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>We walked over to the Outrigger Reef. On the way I saw this Musubi shop below. I hoped I'd get back but I never did. I wanted to pick it up for my meal on the plane home. Please don't poke the musubis! 😏</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8y9dfG9pjfe6tDyjr8GE5OtAqzwDfxZ9GC3RRFjLctHbcMY7bHF1N_ePKI317syS7EsvYohDmWPxLslQtA6i6TJP9qY9fGRhsNP1CmC2WI6F95S7-Hv8rD7NxUO6r6U59NEQVdUKXDaddnJNAEV-NL3LAqbtmMCw-kbCGq4hARPKo-Kz9pjOBDqFqQGm/s3964/IMG_7336.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3964" data-original-width="2973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8y9dfG9pjfe6tDyjr8GE5OtAqzwDfxZ9GC3RRFjLctHbcMY7bHF1N_ePKI317syS7EsvYohDmWPxLslQtA6i6TJP9qY9fGRhsNP1CmC2WI6F95S7-Hv8rD7NxUO6r6U59NEQVdUKXDaddnJNAEV-NL3LAqbtmMCw-kbCGq4hARPKo-Kz9pjOBDqFqQGm/w480-h640/IMG_7336.JPG" title="Musubi Cafe" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AlF6fZGzKAiFmpHqN0AUlERqpA7Re3Xwz7QX5Wv1tXG-hfr4C69MPGxjQ1wCrrMz7y8f5jfiu3PL_S2BOctwHa__L4Grrc9_MdoYsllz7QAjyVfjzB3I1wP8ONbiHtNirNho4ftRmUUvzF2ELkxxtn6KgZpxtKFqI3UjDvI17I5a64AkvHhOzodVZ-NH/s4032/IMG_7335.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AlF6fZGzKAiFmpHqN0AUlERqpA7Re3Xwz7QX5Wv1tXG-hfr4C69MPGxjQ1wCrrMz7y8f5jfiu3PL_S2BOctwHa__L4Grrc9_MdoYsllz7QAjyVfjzB3I1wP8ONbiHtNirNho4ftRmUUvzF2ELkxxtn6KgZpxtKFqI3UjDvI17I5a64AkvHhOzodVZ-NH/w640-h480/IMG_7335.JPG" title="Musubis!" width="640" /></a></div><p>We went for happy hour at <b><u><a href="https://www.monkeypodkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Monkeypod</a></u></b>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9ftWKQj-_8Yo-bLQLzD1bivGDwBy290VxnGRrBfyhbh3nk51QZtlXZkSolSBrXvrlpxT2QhBMlUUILBA3Cs089SyNgZ2ptFv5X-0II9nelrRrd0BxDRx3e0feWGbTiYj8T5YLp4EJ0Elt6t03qlRNqJW5Pe7iIBEyy6Hqj80s82CdkkAHRvJhrP4kclI/s3877/IMG_7338.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3877" data-original-width="2908" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9ftWKQj-_8Yo-bLQLzD1bivGDwBy290VxnGRrBfyhbh3nk51QZtlXZkSolSBrXvrlpxT2QhBMlUUILBA3Cs089SyNgZ2ptFv5X-0II9nelrRrd0BxDRx3e0feWGbTiYj8T5YLp4EJ0Elt6t03qlRNqJW5Pe7iIBEyy6Hqj80s82CdkkAHRvJhrP4kclI/w480-h640/IMG_7338.JPG" title="Monkeypod" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2sS8piHJxpyy0BjG7r5MZ_ztGDbZ2kXGec44btplherJus0Ufu9v2AlhYuPb6dXBkMaswEPhG_IBT9blHR0cHPn8BVBEeNfQ9gGjke2OW_QEsLlaO_KzOvlGzTEhhVV3YjjbQOIen0BM8GsDbQg4mCFAnWCW6r3PnpQX8iXCNeFP4FcuUIwWk1AY88EW/s3802/IMG_7342.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2851" data-original-width="3802" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2sS8piHJxpyy0BjG7r5MZ_ztGDbZ2kXGec44btplherJus0Ufu9v2AlhYuPb6dXBkMaswEPhG_IBT9blHR0cHPn8BVBEeNfQ9gGjke2OW_QEsLlaO_KzOvlGzTEhhVV3YjjbQOIen0BM8GsDbQg4mCFAnWCW6r3PnpQX8iXCNeFP4FcuUIwWk1AY88EW/w640-h480/IMG_7342.JPG" title="Monkeypod Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>This was a real nice spot set right on the beach. It was hot though so we sat inside with the A/C. It was still beautiful in there. There was live music too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyRgciEN11qPjSr-U35rCpCHSebx2YGfbhbnmISVgOdey-Z6PhNbY-Q7odboPgzDYKsImKS6zbpwKThmC9E6M_p8E3mi_kWJuJzhSWtSWfzrj4k9Jfq6CbOrb_mdkhF0ISNZKPLQGsPkfhxVIT577rdzrHv55xxXrwbE1sC8uPXn8aZDYRgTWmBhIDIf0/s3809/IMG_7337.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3809" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyRgciEN11qPjSr-U35rCpCHSebx2YGfbhbnmISVgOdey-Z6PhNbY-Q7odboPgzDYKsImKS6zbpwKThmC9E6M_p8E3mi_kWJuJzhSWtSWfzrj4k9Jfq6CbOrb_mdkhF0ISNZKPLQGsPkfhxVIT577rdzrHv55xxXrwbE1sC8uPXn8aZDYRgTWmBhIDIf0/w480-h640/IMG_7337.JPG" title="Live Music at Monkeypod" width="480" /></a></div><p>We both had a Mai Tai ($14 HH price or $20 CAD) and they were good. Every place claims they have <i>best</i> Mai Tai in town...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWQxDnYVdu_raclzSB79INgWLXnLQdNx8YmSj2qryfGGgSXxvazPyGeES46wo8RzTRUVIx4bJfabjwmjUtsnhU2pl1zY-vK2Xz70FaTFzlFnFUdTRPO2G5hAJFfT7YK3Sjk0Eh1CCUlkRVO0zG8M1i9TcW7ZyPEV4wOtBJjOIuKi4-gep4h2QCim5q81D/s3649/IMG_7339.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3649" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWQxDnYVdu_raclzSB79INgWLXnLQdNx8YmSj2qryfGGgSXxvazPyGeES46wo8RzTRUVIx4bJfabjwmjUtsnhU2pl1zY-vK2Xz70FaTFzlFnFUdTRPO2G5hAJFfT7YK3Sjk0Eh1CCUlkRVO0zG8M1i9TcW7ZyPEV4wOtBJjOIuKi4-gep4h2QCim5q81D/w530-h640/IMG_7339.JPG" title="Monkeypod Mai Tai" width="530" /></a></div><p>We split the baked wings and a pizza and both of those were fine too, nothing special but no complaints really. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH9D_6wn3NRKwgd7UXDGso4JfHOD7XutUSvxrEi6hcaBcz0BEKGq0FKTMVjgCskMUx8KLleKClZDHqKyVzFpvPVApg0XAWLtBysXdBJlZuUXx7yCyGAz1a3RSSQzmiYSMNlo64VBxuPtWf-bw1fAAA_uhH7XZ2fdTbEks77hOuRup9Bm9wu3v_aQgONXn/s2247/IMG_7343.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1953" data-original-width="2247" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH9D_6wn3NRKwgd7UXDGso4JfHOD7XutUSvxrEi6hcaBcz0BEKGq0FKTMVjgCskMUx8KLleKClZDHqKyVzFpvPVApg0XAWLtBysXdBJlZuUXx7yCyGAz1a3RSSQzmiYSMNlo64VBxuPtWf-bw1fAAA_uhH7XZ2fdTbEks77hOuRup9Bm9wu3v_aQgONXn/w640-h556/IMG_7343.JPG" title="Roasted Wings" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Roasted Chicken Wings - $11 USD or $15 CAD: roasted free range chicken, garlic, local rosemary, red pepper, yogurt-feta, celery</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcBQLcQxnRg5VZubh12I23odtJu8HGR3KXNUPHH1oFNiUlRfO97PLck-GodttndxngJlnwjW4BC30UlcvRF2n1_sv3Sd9MN6HfflF1EKCtpugTlYM4DwrV7w2GnMvrDJjOTFJTxZUC8KrgEfLNoh1ryrOeU4isD6W6irjHoJjQjtsGPznxuFUpupiMyEO/s2883/IMG_7344.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2883" data-original-width="2568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcBQLcQxnRg5VZubh12I23odtJu8HGR3KXNUPHH1oFNiUlRfO97PLck-GodttndxngJlnwjW4BC30UlcvRF2n1_sv3Sd9MN6HfflF1EKCtpugTlYM4DwrV7w2GnMvrDJjOTFJTxZUC8KrgEfLNoh1ryrOeU4isD6W6irjHoJjQjtsGPznxuFUpupiMyEO/w570-h640/IMG_7344.JPG" title="Proletariat Pizza at Monkeypod" width="570" /></a></div><p></p><p>Proletariat Pizza - 13 USD or $18 CAD: pepperoni, all natural sausage, onions, green peppers, olives, fresh mozzarella, red sauce (We got the pizza sans olives as son doesn't like them)</p><p>Service was good and our bill came to $67 USD or $92.50 CAD pre-tip They also included a 4% kitchen surcharge. We left and finished our gift shopping and walked back to the hotel for a rest before dinner at Iron Chef Morimoto's "<a href="https://momosanramen.com/restaurants/waikiki/" target="_blank"><b><u>Momosan Ramen</u></b>"</a>. I took the picture below in the afternoon when we walked by it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LoCi7TUU6-yaLgtzeDkByInKPhvVhIqzqdMjenU8KnnnHZfHE9nv3q_5cSRnFGPxc8d2U3ediMC5vG7EdYxnrh-ubosB_sIlkg9mZcLwgocNqiuFaXmP22eRWvRq6KvTI9SXtT377yxQovcKCu7Xh9UhIlYUFjP7SAoXpjW9mT5XAe6H-pVWC0cXuy4R/s3370/IMG_7330.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3370" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LoCi7TUU6-yaLgtzeDkByInKPhvVhIqzqdMjenU8KnnnHZfHE9nv3q_5cSRnFGPxc8d2U3ediMC5vG7EdYxnrh-ubosB_sIlkg9mZcLwgocNqiuFaXmP22eRWvRq6KvTI9SXtT377yxQovcKCu7Xh9UhIlYUFjP7SAoXpjW9mT5XAe6H-pVWC0cXuy4R/w562-h640/IMG_7330.JPG" title="Momosan Ramen" width="562" /></a></div><p>The seating was outside and though the website said "communal tables" they weren't. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeEoB9hFPiO4vTYFUjcdumCsJFW01hZMJ2qMIJm2KO_bYDk08cM1wr_XucqtxIbA9oYnxwb8B02X7vftSqXQIrWd9WQwThwsXw2zP61cPY0wtG4P8Q4s6kXKOWfBfLA38q1e4LZ1IOnCMWJ6mW02J2RlIBNLmg3zC2eCR1sW26TwCvNHYDpQ85IYXW_bS/s3224/IMG_7348.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3224" data-original-width="2873" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeEoB9hFPiO4vTYFUjcdumCsJFW01hZMJ2qMIJm2KO_bYDk08cM1wr_XucqtxIbA9oYnxwb8B02X7vftSqXQIrWd9WQwThwsXw2zP61cPY0wtG4P8Q4s6kXKOWfBfLA38q1e4LZ1IOnCMWJ6mW02J2RlIBNLmg3zC2eCR1sW26TwCvNHYDpQ85IYXW_bS/w570-h640/IMG_7348.JPG" title="Outdoor Seating at Momosan Ramen" width="570" /></a></div><p>We got our own two seater; that's the top of my son's fat head above on the bottom left. Haha, I'm just kidding about his head and seeing if he's paying attention. 😉 The shared tables were probably pre-covid. I tried Morimoto's brand of Sake. This one was the cheapest ($9 USD or $12.50 CAD). It was okay, easy to drink. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vRH3OtzBbXVY8OQ9Nz2hjBaEr0qmErI3jOxee9n5jzChyIzYJat0Q0DI9fXLA-KEKBqZpcxuH8HWdgvA-eLXmw6OdvZonor1W9vie2wiiYoe-eP3-Ls5OCJS0-H2xcn50whMnP2VKYMc25hHtpbDJpzx2ozyotWKF_d5T9wbuDFJXUIvZXf4l-ziw6WG/s3933/IMG_7349.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3933" data-original-width="2484" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vRH3OtzBbXVY8OQ9Nz2hjBaEr0qmErI3jOxee9n5jzChyIzYJat0Q0DI9fXLA-KEKBqZpcxuH8HWdgvA-eLXmw6OdvZonor1W9vie2wiiYoe-eP3-Ls5OCJS0-H2xcn50whMnP2VKYMc25hHtpbDJpzx2ozyotWKF_d5T9wbuDFJXUIvZXf4l-ziw6WG/w404-h640/IMG_7349.JPG" title="Morimoto Sake" width="404" /></a></div><p>We each ordered a "set" which came with ramen and an appy and we shared those. $30 USD each or $42 CAD. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw0H8Yx2lArjtrkNAEYauETcq1OXVuXKAcE9J16cQ_mfrlTMjdOnucohHB0bx27GHY2Pn0poOP3E4yoMk1ovzvKicaiwECyr_VvncDXhj8G_J7jBzkKIFlU0uHb_E5eg3PuUIUsJZeGRlJT3Mnb9nyn0q5q5JEGORlu9a6PejmSreBEQtzlPJiDib_SUJ/s2712/IMG_7351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2422" data-original-width="2712" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw0H8Yx2lArjtrkNAEYauETcq1OXVuXKAcE9J16cQ_mfrlTMjdOnucohHB0bx27GHY2Pn0poOP3E4yoMk1ovzvKicaiwECyr_VvncDXhj8G_J7jBzkKIFlU0uHb_E5eg3PuUIUsJZeGRlJT3Mnb9nyn0q5q5JEGORlu9a6PejmSreBEQtzlPJiDib_SUJ/w640-h572/IMG_7351.JPG" title="Sticky Ribs @ Momosan" width="640" /></a></div><p>We chose karaage and sticky ribs (above). I thought since we were at Morimoto's we should order sushi, so we selected a California roll. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ghxgIuKusUMBmL7ZtoTOt1Jql5To5_bu6fT-Ou5LBg9Y67mfXzCLsCbxLX7uX1GgrHnWnQf2TtoiBYfiwtgWP5j5rdHFS5eMOKUSEFCOGzpFxz5H3TGkvNMRug0KQ7hoOpYJuKrYFN7OTyzZ9XkQP4wLGB-mkrbwkMqEPAifTlD77yDwnX45_EIHcaB1/s3593/IMG_7354.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3593" data-original-width="2900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ghxgIuKusUMBmL7ZtoTOt1Jql5To5_bu6fT-Ou5LBg9Y67mfXzCLsCbxLX7uX1GgrHnWnQf2TtoiBYfiwtgWP5j5rdHFS5eMOKUSEFCOGzpFxz5H3TGkvNMRug0KQ7hoOpYJuKrYFN7OTyzZ9XkQP4wLGB-mkrbwkMqEPAifTlD77yDwnX45_EIHcaB1/w516-h640/IMG_7354.JPG" title="Tonkotsu Ramen @ Momosan" width="516" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">tonkotsu - pork broth, chashu pork, takana, scallion and ajitama (son always orders an extra ajitama (egg)</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">WOWZA! The Tonkotsu broth might be the best I have <i><b>ever </b></i>put in my mouth! I immediately had buyers remorse when I tasted it. It was mind blowingly delicious. Rich, luscious, bursting with umami flavor though for sure artery clogging goodness; just heavenly! I'll dream about it forever...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne0zbQuc0pMsq5EYnKHt3oyRq8YPHBcPk_dY77QJFDcAUYW49r4daKa8EHpGrC0_oHLwzIH0Yt6cdcaTPKzohqEnwgzSHiafDCOF_wNfDQyrnLvykYziuhwWABvkT1hW7qS9_ydY9LK61jlcK98XBlT53QyxeJbDHkngBxIij04jLqyEYchNp6bV0PlGh/s3040/IMG_7356.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3040" data-original-width="2838" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne0zbQuc0pMsq5EYnKHt3oyRq8YPHBcPk_dY77QJFDcAUYW49r4daKa8EHpGrC0_oHLwzIH0Yt6cdcaTPKzohqEnwgzSHiafDCOF_wNfDQyrnLvykYziuhwWABvkT1hW7qS9_ydY9LK61jlcK98XBlT53QyxeJbDHkngBxIij04jLqyEYchNp6bV0PlGh/w598-h640/IMG_7356.JPG" title="Tokyo Chicken Ramen @ Momosan" width="598" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">tokyo chicken - chicken broth, steamed chicken, menma, scallion and ajitama</div><p>The chicken broth I got was also amazing but clearly the winner here is the Tonkotsu - 10/10. And the eggs (ajitama) were done right, nice and jammy and soy marinated, properly. Noodles were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of al dente with a slight chew. YUM! We couldn't even eat the roll or half the sides, so took it to go. The sides were delicious too though, those sticky ribs were literally melt in your mouth and the chicken seasoned perfect and crispy. Bill was reasonable at $86 USD or $119 CAD) pre-tip, no kitchen surcharge. Service was good but not outstanding. Son was possibly going to buy Morimoto's coffee but there was no description of what type it was, only that it was whole bean. We asked our server and he said he didn't know but would ask his manager. He came back and said all he was able to find out was that it was a Hawaiian blend. So son passed on it and said no thanks, he wanted to know what type of roast the beans were. Anyway, BEST meal of the trip so far without a doubt! We wandered back to the hotel in a food coma and went to sleep after watching a bit of t.v. We were both tired today after our lousy sleeps the previous night and traipsing around in the hot sun all day. We spent all the budget including yesterday's leftovers and walked 9 km today. </p><p><b><u>Thursday, November 9, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I woke early, 5 am and couldn't sleep any longer so I cracked some bubbles (breakfast of champions) open and worked at the trip report. Today was pretty much open except for happy hour I booked because reviews said they had great Mai Tai's. None of them have come close to the Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai bar as far as taste goes, though a few have been equally as potent...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWQ2MsHE-vb-jrwpUjdKnJwhNbisPkQKK09IOyS10JKIhVhS8B78t1FYsD6zQ6oQ1PPJndN6f1KDq_qED9eKgr72ESJjm1I1E_SgTMeBeXuQF5qDp7SmwAhNolp0Fm3ZyKRHYRGk-Am0JfDJRQoRWykSSG5sIzZJC65mL_JDUEqQZjJeUQPqJv6DGJSka/s3809/IMG_7357.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="3809" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWQ2MsHE-vb-jrwpUjdKnJwhNbisPkQKK09IOyS10JKIhVhS8B78t1FYsD6zQ6oQ1PPJndN6f1KDq_qED9eKgr72ESJjm1I1E_SgTMeBeXuQF5qDp7SmwAhNolp0Fm3ZyKRHYRGk-Am0JfDJRQoRWykSSG5sIzZJC65mL_JDUEqQZjJeUQPqJv6DGJSka/w640-h480/IMG_7357.JPG" title="Liliha Bakery & Restaurant" width="640" /></a></div><p>I really wanted to have Oxtail soup while here and saw that <b><u><a href="https://www.lilihabakery.com/" target="_blank">Liliha Bakery</a></u></b> (locals spot) at the International Market Place had it on the menu so we decided to go there. They had a great looking bakery attached to the restaurant and I read their speciality was coco puffs. We were seated on the patio. It was a lovely but warm day and those pesky island birds drove us nuts wherever we were. Below was the view from our table:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8lI411UV8Xr274Fgvy1tcQ24b83jJxUZ4g3rE4EBzn9Jz0Z6-g9APN8SA0vqIts3HONjIF-UOcz4xEa6-ZCkKEQd6lqlRB-swShZcvLJTpmAyW8PB9MIVOrG87d6zNhjPA_JDY2MCyN51pLq9-fVZwUJ4vkisPAVCF7aPiVMi9VLRzHFDDefr7v5BwUV/s3782/IMG_7360.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="3782" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8lI411UV8Xr274Fgvy1tcQ24b83jJxUZ4g3rE4EBzn9Jz0Z6-g9APN8SA0vqIts3HONjIF-UOcz4xEa6-ZCkKEQd6lqlRB-swShZcvLJTpmAyW8PB9MIVOrG87d6zNhjPA_JDY2MCyN51pLq9-fVZwUJ4vkisPAVCF7aPiVMi9VLRzHFDDefr7v5BwUV/w640-h480/IMG_7360.JPG" title="View from our table at Liliha" width="640" /></a></div><p>They serve these complimentary sweet rolls (below) and I noticed my son had no problem polishing them off, they were kinda like French toast in taste.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UBC9itrYhqo9nxC1QJdipJpv5s74781mlhryxp0FW4J5zzCs3gNvHPF-VRSC4E49E4VnkaZ7UjIXtzWP8nCu_-vbslP_SF5UYPNyDoQPykoudseqywS-3f2jp9rmJMoPvGa-Ab3pAlA5LgoeqZ8ZRWtHvpi19r9-kby3JLVFLAg_tDFyV6CsT5mjd2Pt/s3024/IMG_7361.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2801" data-original-width="3024" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UBC9itrYhqo9nxC1QJdipJpv5s74781mlhryxp0FW4J5zzCs3gNvHPF-VRSC4E49E4VnkaZ7UjIXtzWP8nCu_-vbslP_SF5UYPNyDoQPykoudseqywS-3f2jp9rmJMoPvGa-Ab3pAlA5LgoeqZ8ZRWtHvpi19r9-kby3JLVFLAg_tDFyV6CsT5mjd2Pt/w640-h592/IMG_7361.JPG" title="Sweet Rolls" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzmB-5E9BiZcJdsrIwnhrHGTAKNCJJnOxGGDDmjW8QogHWFSYndMT189hdoYZfDnP6Jt6i9JOeF2k0YRS3Km-pzcGf-JyMlsgXYpC9P796INcPDZJ75_WRdWUPGo6VnZSCBc1A61kJVYj0psd_oHZYSW1e6Zb-jnMp7mqX2wCNmEPbNOIJ0Cv0yoP2c4A/s3255/IMG_7363.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3255" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzmB-5E9BiZcJdsrIwnhrHGTAKNCJJnOxGGDDmjW8QogHWFSYndMT189hdoYZfDnP6Jt6i9JOeF2k0YRS3Km-pzcGf-JyMlsgXYpC9P796INcPDZJ75_WRdWUPGo6VnZSCBc1A61kJVYj0psd_oHZYSW1e6Zb-jnMp7mqX2wCNmEPbNOIJ0Cv0yoP2c4A/w582-h640/IMG_7363.JPG" title="Waffard @ Liliha Bakery" width="582" /></a></div><p></p><p>Son ordered a Waffard (waffle with custard) $18.50 USD or $26 CAD and I got the soup with saimin (noodles) $28.90 USD or $40 CAD 🙄. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbxA6gjS-yf8-6rYd4SmrV-aEu5m6_Aw0Cq79mS_kIjAg-UXqO1BeafV6rqYxvoDcIpFXZSEaD3KFlyO_q8YAxlI54ilGNr_kXB3-DowLLZm-WvCEJSuWotzS1tD8VBrGOLpxMWTl0dcPZoMy4GYew83_TT_2mmoGtodBzTMAZaxMAKjrG6_aT5XaG4ZK/s2821/IMG_7365.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2570" data-original-width="2821" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbxA6gjS-yf8-6rYd4SmrV-aEu5m6_Aw0Cq79mS_kIjAg-UXqO1BeafV6rqYxvoDcIpFXZSEaD3KFlyO_q8YAxlI54ilGNr_kXB3-DowLLZm-WvCEJSuWotzS1tD8VBrGOLpxMWTl0dcPZoMy4GYew83_TT_2mmoGtodBzTMAZaxMAKjrG6_aT5XaG4ZK/w640-h584/IMG_7365.JPG" title="Oxtail Saimin Soup @ Liliha Baker" width="640" /></a></div><p>It also came with rice which I didn't eat. The portions were huge. The soup was delicious and had 3 pieces of oxtail that were fall off the bone yumminess. We enjoyed our meal here and service was great. We waddled out of there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv5QoNd6uplQuFej9ZDTCWPKTfOtGbbT6cDEgURl93ilwgv2jrzeyPOnYKOwBRH_KBejq7C-9zTk7t1iFnsP7lEhucxGg1vztNG5nWD2OmCtgzjb6PFuuHcJSm0_ZbYU1vKHQozaIMtrZvKLtsiLh7TxoB6-5I0ze7VLgdJEhcUe3MlBQgbUKZASD1FvV/s3870/IMG_7370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2276" data-original-width="3870" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv5QoNd6uplQuFej9ZDTCWPKTfOtGbbT6cDEgURl93ilwgv2jrzeyPOnYKOwBRH_KBejq7C-9zTk7t1iFnsP7lEhucxGg1vztNG5nWD2OmCtgzjb6PFuuHcJSm0_ZbYU1vKHQozaIMtrZvKLtsiLh7TxoB6-5I0ze7VLgdJEhcUe3MlBQgbUKZASD1FvV/w640-h376/IMG_7370.JPG" title="Waikiki Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was sooo hot out we had to get to the beach to cool off. Just outside the resort, closer to the ocean, chairs & umbrellas were rented for $20 an hour, flat rate. I gave him $40 and he gave me a tag to hang on the umbrella and off we went. The water was nice and cool and refreshing. We fully enjoyed our stay there, son was in the water for most of the time and a couple of hours is really all we needed, it was just perfect and much more affordable! Plus we could eat/drink what we wanted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPY1VyRY5Qa2GPOIUBxMYyXryNbZpbbHQmcnHyr_luRhHcg-T1dTSMYxrB0M5dVxE9kdURRdZq6jdTg3isiesFCSLoRux85kRbk4rN0KUPn5vdK3MjNnWdHnUlQdxnK4iRLEKq_90K-SSRZKo6MMkPuxg78rwNiZBp4Hud9rt8bJ3ATf8TzCeGfV3_rNb/s3964/IMG_7373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3964" data-original-width="2973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPY1VyRY5Qa2GPOIUBxMYyXryNbZpbbHQmcnHyr_luRhHcg-T1dTSMYxrB0M5dVxE9kdURRdZq6jdTg3isiesFCSLoRux85kRbk4rN0KUPn5vdK3MjNnWdHnUlQdxnK4iRLEKq_90K-SSRZKo6MMkPuxg78rwNiZBp4Hud9rt8bJ3ATf8TzCeGfV3_rNb/w480-h640/IMG_7373.JPG" title="Stripsteak" width="480" /></a></div><p>We showered and got ready for happy hour dinner at Michael Mina's Stripsteak. This is the place I took my son to for his 21st birthday in Vegas. I still remember the ribeye cap steaks we had. It was an awesome meal. We managed to snag the last two seats around the bar and of course ordered Lilikoi (passionfruit) Mai Tai's. Hawaii is the only place I drink Mai Tai's...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgererZxknWRsyhnhgrEo44Zl2phfEW4YFe7Gm1G1vJm06iqV7o-Waog4z4AOy6lhjTXVQFYLXv6qAoE_Wd8prDUlMq4wb9TIpYYSoGotSVerWG3UHk2vM8RuGT5I5WCeyYOra5Ah4aQe7AR6-jbPkYwkNr3q1UZG_LaT5E28xu9qZ1N50QxiChs1GSPW/s3776/IMG_5423.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3776" data-original-width="2832" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgererZxknWRsyhnhgrEo44Zl2phfEW4YFe7Gm1G1vJm06iqV7o-Waog4z4AOy6lhjTXVQFYLXv6qAoE_Wd8prDUlMq4wb9TIpYYSoGotSVerWG3UHk2vM8RuGT5I5WCeyYOra5Ah4aQe7AR6-jbPkYwkNr3q1UZG_LaT5E28xu9qZ1N50QxiChs1GSPW/w480-h640/IMG_5423.JPG" title="Mai Tai @ Stripsteak" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBbyqTAcNyV4fLoQRs-Q8N5dxjHIZa6T2PtLkjABg1cYiGMancK9N8Ow881eYv9ODS1BVYaTdxFi9zWBKgmKo666qpdkQMXgxzWXGD8mVlCxLIaUVHu6-u5MD4RxZRArco0ECkbElqRcRy_ex0ZD96hYsason9SGTQSPNUNC1akAimHd8LXJukbSnVOp2/s3383/IMG_7374.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3383" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBbyqTAcNyV4fLoQRs-Q8N5dxjHIZa6T2PtLkjABg1cYiGMancK9N8Ow881eYv9ODS1BVYaTdxFi9zWBKgmKo666qpdkQMXgxzWXGD8mVlCxLIaUVHu6-u5MD4RxZRArco0ECkbElqRcRy_ex0ZD96hYsason9SGTQSPNUNC1akAimHd8LXJukbSnVOp2/w572-h640/IMG_7374.JPG" title="Stripsteak Happy Hour Menu" width="572" /></a></div><p>Son ordered the burger and I had the "Adult Happy Meal". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTKlZJQbvi-QE3hyphenhyphen8pTyKpqjd6dgx6G51GJhyqlinaoz36DRBNoBIZhBKwb5mS2u_ZuiHXrh1G4IrS4leVSF73KQDRg28cX9tdA-njHf7Yj7QAtDg3ztSBUxPO5utL3UNrSQirLWh7Tzg4nZs9rvIVc03SlFQP9mKlW3qd2aEIbzyDH5Fiv-LahmufPVB/s3075/IMG_7378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTKlZJQbvi-QE3hyphenhyphen8pTyKpqjd6dgx6G51GJhyqlinaoz36DRBNoBIZhBKwb5mS2u_ZuiHXrh1G4IrS4leVSF73KQDRg28cX9tdA-njHf7Yj7QAtDg3ztSBUxPO5utL3UNrSQirLWh7Tzg4nZs9rvIVc03SlFQP9mKlW3qd2aEIbzyDH5Fiv-LahmufPVB/w630-h640/IMG_7378.JPG" title="Holo Holo Burger @ Stripsteak" width="630" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-BxzSqPBzxDNQFBZecRb-o2boH4ma0BZluAtDO2OTL6MLVaomimUZa9Qie4pQ0or-xgrE9vdGzKPhJiyA1KDsV3SwlTRF_iXOqjJFDfDuaRyNIOC7u-x7bFIHZkNmKE0tfi2PTc_KYROHO7NlX9i2PzptZuwPiVMVMKA5wX5b8dcIV-C4x9s3wXuGooq/s2783/IMG_7380.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2515" data-original-width="2783" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-BxzSqPBzxDNQFBZecRb-o2boH4ma0BZluAtDO2OTL6MLVaomimUZa9Qie4pQ0or-xgrE9vdGzKPhJiyA1KDsV3SwlTRF_iXOqjJFDfDuaRyNIOC7u-x7bFIHZkNmKE0tfi2PTc_KYROHO7NlX9i2PzptZuwPiVMVMKA5wX5b8dcIV-C4x9s3wXuGooq/w640-h578/IMG_7380.JPG" title="Adult Happy Meal @ Stripsteak" width="640" /></a></div><p>Both meals were pretty good. Then son had a Long Island Ice Tea and I switched to Prosecco. Both of us were a little buzzed now. The bartender was nice and friendly and we enjoyed our time. We also asked about the fries we saw going around as we remembered them from our dinner in Vegas. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHM2h_gJrFqt4FlRloP2nOlI8VSTLqGgZJbEjlZ2JLl8fmL27N3iAALdc6CKHGBi106cDjuWe54tdMcKWXCL_VN_-xHBufLOlSdR-ggOjIK080_mQ-p8ul7-6sZ569kIW6aNBuq3KaA2gh-xFF5txaPL0YhMcG32iNL3451z2dHFtAeE7oWly1A94yuQK/s3266/IMG_7385.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2262" data-original-width="3266" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHM2h_gJrFqt4FlRloP2nOlI8VSTLqGgZJbEjlZ2JLl8fmL27N3iAALdc6CKHGBi106cDjuWe54tdMcKWXCL_VN_-xHBufLOlSdR-ggOjIK080_mQ-p8ul7-6sZ569kIW6aNBuq3KaA2gh-xFF5txaPL0YhMcG32iNL3451z2dHFtAeE7oWly1A94yuQK/w640-h444/IMG_7385.JPG" title="Duck Fat Fries @ Stripsteak" width="640" /></a></div><p>They're duck fat fries with 3 dips, truffle aioli, ketchup and kalbi sauce. He gave us some complimentary. Bill was $93 USD pre-tip and I left $120 USD ($166 CAD). It was worth it. We went over to Liliha Bakery and my son got an eclair, a cinnamon sugar cruffin and of course the cream puff to go. We walked along to Long's and the sidewalks were sooo packed wall to wall with people it caused me anxiety. It is so much like Vegas now, like walking the Strip. We got some wine for the room and went back to the hotel. We were going to go out for a night cap but started watching "BravoCon" on the t.v. and decided to just pack it in. Son enjoyed his eclair with a coffee. Most of budget spent, minus $60 and 6 km walked today. We'd use that $60 for beach chair rentals tomorrow.</p><p><b><u>Friday, November 10, 2023:</u></b></p><p>We slept in! Well, 7:30 am island time was a good sleep in for us. The longer you sleep in Waikiki, the less money you spend, lol. We didn't really have any plans today so thought we'd go to a <b><u><a href="https://www.pitstophawaii.com/" target="_blank">food truck </a></u></b>we saw for a burger and then go spend a couple of hours on the beach again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgqQAOYXXZPprvA2EL8S6bafmmYfnt_B9wM-yTsDIg1PBfL8dEbABpnWfffa3kt8Jt1-LYfrL1UT86h4N3NbwZnJqSqzJA_z6OGu6sO_yThf0fXgWALFBN6iqLRrUK33i1mUdYX_ORa1E5_rFVCgjsiNGBtzvNfHnvpiIyqI-dtsUnW4JPbIsQdHt5zeZ/s4032/IMG_7388.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgqQAOYXXZPprvA2EL8S6bafmmYfnt_B9wM-yTsDIg1PBfL8dEbABpnWfffa3kt8Jt1-LYfrL1UT86h4N3NbwZnJqSqzJA_z6OGu6sO_yThf0fXgWALFBN6iqLRrUK33i1mUdYX_ORa1E5_rFVCgjsiNGBtzvNfHnvpiIyqI-dtsUnW4JPbIsQdHt5zeZ/w480-h640/IMG_7388.JPG" title="Pit Stop Food Truck" width="480" /></a></div><p>The truck had "elote" on special - Mexican street corn so we got a side of that. We got two cheese burger sliders on those little Hawaiian sweet buns, two waters and four cheese fries. Bill was $45.25 ($62 CAD 🙄). The pictures ain't pretty. He's into cheese blankets, lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1UXOMRbxhuKHfDlfEoprTfveKdli2eY1_2Q6VSYlOLlwVqEFqszoxOgFduN4oHApJaTzRzEs4581XW5pWrsLjS1C86sXSeVqTpOHJ9OxJnE4lhfEjdFPV89vPLFfezA7dnntX9Gn1LhYRm2BgIai21zo8l5yZUIjDIHAinPwyryQMYiU_WrCjaHRAiF-/s3262/IMG_7389.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="2872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1UXOMRbxhuKHfDlfEoprTfveKdli2eY1_2Q6VSYlOLlwVqEFqszoxOgFduN4oHApJaTzRzEs4581XW5pWrsLjS1C86sXSeVqTpOHJ9OxJnE4lhfEjdFPV89vPLFfezA7dnntX9Gn1LhYRm2BgIai21zo8l5yZUIjDIHAinPwyryQMYiU_WrCjaHRAiF-/w564-h640/IMG_7389.JPG" title="Cheeseburger Slider" width="564" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU-F2bKuX-M4an2g9pkcmzIJmJvZTMNcgB-NNgkqTO17NamwDdaRZV616eFmND4ryNqLlu1D1Y3w60enok3sU8VpRrAZPBjuVt6qeDtmSB-vM-x5E9vryzjAEjuXTXrjxxB53YgJ1PM5YaaqkkiU2oCkZxlF7uTXYt15LeGZwO-SE77gM-_I8oJdhD1KH/s3284/IMG_7390.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3284" data-original-width="2449" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU-F2bKuX-M4an2g9pkcmzIJmJvZTMNcgB-NNgkqTO17NamwDdaRZV616eFmND4ryNqLlu1D1Y3w60enok3sU8VpRrAZPBjuVt6qeDtmSB-vM-x5E9vryzjAEjuXTXrjxxB53YgJ1PM5YaaqkkiU2oCkZxlF7uTXYt15LeGZwO-SE77gM-_I8oJdhD1KH/w478-h640/IMG_7390.JPG" title="4 Cheese Fries" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8b0UN_bac8B2N1fo26lTmF1C63_MWG4cmH0fJ5L24TlQQeJHTaAoE0G-y1EkSk61xh8nREwewyFbCH-mL7Y0dxi2W8ndi6rd727D5FH49miIcrhxAKrK1UKTs6T10eINwRSGg7vbdxxQqkc9MszH0dORSPuex1Lkpr2bf89U-IPonynTU7wkRhO4Fqs7/s4032/IMG_7391.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8b0UN_bac8B2N1fo26lTmF1C63_MWG4cmH0fJ5L24TlQQeJHTaAoE0G-y1EkSk61xh8nREwewyFbCH-mL7Y0dxi2W8ndi6rd727D5FH49miIcrhxAKrK1UKTs6T10eINwRSGg7vbdxxQqkc9MszH0dORSPuex1Lkpr2bf89U-IPonynTU7wkRhO4Fqs7/w480-h640/IMG_7391.JPG" title="Elote - Mexican Street Corn" width="480" /></a></div><p>The food was good, fries were hand cut. We sat with an "Aloha Ambassador" who was on his lunch break. The chef/owner came in a couple times to ask how we liked the food and then told my son to finish the fries. My son sheepishly had a few more, lol. Still pricey for a food truck though they did have a little air-conditioned space next door where we were able to sit down and eat which made the experience better.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVDP3o5s4P61HLu-vouSu_RaAiB1QvHLLFMzCQBzXQFPeLN6kTNrK0oJGq27ckdzwIdKM_iIWe7wHiTsy5ygiE2o4KEXXa5b0PkX6YTiqRVaKEshaGBpW43ONtpbPJBFF4oKtFMeAwHnd1biOvAqwPSv7FLeSc-zLlEAINujw6pHF7U_QuP3iks3D2BQz/s3863/IMG_7393.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3863" data-original-width="2897" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVDP3o5s4P61HLu-vouSu_RaAiB1QvHLLFMzCQBzXQFPeLN6kTNrK0oJGq27ckdzwIdKM_iIWe7wHiTsy5ygiE2o4KEXXa5b0PkX6YTiqRVaKEshaGBpW43ONtpbPJBFF4oKtFMeAwHnd1biOvAqwPSv7FLeSc-zLlEAINujw6pHF7U_QuP3iks3D2BQz/w480-h640/IMG_7393.JPG" title="Back on Waikiki Beach" width="480" /></a></div><p>We went to the beach and rented the chairs/umbrella again for two hours or $40 USD ($55 CAD). Son spent the whole time in the water, I had a couple of dips to cool off. Son said he saw a turtle too!!! When our time was up we went to the room to shower and wash our suits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqZD281Gb7hYCInYVEPlXQYrlTI1wW-z1Hv7MoCXzsHdMzDMpbuhl0DUHESsGctTvQyNYc7jduyTn79G-ve2hpsv8J-twWD0SGyAjUxBGH7OvEBUIqEMfH1_LvjOFFnCAd6wXri2Q7HYOp7dFWHGVx4ZfgWNgRMxYk_u7ek6cqCKMXRUxbmxw698XF7Ko/s3809/IMG_7397.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="3809" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqZD281Gb7hYCInYVEPlXQYrlTI1wW-z1Hv7MoCXzsHdMzDMpbuhl0DUHESsGctTvQyNYc7jduyTn79G-ve2hpsv8J-twWD0SGyAjUxBGH7OvEBUIqEMfH1_LvjOFFnCAd6wXri2Q7HYOp7dFWHGVx4ZfgWNgRMxYk_u7ek6cqCKMXRUxbmxw698XF7Ko/w640-h480/IMG_7397.JPG" title="The Hideout" width="640" /></a></div><p>Happy hour was at a place called "The Hideout" in the Laylow hotel. It was a nice setting. We tried the Mai Tai's and had a Hawaiian beer after. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO7uftSolEJvYGN8LtKJ_a6xfPkkpqZGF57-LDfi4wszsmcWE6hzrgD7XttPhN0q-9rGMkPQhjyB_lha5UaAnfAKA682jLCLRpSgBRxdVE0RZRdcm5dh62BkQ45Yowo_GwGwp4BXC-rfuZ28HHaLQ6LVC89T6koo056Sm2thnbT1XIcGoG89_6x041PXH/s3960/IMG_7400.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="2443" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO7uftSolEJvYGN8LtKJ_a6xfPkkpqZGF57-LDfi4wszsmcWE6hzrgD7XttPhN0q-9rGMkPQhjyB_lha5UaAnfAKA682jLCLRpSgBRxdVE0RZRdcm5dh62BkQ45Yowo_GwGwp4BXC-rfuZ28HHaLQ6LVC89T6koo056Sm2thnbT1XIcGoG89_6x041PXH/w394-h640/IMG_7400.JPG" title="Mai Tai @ The Hideout" width="394" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccBDVgCh-HpPBnG6oIle62-g5gieKSoJos37triZut-dTHPfNYHSzzIgnn71588gZmDT1SKMLVHzJdaPAv7izU-WxWNl5JdWPCp7O4QtLhTmUOVxcC95FCQNtJlrax_BZmngrfm8lVVS1FvD_2aw6Z5yNjnociOrXLiajGOuTHXbwy6lpkVQtv-RkRr1V/s2972/IMG_7401.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="2972" data-original-width="2908" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccBDVgCh-HpPBnG6oIle62-g5gieKSoJos37triZut-dTHPfNYHSzzIgnn71588gZmDT1SKMLVHzJdaPAv7izU-WxWNl5JdWPCp7O4QtLhTmUOVxcC95FCQNtJlrax_BZmngrfm8lVVS1FvD_2aw6Z5yNjnociOrXLiajGOuTHXbwy6lpkVQtv-RkRr1V/w626-h640/IMG_7401.JPG" title="Kalua Pig Egg Rolls" width="626" /></a></div><p>We split the Kalua pig egg rolls as well (I didn't love these at all). Service was very good and they had live entertainment (Gabe). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx-QTzQR0Z8mSugBUkPUZc04NwivadrjWHAwY3IRHQUldvK6PzF6_DWX4MWdzOGG05JZkIB6gIE5VyJUUzu_mZ4qj-C7zj766LUpnMu-XGBdc_g8ecbK6VMMcLAQVKCcKdPnf_uNMFiOE2cl4iAgo2KCs_lO_EWsCB89uk7S_fU-QXFqaePDNj0k5wKxN/s3269/IMG_7399.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3269" data-original-width="2804" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx-QTzQR0Z8mSugBUkPUZc04NwivadrjWHAwY3IRHQUldvK6PzF6_DWX4MWdzOGG05JZkIB6gIE5VyJUUzu_mZ4qj-C7zj766LUpnMu-XGBdc_g8ecbK6VMMcLAQVKCcKdPnf_uNMFiOE2cl4iAgo2KCs_lO_EWsCB89uk7S_fU-QXFqaePDNj0k5wKxN/w548-h640/IMG_7399.JPG" title="Lounge Lizard Gabe @ the Hideout" width="548" /></a></div><p>He reminded me of John Mayer's voice. After tip, bill was $87 CAD. 🙄</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUdd-Be3DlVHkk_BVZ4Sv3PgiLynDjl6GiguU_2UwNvylIYx-zVOIIFj7JzvCDrQLigp3U6k2gOqds9LcuNfb2tFwIElQTbmahxDy_Dw2gPiKi3jIOQyVUbVweDIuXF0kRU6SXcxWhiCgvNTYY3chElJ5f94jynKVR3LfQxWFc54DTaVZIznGP-3W11GY/s4032/IMG_7404.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUdd-Be3DlVHkk_BVZ4Sv3PgiLynDjl6GiguU_2UwNvylIYx-zVOIIFj7JzvCDrQLigp3U6k2gOqds9LcuNfb2tFwIElQTbmahxDy_Dw2gPiKi3jIOQyVUbVweDIuXF0kRU6SXcxWhiCgvNTYY3chElJ5f94jynKVR3LfQxWFc54DTaVZIznGP-3W11GY/w480-h640/IMG_7404.JPG" title="Bill from the Hideout" width="480" /></a></div><p>We only stayed an hour and then made our way to our dinner reservation which was at <b><u><a href="https://www.islandvintagewinebar.com/" target="_blank">Island Vintage Wine Bar</a></u></b>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksK7Fgx-4vJhi9dHMN6xaVCHqzrE_8SpcsKMpBUhbvfxXmawMU5ActdrtuhrlmRnzHavAGFg9bclvFAFCaRpXewTwO6iu0-74VSIoN_w0auWC4AdYG1a971sap0JDH5iFPzNJhx6_rQt8JOLavBCRjZpo9_imsdN5YTuX3Do_yqZGngvy1c3FQVOwFLwn/s3956/IMG_7406.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2967" data-original-width="3956" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksK7Fgx-4vJhi9dHMN6xaVCHqzrE_8SpcsKMpBUhbvfxXmawMU5ActdrtuhrlmRnzHavAGFg9bclvFAFCaRpXewTwO6iu0-74VSIoN_w0auWC4AdYG1a971sap0JDH5iFPzNJhx6_rQt8JOLavBCRjZpo9_imsdN5YTuX3Do_yqZGngvy1c3FQVOwFLwn/w640-h480/IMG_7406.JPG" title="Island Vintage Wine Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>This was a cute little place that joined their coffee shop next door. The menu was huge and it took a while to decide for my son. I had already decided I was having "poke" and it's why I picked the place. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ZwZEp41TqObXDzOrl7wWpqiIHdq_3mFO1zMtvquDVA7w1-y5jR9PKccVI4G_01Cq46uhWnvnYQFsKbhBaoT0S5ID99NvxRTF87yOVR-S2nYfKX_Qc-1AwXS1a2IYKhXgy_tEWQ7yyHRbwa9XnRUVLqEAbUUdw-2dCFSrfPEQFbiLG-XbXQPn5MTKCwk/s3509/IMG_7415.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1963" data-original-width="3509" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ZwZEp41TqObXDzOrl7wWpqiIHdq_3mFO1zMtvquDVA7w1-y5jR9PKccVI4G_01Cq46uhWnvnYQFsKbhBaoT0S5ID99NvxRTF87yOVR-S2nYfKX_Qc-1AwXS1a2IYKhXgy_tEWQ7yyHRbwa9XnRUVLqEAbUUdw-2dCFSrfPEQFbiLG-XbXQPn5MTKCwk/w640-h358/IMG_7415.JPG" title="Burrata/Prosciutto Toast" width="640" /></a></div><p>They had a special of burrata/prosciutto toast with honey that we had to order for $15 USD ($21 CAD). It was heavenly and so worth the price. Menu said they make their own burrata too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hElmnRq6VZYSpWp46ABiowAU_u9wyIoacPUQbbLqApeLO_vPPGEmnQJ_lAO85dH63zg5dgbC4hhFMqmmtkPo7jQ5iri4wS_sXtLpra9yk90z6ZJKE5kYLXmnhRrUeC5GCxWDga1NFago89IkJKQ7jD1GyPS6bA-2j7-zakqM8fSJlRF15t0cFuFq_fWz/s3082/IMG_7417.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2458" data-original-width="3082" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hElmnRq6VZYSpWp46ABiowAU_u9wyIoacPUQbbLqApeLO_vPPGEmnQJ_lAO85dH63zg5dgbC4hhFMqmmtkPo7jQ5iri4wS_sXtLpra9yk90z6ZJKE5kYLXmnhRrUeC5GCxWDga1NFago89IkJKQ7jD1GyPS6bA-2j7-zakqM8fSJlRF15t0cFuFq_fWz/w640-h510/IMG_7417.JPG" title="Garlic Shrimp" width="640" /></a></div><p>Son ordered garlic shrimp ($28.95 USD or $40 CAD) and I had the Ikura salmon poke bowl ($25.95 USD or $36 CAD). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYwFPObkpto82KaoX-6_FYODxhqbU3tz422rnyCyh2BDRA7sS3al7w7ujfhmRj37eb_dnBtSsmZDd0vPDusHl48ypco981XSAlcEHXEczbARu81iFe2Od6BYvC3LjgARiiYs3AR4xKZ9PFMy3Z0O3l24injT_cshcR67F-hFC_2SyMbxUNnJSbVuyrJqf/s3968/IMG_7419.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="3968" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYwFPObkpto82KaoX-6_FYODxhqbU3tz422rnyCyh2BDRA7sS3al7w7ujfhmRj37eb_dnBtSsmZDd0vPDusHl48ypco981XSAlcEHXEczbARu81iFe2Od6BYvC3LjgARiiYs3AR4xKZ9PFMy3Z0O3l24injT_cshcR67F-hFC_2SyMbxUNnJSbVuyrJqf/w640-h454/IMG_7419.JPG" title="Ikura Salmon Poke" width="640" /></a></div><p>Both dishes were very good and felt relatively healthy. Son worked hard to get those shells off, then went in for the kill. He was so stuffed after, maybe because of his coconut milkshake? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0Pt2rDSQKRPbu0ZFALlgH2c7U6_hzjfDAePLX9GhrTZzFjk5iLTNIE-GW2vBDb46r6uV8Pa0Oujxmd9olV3jo-7VgpZe6GZ1YxmYFPl-y7EBEikxwlH_ICr6FLYDmCRmt1y9eqkgdmua3Szr8_ivKbjfMs44rL8R-8Jn9fZONhD8vuUHTfO1Bes4PLUk/s4032/IMG_7420.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0Pt2rDSQKRPbu0ZFALlgH2c7U6_hzjfDAePLX9GhrTZzFjk5iLTNIE-GW2vBDb46r6uV8Pa0Oujxmd9olV3jo-7VgpZe6GZ1YxmYFPl-y7EBEikxwlH_ICr6FLYDmCRmt1y9eqkgdmua3Szr8_ivKbjfMs44rL8R-8Jn9fZONhD8vuUHTfO1Bes4PLUk/w480-h640/IMG_7420.JPG" title="Island Vintage Wine Bar Bill" width="480" /></a></div><p>Bill was $100 USD or $138 CAD and I left a $20 tip ($28 CAD). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPpf31W-GoxouoXcvVOzCPJEz8xtoL3IGpv24UV4gAWisD92-hCushGKqU1Cz-fa50-dIDeJ2hUhuv-rbqUPzeMn0WGNSQRJGUvdwjQWtlfKFVgot5C7R4H0YKFPEQbOlGCxgJ-kO6sIj2dlew_DbgGKlxoEQCBHjwpmq9wps8Xnz5Z09D4XRq95Fa7c3/s3870/IMG_7427.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3870" data-original-width="2903" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPpf31W-GoxouoXcvVOzCPJEz8xtoL3IGpv24UV4gAWisD92-hCushGKqU1Cz-fa50-dIDeJ2hUhuv-rbqUPzeMn0WGNSQRJGUvdwjQWtlfKFVgot5C7R4H0YKFPEQbOlGCxgJ-kO6sIj2dlew_DbgGKlxoEQCBHjwpmq9wps8Xnz5Z09D4XRq95Fa7c3/w480-h640/IMG_7427.JPG" title="Surprise Fireworks" width="480" /></a></div><p>We walked to coffee shop and got Kona Americanos ($10 USD) and while we were seated outside drinking it, we managed to catch a fireworks show. We made our way back to the room and called it a night. $90 of budget leftover and we walked 5.5 km today.</p><p><b><u>Saturday, November 11, 2023 A.K.A. Last Day:</u></b></p><p>We slept in again, 7 am island time. The walls were paper thin at the hotel and I listened to someone in the next rooms on both sides cough and hack, hack, hack all night long. One side was a man and the other side sounded like a kid. Other than that though I had a decent sleep. We had reservations for brunch at a place called "<b><u><a href="https://www.deandeluca-hawaii.com/" target="_blank">Dean & Deluca's</a></u></b> which was in the Ritz Carlton residences store. We tried to book high tea but it was unavailable. Anyway, I was sold on the fancy loco moco they offered for brunch. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbnSDNH3GmLCpPHnmb6qTkqnmBm363WnsRSB3JqAPuTxeCvA9SebqoREilaRHwsw07Zc7JjIsRjK-3DMWKpP4wvpAOKInRlWbT9qoWU4Ofx0JCspleq-0W-GIUSPwVMzTtljJ4wnwNZJvZXG6OERDCC-uL2gmtJ8gbNZIjNYpFildii70FRlLDgun7hHd/s3836/IMG_7428.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="3836" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbnSDNH3GmLCpPHnmb6qTkqnmBm363WnsRSB3JqAPuTxeCvA9SebqoREilaRHwsw07Zc7JjIsRjK-3DMWKpP4wvpAOKInRlWbT9qoWU4Ofx0JCspleq-0W-GIUSPwVMzTtljJ4wnwNZJvZXG6OERDCC-uL2gmtJ8gbNZIjNYpFildii70FRlLDgun7hHd/w640-h480/IMG_7428.JPG" title="Dean & Delucas" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpHfMsi9xhCkJPGlI8Hq4eP5KeqUT04kUh6315_UHxp4WTTWES95AC9HGTJbgHMfGICZl1gFD0spi5wsUif_ybo9nKR5hQKrT3ylY6cS6mP0yXgRDdm9zgKp_o_6Cx_7EFjEi211lSgnE1uRMZCK-IdqnpZaRUbbtmp842OM_bhgivgCHufXcSJyP_mnd/s4032/IMG_5434.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2566" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpHfMsi9xhCkJPGlI8Hq4eP5KeqUT04kUh6315_UHxp4WTTWES95AC9HGTJbgHMfGICZl1gFD0spi5wsUif_ybo9nKR5hQKrT3ylY6cS6mP0yXgRDdm9zgKp_o_6Cx_7EFjEi211lSgnE1uRMZCK-IdqnpZaRUbbtmp842OM_bhgivgCHufXcSJyP_mnd/w408-h640/IMG_5434.JPG" title="Matcha Lilikoi Iced Latte" width="408" /></a></div><p>The Matcha Lilikoi Iced Latte ($8 USD or $11 CAD) was very good and that's where it pretty much ended. My son's French onion soup ($9 USD or $12.50 CAD) below was barely warm and the cheese barely melted.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkJBoqoSNDfrmmm9OHeS5oZ07Vv_uMWuO-4aPnFsMP_j3zjtXqyaZiC7Nj8Zg8KqjnbtWyYyRGDZS8OqgOfV-RfGLIeOmFJgvdflFONtfy9vRXE5arGOcxf_IGKyDTPiqaD8gzzJ9e5YgULiDpVh7s3N1Ir7Fdt0eEiiiCNo4mK51Ha0TXvNL9NgJqF0F/s3283/IMG_7436.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3283" data-original-width="2857" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkJBoqoSNDfrmmm9OHeS5oZ07Vv_uMWuO-4aPnFsMP_j3zjtXqyaZiC7Nj8Zg8KqjnbtWyYyRGDZS8OqgOfV-RfGLIeOmFJgvdflFONtfy9vRXE5arGOcxf_IGKyDTPiqaD8gzzJ9e5YgULiDpVh7s3N1Ir7Fdt0eEiiiCNo4mK51Ha0TXvNL9NgJqF0F/w556-h640/IMG_7436.JPG" title="Luke warm French Onion Soup" width="556" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVVeJcHtstJ3xtMweMFM8xrnJgsp6LILyC2wDx0qqAmnj07YXFGo3jWtx7Kx7INIYLBzdqSijzKKuE-xYrfVN6LQuCryjGUok-oNVOF0Os_SXc6navmzDRR4uaXBzBfHHl1fBAD4QbcuMT9ADKWFgNbooBzH5zNdcwlzyLgzvAr5_Y2OZkOz2uylE4T01/s3024/IMG_7439.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="3024" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVVeJcHtstJ3xtMweMFM8xrnJgsp6LILyC2wDx0qqAmnj07YXFGo3jWtx7Kx7INIYLBzdqSijzKKuE-xYrfVN6LQuCryjGUok-oNVOF0Os_SXc6navmzDRR4uaXBzBfHHl1fBAD4QbcuMT9ADKWFgNbooBzH5zNdcwlzyLgzvAr5_Y2OZkOz2uylE4T01/w640-h380/IMG_7439.JPG" title="Grilled Caesar Salad" width="640" /></a></div><p>My grilled Caesar salad was MEH ($10 USD or $14 CAD). Unfortunately lunch was underwhelming. Our meals came while the appetizers were still on the table and he brought some crackers out too, we had no room on the table at all. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD53z38nTxaE5X08m7H3Sa2Ib6QIOgiLAJTEhopux6uwylKoJ9MrFqnHhI3_o2pKR3qYE6vS1SkDcgMJmqBdwuouTkXOL30LCJqIj9RWf5FNnjnUXxCAZWB_aYjFY6fNBPDowGAc1CVlTwtsO1gLVzGwJIyW3vHkSimqQ8b_ABrw2ldOonl8e9fOJLGBb6/s3024/IMG_7442.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2572" data-original-width="3024" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD53z38nTxaE5X08m7H3Sa2Ib6QIOgiLAJTEhopux6uwylKoJ9MrFqnHhI3_o2pKR3qYE6vS1SkDcgMJmqBdwuouTkXOL30LCJqIj9RWf5FNnjnUXxCAZWB_aYjFY6fNBPDowGAc1CVlTwtsO1gLVzGwJIyW3vHkSimqQ8b_ABrw2ldOonl8e9fOJLGBb6/w640-h544/IMG_7442.JPG" title="Short Rib Loco Moco" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The short rib loco moco was delicious but served cold. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6__5zEh_4HY_RIgq56paBAJywQ5qJlp0BKtvh-k39YpayB6O5JF4oTMwolqASc1ZgqYtGu6gqTeZyHbK5V1gvniGKeVjvboPogDOkZUjPKjRVpXA7jhF7CE7EfOs5Ta7ktiUiYMZEwy_c1ghQeyPUf2Mm9xKaS741VRlZAXmWU9IrzUEmSDgGL8je-NJv/s3215/IMG_5436.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2864" data-original-width="3215" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6__5zEh_4HY_RIgq56paBAJywQ5qJlp0BKtvh-k39YpayB6O5JF4oTMwolqASc1ZgqYtGu6gqTeZyHbK5V1gvniGKeVjvboPogDOkZUjPKjRVpXA7jhF7CE7EfOs5Ta7ktiUiYMZEwy_c1ghQeyPUf2Mm9xKaS741VRlZAXmWU9IrzUEmSDgGL8je-NJv/w640-h570/IMG_5436.JPG" title="FRENCH AU JUS DIP PRIME RIB PANINI" width="640" /></a></div><p>My son's prime rib beef dip panini was also served cold, including the au jus. When we told our server he took them away. I asked if they could just be heated up but I saw him talking to the chef who was rolling his eyes and shaking his head. New dishes were prepared. The rice was still cold when my new dish came out but I didn't say anything, I just didn't eat it. Son's au jus was never hot either. Bill was $92 USD or $127 CAD and I accidentally tipped $30 USD or $42 CAD. 🙄 🙄🙄 I made the servers day for sure. 🙄 It bummed me out as that was $169 CAD for an okay meal with average service. 🙄</p><p>We shopped and finished getting everything we wanted to take home. Then we rented the chairs at the beach and son went swimming. He said he met the lady who stepped on the sea urchin. He said she was feeling better now but the first night the lifeguards just gave her vinegar to soak her foot and pull the spikes out. That was it for treatment. The beach was packed today!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtdw-v9Yo2UpaoBm-E3ZJLx1php1uCf8lfAiH7nWLl1MeYVzY8-57FolNkVa7oyVYCB8AE2Bm6v21aV1TZgfbrbjJYyCxm6Ma7jwRsc3OZedW1nQ2t31wHHfTXDUZK1oyS6LP5Xdys-ZW_c4VWnOkRxT81pCo5VhmWz7GfKj1gGoQY-BqgFG927-IMAu-/s3842/IMG_7446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3842" data-original-width="2882" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtdw-v9Yo2UpaoBm-E3ZJLx1php1uCf8lfAiH7nWLl1MeYVzY8-57FolNkVa7oyVYCB8AE2Bm6v21aV1TZgfbrbjJYyCxm6Ma7jwRsc3OZedW1nQ2t31wHHfTXDUZK1oyS6LP5Xdys-ZW_c4VWnOkRxT81pCo5VhmWz7GfKj1gGoQY-BqgFG927-IMAu-/w480-h640/IMG_7446.JPG" title="Packed Waikiki Beach!" width="480" /></a></div><p>Also, I got an email from our hotel saying there was a "Kalakaua Festival" outside our hotel at 4pm today with 10,000 participants so perhaps that would be interesting? Haha, I was open to at checking it out, it meant more spending and crowds. 😅 </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUh1E9JS7TdSRM3ZwAeSnYywUKqS-cdXiPCMEVzfoBO9GxF1TX2VMnJxzGCiFEiHUalFos-atb_6x1GMfBNEXOeiWbinerYbWZNY7x9sJfYSbNMvPlxDJEY09PsXbR1R45qRDLFdQnqVO6-AzltlGYMP9vQrPGtRUyBPB_bM87MWLuQn4mDbBPm70VExO/s4032/IMG_7447.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUh1E9JS7TdSRM3ZwAeSnYywUKqS-cdXiPCMEVzfoBO9GxF1TX2VMnJxzGCiFEiHUalFos-atb_6x1GMfBNEXOeiWbinerYbWZNY7x9sJfYSbNMvPlxDJEY09PsXbR1R45qRDLFdQnqVO6-AzltlGYMP9vQrPGtRUyBPB_bM87MWLuQn4mDbBPm70VExO/w480-h640/IMG_7447.JPG" title="Kalakaua Festival" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI75SDqe_qCx9uAk6FrP-SG7BB69MUpGhITb4HyC-3hM247-X_NOhuBiGolfP1_O04_dskLVTN9RYjKkwio4WIHEL6J0_iVFO49ua2b7oEi02mhKK_we8fYwb9R7dHLGdZDp09vw-pRfK8i0e6B-Z3r_ApKwKZBL_kYGRXoiag4Gc4mz9eARwQGl36Sw7E/s3856/IMG_7448.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3856" data-original-width="2892" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI75SDqe_qCx9uAk6FrP-SG7BB69MUpGhITb4HyC-3hM247-X_NOhuBiGolfP1_O04_dskLVTN9RYjKkwio4WIHEL6J0_iVFO49ua2b7oEi02mhKK_we8fYwb9R7dHLGdZDp09vw-pRfK8i0e6B-Z3r_ApKwKZBL_kYGRXoiag4Gc4mz9eARwQGl36Sw7E/w480-h640/IMG_7448.JPG" title="Kalakaua Festival" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">After we were showered and ready to go, we checked out the street festival. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_pYHTuMiepaktbawkfgmXxnU7U7tVJd21F7mBIo5HhXgr3dXszG2Lgylvny9sNSfL8vVnhSMocepdZtj0WOU_fRo8Mt2bRoonDtNskhNIMRBPxmpkpC6TlPPODPjj0pTmId5PJbn4mQOCXDraNgn90jIvPyZrPAJz07-CupGkWVKZMhV21oMpmF4xjH4/s3776/IMG_7449.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3776" data-original-width="2832" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_pYHTuMiepaktbawkfgmXxnU7U7tVJd21F7mBIo5HhXgr3dXszG2Lgylvny9sNSfL8vVnhSMocepdZtj0WOU_fRo8Mt2bRoonDtNskhNIMRBPxmpkpC6TlPPODPjj0pTmId5PJbn4mQOCXDraNgn90jIvPyZrPAJz07-CupGkWVKZMhV21oMpmF4xjH4/w480-h640/IMG_7449.JPG" title="Kalakaua Festival" width="480" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CoHQylDmT-eF7OhUW2WF6BYGmD71fuRBIetHERsWuQMblalcN1qWJNOsBRcUDIctT-9U-4UDLkW38S0BWqkTRDrcjrZB1zR3jf8wQZBeNHahe2UkHYjLLWkp4r8X0KbH7wc38j7VSlfxm5zjIBh7Poi3BM2STq_1rfzZgfAf97CBzvNkMMyVZXGvKXon/s4032/IMG_7450.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CoHQylDmT-eF7OhUW2WF6BYGmD71fuRBIetHERsWuQMblalcN1qWJNOsBRcUDIctT-9U-4UDLkW38S0BWqkTRDrcjrZB1zR3jf8wQZBeNHahe2UkHYjLLWkp4r8X0KbH7wc38j7VSlfxm5zjIBh7Poi3BM2STq_1rfzZgfAf97CBzvNkMMyVZXGvKXon/w480-h640/IMG_7450.JPG" title="$9 USD for 4 Strawberries on a Stick" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">$9 USD or $12.50 CAD for 4 strawberries on a stick, um nope...</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">There was lots of booths and we first bought "pokechos". $20 USD or $28 CAD so not cheap but it was really, really tasty. We shared it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGM49DdW_QzuHIQr6hvhyphenhyphenN6cJiceSUZnJn8Sdt2Xqwzk6R8dtk25-yTWgK0AzrRVq0hBh7oaYYX_h_g0jN8kxzSrOVN-JG5WFDRB9FEVeBRMyXoBUYU1Ncjnqs3cnMuq7wCWEJmc4G1sisSpZto35ntK-L1x3iyfOt6Wa3CziXlLnYtlWXZZqVmqaSx1kG/s4032/IMG_7453.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1884" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGM49DdW_QzuHIQr6hvhyphenhyphenN6cJiceSUZnJn8Sdt2Xqwzk6R8dtk25-yTWgK0AzrRVq0hBh7oaYYX_h_g0jN8kxzSrOVN-JG5WFDRB9FEVeBRMyXoBUYU1Ncjnqs3cnMuq7wCWEJmc4G1sisSpZto35ntK-L1x3iyfOt6Wa3CziXlLnYtlWXZZqVmqaSx1kG/w640-h300/IMG_7453.JPG" title="Pokechos" width="640" /></a></div><p>Our next stop was when we smelt the BBQ's going. We queued for Vietnamese Lechon (like Italian Porchetta). We got it with pancit (rice noodles). $18 USD ($25 CAD) and we shared that too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HV4_x5ttjpXob7ft7KYKWwNMk6r8f2X1UroUspwt8Loz2Oet_Xy026HY6rRer5I5zxBbNh6cOspTPzlISfwDX850AMxrQVPxv611FzJ2HxH-at5ucjlVOt-r8m_K0zXrS2US25fOntTsGh5w_tJfFOxuvDqJ0DsxbTmDp_p8_Jo4pg4NoyrUEApD3wrz/s3564/IMG_7462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3564" data-original-width="2673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HV4_x5ttjpXob7ft7KYKWwNMk6r8f2X1UroUspwt8Loz2Oet_Xy026HY6rRer5I5zxBbNh6cOspTPzlISfwDX850AMxrQVPxv611FzJ2HxH-at5ucjlVOt-r8m_K0zXrS2US25fOntTsGh5w_tJfFOxuvDqJ0DsxbTmDp_p8_Jo4pg4NoyrUEApD3wrz/w480-h640/IMG_7462.JPG" title="Dick's Lechon" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnZsCjX2wz6ZkpHTJun2Q4WDahEaYJCEsTiyXhhCBRJE2AsbTTBr8G7QJxa3QpF8I04RwIy93rm2YiFzs3KXpRU6DeFO6qxsGcH90C6_KTzSmiMpfmPrOJYpsOSVlsmgkrrTgRY8fDncSM5driFjvmloq-QiNr-roanlGcTG1uHpzoxmgSKH6N6OEa3da/s3570/IMG_7460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3570" data-original-width="2677" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnZsCjX2wz6ZkpHTJun2Q4WDahEaYJCEsTiyXhhCBRJE2AsbTTBr8G7QJxa3QpF8I04RwIy93rm2YiFzs3KXpRU6DeFO6qxsGcH90C6_KTzSmiMpfmPrOJYpsOSVlsmgkrrTgRY8fDncSM5driFjvmloq-QiNr-roanlGcTG1uHpzoxmgSKH6N6OEa3da/w480-h640/IMG_7460.JPG" title="Lechon" width="480" /></a></div><p>Our last stop was so son could get a "shave ice" which is a Hawaii thing though New Orleans may argue with me. This one was a DIY where you select your own syrups. $6 USD ($8.50 CAD). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyDZTjvE0H-ws-AUBQ9rzle8i5ilR0zbK9B1nVSy-I12ykfGk47AEwL2dulIbdUdQCKNqm7rfbh_sRu0Y2Bnij_6HdASwNWLtBdJZBuPW71McIEEuw4giq9Gg9-ChcVzKTmTRdLv14yEmkEmWIRocCovXMTeP-Ewnxj51-zmgK_oKGchS68H_evYeQ6lY/s4032/IMG_7465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyDZTjvE0H-ws-AUBQ9rzle8i5ilR0zbK9B1nVSy-I12ykfGk47AEwL2dulIbdUdQCKNqm7rfbh_sRu0Y2Bnij_6HdASwNWLtBdJZBuPW71McIEEuw4giq9Gg9-ChcVzKTmTRdLv14yEmkEmWIRocCovXMTeP-Ewnxj51-zmgK_oKGchS68H_evYeQ6lY/w480-h640/IMG_7465.JPG" title="Shave Ice" width="480" /></a></div><p>Lastly we went to the ABC store and I bought some "Tito's Vodka" to bring home. Cheaper buying it there than at Duty Free. We called it a night. I requested late check out at noon. They told me I would have to call back at 7 am to see if it was accepted. Our airport ride was coming at noon to get us. We spent our whole budget minus $20 we saved for any small incidentals tomorrow . We walked 5.5 km today.</p><p><b><u>Sunday, November 12, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I woke up at 5:30 am island time and showered. Then I was ready to start packing. I called the front desk and not surprisingly they said no we could not check out an hour late. Son went for a swim and I packed and ate the leftover pancit/lechon for breakfast. Son said a lady had put her towel right in front of him on the beach when there was hardly any people around and blocked his view. But worse he said was she ate a croissant and then put all the flakes from it around her towel, scattering it about so the birds would come and eat the crumbs. UGH, glad I didn't see it. He said he picked up his towel and moved, lol. </p><p>We checked out at 11 am, bought a coffee and spiked it with Baileys from the ABC store. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYZCM1xYlBSM2tg0Rr0y0vPU_6zBLNX1PLRoVxaMk99EQG2-IOChu4cvexEqaSDf-cGrSlzR6qbZFc1qxCLxZJxxPVIMYVDVrgh_6adQfx5MyFRyihThqFInO4VdgNuAWDJ4dyFdcNrTejYPP4P6-nh1xPjCuAtLPVhYPf0Pi4yH_-rwcuGkzoNA7Z959/s3795/IMG_7472.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3795" data-original-width="2846" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYZCM1xYlBSM2tg0Rr0y0vPU_6zBLNX1PLRoVxaMk99EQG2-IOChu4cvexEqaSDf-cGrSlzR6qbZFc1qxCLxZJxxPVIMYVDVrgh_6adQfx5MyFRyihThqFInO4VdgNuAWDJ4dyFdcNrTejYPP4P6-nh1xPjCuAtLPVhYPf0Pi4yH_-rwcuGkzoNA7Z959/w480-h640/IMG_7472.JPG" title="Front Veranda @ Moana Surfrider" width="480" /></a></div><p>We sat on the front veranda at our hotel waiting for our ride. Below was the view from our rocking chairs:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrJNGbCSzpECVG3cPgUgq3Wkdcjf7dnD_H111GkYtVqYaqFcSa9qh-2e8aWLN52mweCGOfjwQ95oEuYJTz1wO5J6w3M_EXliaVFZnXtDXqfsRzcbnqL0pbYOWc3SMNVPiKLYaOHiWC2jiYnocvDC2Zed5aV06MvYTa8ElJmLNfPsTuxIBpzsSejy1SBZL/s4032/IMG_7474.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrJNGbCSzpECVG3cPgUgq3Wkdcjf7dnD_H111GkYtVqYaqFcSa9qh-2e8aWLN52mweCGOfjwQ95oEuYJTz1wO5J6w3M_EXliaVFZnXtDXqfsRzcbnqL0pbYOWc3SMNVPiKLYaOHiWC2jiYnocvDC2Zed5aV06MvYTa8ElJmLNfPsTuxIBpzsSejy1SBZL/w640-h480/IMG_7474.JPG" title="Veranda View from Moana Surfrider" width="640" /></a></div><p>We saw another wedding taking place; there was at least one per day that we saw while staying at the hotel:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS8oVjToC4s7-CX5CeWYsDafztutqHSHVzSiJe9DcA9g_93oG6S2C6F6kfJjTkp-4E2cv1LQGdtUjOrnSIroXz-3bQiPHEmvOVxWaotuc72bbvWzlcXLuAukJ0XcD-86c8lelV1zkHPEzSDX96zzK89uEgcuLr7E3i8zsJHoJpdN9H_AL52RwJm2qv9lH/s4032/IMG_7473.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS8oVjToC4s7-CX5CeWYsDafztutqHSHVzSiJe9DcA9g_93oG6S2C6F6kfJjTkp-4E2cv1LQGdtUjOrnSIroXz-3bQiPHEmvOVxWaotuc72bbvWzlcXLuAukJ0XcD-86c8lelV1zkHPEzSDX96zzK89uEgcuLr7E3i8zsJHoJpdN9H_AL52RwJm2qv9lH/w480-h640/IMG_7473.JPG" title="Wedding at Moana Surfrider" width="480" /></a></div><p>Our driver was right on time, same person as last time. We went to airport, had an <i>expensive</i> crappy meal although my son enjoyed his Lilikoi cheesecake (though sweet) from "The Local @ HNL", where we ate: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRJWGbz2O3M-9nFkL5_Z3H_IPRWGdam3aQ427M54tuutbw8ii0qfIaG97Zg3Ci5hff8iI4BcyNzMBoBXKDtI5XXKp6L1doWAy_UZZHFZLm-6h-BCKF3gE26BQlWN1FUS8NZZMeEmJkbGpX2n3-FAjAkFCFrthyphenhyphenX9DJZgcHyh8xlsz4Qry6ah-E-uZvWfx/s3024/IMG_7476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2468" data-original-width="3024" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRJWGbz2O3M-9nFkL5_Z3H_IPRWGdam3aQ427M54tuutbw8ii0qfIaG97Zg3Ci5hff8iI4BcyNzMBoBXKDtI5XXKp6L1doWAy_UZZHFZLm-6h-BCKF3gE26BQlWN1FUS8NZZMeEmJkbGpX2n3-FAjAkFCFrthyphenhyphenX9DJZgcHyh8xlsz4Qry6ah-E-uZvWfx/w640-h522/IMG_7476.JPG" title="Cheesecake from "The Local" at HNL airport" width="640" /></a></div><p>Below are my son's shots taken from the plane on the way home:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hpFth_aePMgmeXffYYhPlo-upcYgExaS0WzDaqmQ4zfRgCBfvRBvEVufydQFi-HZTQYv-9pq9li-v1cC3cpRgfslT5cA0Bit-hmqsha7tksqkMLiz3DGs1T7PGZjDqy2NpU8LiAB6Y8hi7Pq4D1u5XiX_ZFCn5_v70jSp9PJCUT99G2TgOymwdC13YnA/s3150/IMG_5449.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hpFth_aePMgmeXffYYhPlo-upcYgExaS0WzDaqmQ4zfRgCBfvRBvEVufydQFi-HZTQYv-9pq9li-v1cC3cpRgfslT5cA0Bit-hmqsha7tksqkMLiz3DGs1T7PGZjDqy2NpU8LiAB6Y8hi7Pq4D1u5XiX_ZFCn5_v70jSp9PJCUT99G2TgOymwdC13YnA/w614-h640/IMG_5449.JPG" title="Flying Home" width="614" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy8JxHHQ3sP5dpiJPfqOrCUoAT2eF1oDX3A_OL0_qVFlE1m9YzapJ-xJkjtvunsAeM7BTZQ1fd6fNR8QsTZQ4o2XLfPHef1I6g41HTlLTHBfG8QOAxNnCUexx3yD7xK3oKwU9xWfGabcNCWyxqpLUEVfeaymQlorbi7ihyelWlClPVdOrKJjaE7d7UFh1/s4032/IMG_5457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy8JxHHQ3sP5dpiJPfqOrCUoAT2eF1oDX3A_OL0_qVFlE1m9YzapJ-xJkjtvunsAeM7BTZQ1fd6fNR8QsTZQ4o2XLfPHef1I6g41HTlLTHBfG8QOAxNnCUexx3yD7xK3oKwU9xWfGabcNCWyxqpLUEVfeaymQlorbi7ihyelWlClPVdOrKJjaE7d7UFh1/w480-h640/IMG_5457.JPG" title="Sunset on the Plane Home" width="480" /></a></div><p><b><u>Trip Summary:</u></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">First and foremost, I'm looking into getting a bidet for home, that was the best feature of the room! We both thought it was great and hygenic! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The clear winner for the Mai Tai was the "Pink Palace" - Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai bar. No others even came close. Period. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As for our esims, we barely used them. I did notice that the VPN on my cell wouldn't let me send email so I always had to turn off the unsecure wifi and use the esim data to do so. </span></div><p></p><p>On the other hand, I doubt that Hawaii is in my future again. It reminds me of Key West in that it has just gotten more and more unaffordable over the years and caters to the rich elite. Yes, we could have done it cheaper like buying food at the grocery store for meals, but when we go on vacation we want to do/eat/see what we want. For us a budget of $500 USD per day would have been comfortable and we will probably be over that when we actually see the final credit card purchases. There are beaches just as nice around the world that don't require the amount of money Waikiki did to visit. Maui is even more expensive than Honolulu! The hotel was really priced out of our league and it was hard to enjoy because of that fact. I get it, we were over our heads in affordability. Well, and the fact that the <b><i>Canadian dollar sucks soooo bad</i></b> didn't help either...Maid service was great the first couple of days but then slid when we got a different one, I always had to chase her down for toilet paper, water, tea, etc. as she never replaced anything. For my $50 daily resort fee I wanted what we were entitled to. 😉 I tipped $5 USD a day and that was all I was going to. </p><p>I found that not many of the workers at our hotel had any "Aloha Spirit" in them from front desk, pool attendants, bar staff and maids. It was hard to find <i>genuine </i>smiles; we did find a couple but very few... it was everyone just doing a job. I get it, the last night there I even dreamed (well, had a nightmare) I was working at my old job again but everyone now worked in train cars and you had to trade off with others if you didn't like the people in your car, lol. Anyhow, staff was polite but with zero personality...when we used to visit regularly the kindness/Aloha spirit was what we enjoyed most. I will say that outside of the hotel most wait staff at the restaurants/bars were fantastically great but I guess tips are their bread & butter so it suits them to be... </p><p>Regardless, my son and I found a way to enjoy the trip with humor. I had to get over my disdain as it was bringing him down. It took me a few days to move past the sticker shock of everything. Once I did, I enjoyed the visit and looked at it nostalgically which brought great memories of my son when he was young. 😊 Seeing him in the ocean everyday made me joyful as he was so <b><i>happy</i></b>. Hawaii will <i>always</i> have a special place in his heart, no matter what. He even mentioned his surf lesson and instructor so I guess he was also feeling sentimental. No matter what, you cannot take away the beauty on a scenic level on the island. I wrote this very detailed report as I always do when I travel with my son, so the memories will always be there for him. Forever Love. 💜</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqCI1uMjGAK1RU59tbcKaxx__oltYbYv-aMI6SS6uE3vT7d_tI0lFrFZ-_pIAVCMBkgSDHPBbcX5Okdg6JbvXxTyCvs6jE5FZ2nZXA_kL_JwwMqFtIG8FciOuv5xWKd3El0wFh9YLWpdYUND-t1QhOxalxo_2_oy0RAYHZu6XybTxFesC8BY412cZLF9h/s3863/IMG_7223.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3863" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqCI1uMjGAK1RU59tbcKaxx__oltYbYv-aMI6SS6uE3vT7d_tI0lFrFZ-_pIAVCMBkgSDHPBbcX5Okdg6JbvXxTyCvs6jE5FZ2nZXA_kL_JwwMqFtIG8FciOuv5xWKd3El0wFh9YLWpdYUND-t1QhOxalxo_2_oy0RAYHZu6XybTxFesC8BY412cZLF9h/w640-h480/IMG_7223.JPG" title="Early Morning @ Waikiki Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>And now, it's time to say Aloha to this report and head into full blown Christmas season mode, I'm two weeks behind! 🤶🎅⛄❄🎁🎄 Even Waikiki is ahead of me in decorating!</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5iHeliFx6sHJuGpwBpn5Vc8u7Wcdy3EL3KLp7vyxvbl0yr4tBbhSceqldlSthn5U9hpdQ9mBTaDd4xk4YlFEJfYkrrS_CiVWORJO5SYEC1brUnWFk4JLGVzpMTgVMfGCU65Gw7_va9cF5Vr-TV6QhH0H2hqE81mfmi0wWHYltJRwLqmRoeWi_8ale9Op/s4032/IMG_7457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5iHeliFx6sHJuGpwBpn5Vc8u7Wcdy3EL3KLp7vyxvbl0yr4tBbhSceqldlSthn5U9hpdQ9mBTaDd4xk4YlFEJfYkrrS_CiVWORJO5SYEC1brUnWFk4JLGVzpMTgVMfGCU65Gw7_va9cF5Vr-TV6QhH0H2hqE81mfmi0wWHYltJRwLqmRoeWi_8ale9Op/w480-h640/IMG_7457.JPG" title="Christmas is Coming!" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com02365 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA21.2765462 -157.8266361-6.5125075227160956 167.0171139 49.065599922716089 -122.6703861tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-80020556733887086332023-10-26T16:10:00.028-07:002023-11-02T06:55:27.411-07:00British Isles Cruise Trip Report - Oct. 11 - 23, 2023<p>I originally had booked 18 days in Buenos Aires. Excitement soon turned to dread after too much reading about their volatile inflation, 40% of the population living in poverty and crime on tourists, I decided not to go. I wrestled with the decision after drinking from the "well of fear" for a month before cancelling it all. Anyway, I got a credit for my airfare which had to be used by July 2024 and a full refund for my <b><u><a href="https://www.vrbo.com/en-ca/cottage-rental/p668168vb" target="_blank">VRBO condo</a></u></b>... I hope to visit BsAs in the future, depending on their economy... I started to look for new destinations and one of my bucket list trips I've wanted to do showed up; Great Britain, Scotland & Ireland! </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlt_mAfarRTldQLKgKxCVPZnXxwTB43fhBGNmCiyc4em9HqztomoXRNln0SyFqtJZvPBCEwIEEq5ZOf7NSkHT93JWRi8aa9CtugIlgGBW5ZzMTaln7pCuMauQvL-DdlJ4h4zbUdiTwPAtrITEfD4Crj5RdZ-gXARJ2-Cm33p_mggEqAONnYunRFrtdLZEV/s1799/NorwegianStar.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1799" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlt_mAfarRTldQLKgKxCVPZnXxwTB43fhBGNmCiyc4em9HqztomoXRNln0SyFqtJZvPBCEwIEEq5ZOf7NSkHT93JWRi8aa9CtugIlgGBW5ZzMTaln7pCuMauQvL-DdlJ4h4zbUdiTwPAtrITEfD4Crj5RdZ-gXARJ2-Cm33p_mggEqAONnYunRFrtdLZEV/w640-h294/NorwegianStar.png" title="Norwegian Star" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUHkesXTZk_OXDR3DfBz-cCSlKmja-9lVVEYu6SDI1X85B24aekOhC6hF2jd5YgO2inrBMh3I-x2As6Ky1jsJu66K79DTxxz-0OUe27iCbGUd_Hn2bnFlsiCa1NQpazLihZUWG-cn32JKkfHm6yN4GHHkdBRhpl77N0J0_6AtdZNxM1gMLiluE8nECI0HR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUHkesXTZk_OXDR3DfBz-cCSlKmja-9lVVEYu6SDI1X85B24aekOhC6hF2jd5YgO2inrBMh3I-x2As6Ky1jsJu66K79DTxxz-0OUe27iCbGUd_Hn2bnFlsiCa1NQpazLihZUWG-cn32JKkfHm6yN4GHHkdBRhpl77N0J0_6AtdZNxM1gMLiluE8nECI0HR=w30-h20" width="30" /></a>I can still hear my dad mocking me as a pre-teen and telling everyone I was going to run off to Scotland to marry Les from the Bay City Rollers who I hope is resting in peace now. Edinburgh has been on my wishlist since I was 12 years old! </p><p>I stumbled upon this 10 day cruise that was super cheap, in my opinion! It was on Norwegian (Star) who I've never sailed with before, by choice not to. This would be my ninth cruise. Anyway, for $1600 CAD all in I got my own inside room, WiFi, drink package, 1 specialty dining restaurant credit and $50 off any excursions (which were ridiculously priced and nullified the discount). I found airfare for the same price as Buenos Aires credit ($1100). I forgot I had bought trip/medical insurance for BsAs and it costed me $205 all-inclusive and it was non-refundable. I called the company and they kindly agreed to switch the insurance to this new trip, so I booked immediately in mid-August.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4rQ3ji2y46-ZKoHviL2Dj2mQtbMSHMXCRyjNEoG9S7bPSsqRc4O9IwAMyUokeevrLSk9ZszdKfVI_6xVkRSsXEVXrXE3iE6WtqDa3_QUfhEZg8Y1AdrkWS7gmGdu6yQAVDJxt6AlSEbgWuE1DgaNoBTeoXvOsY-4YHj-pb71Y4fsX_5mMRv5onupx__w/s528/BI,%20Itinerary.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4rQ3ji2y46-ZKoHviL2Dj2mQtbMSHMXCRyjNEoG9S7bPSsqRc4O9IwAMyUokeevrLSk9ZszdKfVI_6xVkRSsXEVXrXE3iE6WtqDa3_QUfhEZg8Y1AdrkWS7gmGdu6yQAVDJxt6AlSEbgWuE1DgaNoBTeoXvOsY-4YHj-pb71Y4fsX_5mMRv5onupx__w/w606-h640/BI,%20Itinerary.png" title="British Isles Itinerary" width="606" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I quite liked the number of ports the itinerary had. I would be busy/see a lot everyday and it would help with the boredom (otherwise known as excess eating and drinking) I sometimes feel on ships while cruising. I booked a "</span><b style="text-align: left;"><u><a href="https://www.nationalexpress.com/en" target="_blank">National Express</a></u></b><span style="text-align: left;">" bus to Southampton from LHR (Heathrow) for $41 CAD which included a seat with my name on it 😉. The drive was 60 miles or two and a half hours. I booked return with Norwegian, $98 CAD return to the airport after the cruise. I also booked a cheap Holiday Inn ($110 CAD) in Southampton (Industrial area, lol) the day before the cruise. I learned afterwards that the <b><u><a href="https://all.accor.com/hotel/1039/index.en.shtml" target="_blank">IBIS hotel</a></u></b> would have been a better bet (cheaper) and 10 minute walk to the pier. As I was flying overnight, I wanted a day to acclimatize to the time change (8 hours ahead). Also, not to stress about time if the flight was late, etc. etc...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Planning what to do in ports took a chunk of time and I don't know if I was really happy with anything I booked other than my wish to kiss the Blarney Stone which I hoped I'd have time to do on the tour. I only booked one excursion from the ship which was the last day. I figured I'd be tired out by then anyway. I also booked 2 more pay restaurant dinners on the ship that costed $110 CAD for both. I did book something for every port except Kirkwall which seemed to be sold out. I finished two weeks prior to leaving. Phew! 9 ports is a LOT of research and I really only did it half-assed as I found it exhausting, especially after two private tours didn't pan out in the end... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">For money I exchanged some to GBP, some to Euros and some to USD. UGH!!!! My CAD dollar SUCKS and this was painful. I bought as minimal as possible ($400 USD, $200 GBP & $100 EURO) but that still cost me $1043 CAD which made me cringe. This was mostly for tips in port and gambling in the ship's casino. I planned to use my travel credit card for any other expenditures in ports. It has no fee and just charges the exchange rate of the day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This was my first time using an "esim" which has data only. I had originally planned a UK esim but discovered that wouldn't cover Dublin and Cork, Ireland. I looked around and found a <b><u><a href="https://alosim.com/" target="_blank">Canadian company</a></u></b> that covered both the UK and Ireland in one esim so I bought that: 3 gigs (30 days) for $9 USD which was $13.20 CAD. I had trouble installing it but got online AI BOT help from their website and after about an hour was told I'd be good to go when landing in the UK once I could connect to a tower... 🤞I felt hopeful as I could now see the esim in my mobile settings...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Wednesday, October 11, 2023:</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I had a direct red-eye on Air Canada for the flight. I taxied to YVR airport 3 hours prior to my 7:45pm flight. I was hoping to sleep on the plane but it has never happened other than a short nod off so I didn't actually expect to. I did doze in-between shows on the t.v. but it was cramped and uncomfortable. At least booze was free, so I took advantage of it though it seemed to have zero effect, sigh. It seems the older I get, the smaller those airplane seats get. 😉 </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Thursday, October 12, 2023 - London, England:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We arrived early. Customs was a long walk, though done with passport scan and face picture only, much like at home - no customs agents to deal with. Luggage took a while but I wasn't in a hurry anyway as my bus didn't leave till 3:45 pm. I found the station okay, it is well marked and straightforward to find. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyK7SqpNtIUvdsuR40na4GKf5GXBfQdArHBPTPhHaIe1q3mGOv465Vx2Boep_8AIvYJn_V6J_jfqcG_jEzHAHXpCyCiy_FHcJXcaALLiO2ncvQ8QAtQWoNqhmv0T6hiyuocbDXvBdf-y3-m-LA-vm4P5Kmp6Qeh9ScEtZEwHx1jplhE69intjncfTAUZT/s3322/IMG_6810.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3322" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyK7SqpNtIUvdsuR40na4GKf5GXBfQdArHBPTPhHaIe1q3mGOv465Vx2Boep_8AIvYJn_V6J_jfqcG_jEzHAHXpCyCiy_FHcJXcaALLiO2ncvQ8QAtQWoNqhmv0T6hiyuocbDXvBdf-y3-m-LA-vm4P5Kmp6Qeh9ScEtZEwHx1jplhE69intjncfTAUZT/w582-h640/IMG_6810.JPG" title="Heathrow Bus Station" width="582" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As I had so much time to kill I thought I'd have a coffee and sandwich at a cafe in the bus station. Wow, me and others had sooo much trouble ordering and figuring out what was meant, lol. A lady and I tried to figure out self-ordering and then she finally walked away, lol. I ended up getting the sandwich but my Americano coffee never turned up. I asked for it and they told me I only ordered a sandwich ($11.55 CAD!), ? Alrighty then...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FPNUTYQVK5qaQYi4gYEBvYcd5mMYOmidvhD6tC5YOx8NtfjpzOMNsy5PK62NEUqEFwyi5CpZnQw2ITit6h8gHZ2fq-uhI2sZ5m0cD-93AQ9WlTfLdymne2yPP2SI-jszQI9gl8cCctUTWEDWSUmkvaVM5waipFpWOxW5ixQZs5rRjjR8LMElC6RQMV9D/s4032/IMG_6809.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FPNUTYQVK5qaQYi4gYEBvYcd5mMYOmidvhD6tC5YOx8NtfjpzOMNsy5PK62NEUqEFwyi5CpZnQw2ITit6h8gHZ2fq-uhI2sZ5m0cD-93AQ9WlTfLdymne2yPP2SI-jszQI9gl8cCctUTWEDWSUmkvaVM5waipFpWOxW5ixQZs5rRjjR8LMElC6RQMV9D/w480-h640/IMG_6809.JPG" title="Ham Hock & Chunky Egg sandwich, lol" width="480" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The bus was comfortable enough, free wifi and I did doze for most of the ride. I was really dazed and confused (sleepy) when we arrived. The driver had said cabs would be waiting for us but there were ZERO taxis, lol. All the other people were as confused as I pretty much. Anyway, I managed to order an uber. It was slow, but it worked and YES, my esim worked upon landing! I was able to msg my son telling him I arrived while on the plane! It has been a godsend already! Uber, after tip, the fare cost £14.98 or $25 CAD. Ouch. </span>😠</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVlFe2rD1VuT8UMt59IxJqkP9Sndvh_IDG-khZ9EmTKRCP3L77Jq2oeLmSVgr5cfQ8YTexdiUaVxfc2Bcef8NbIjJujIB5vb28VA22zRHphu6Cx8LqPPyLofZM1fr7yQScnG-cY5dX4yMRQVdSovYgCTmb-7cbiaYkZi6q1FtgLxfmZypLJ44fd4bpE8D/s4032/IMG_6812.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVlFe2rD1VuT8UMt59IxJqkP9Sndvh_IDG-khZ9EmTKRCP3L77Jq2oeLmSVgr5cfQ8YTexdiUaVxfc2Bcef8NbIjJujIB5vb28VA22zRHphu6Cx8LqPPyLofZM1fr7yQScnG-cY5dX4yMRQVdSovYgCTmb-7cbiaYkZi6q1FtgLxfmZypLJ44fd4bpE8D/w640-h480/IMG_6812.JPG" title="Holiday Inn Express West" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The hotel was busy when I arrived. A lot of cruise guests had also booked this. The room was so stuffy and there was no A/C! The window was already open but it did not make a difference. At least it was only for a night and I was dead tired. I freshened up a little and went down to have dinner and a drink. I started talking with a solo diner who was also going on the cruise. We agreed to share the cab tomorrow which was good for me. He was from London and it was interesting conversation...loved the accent! He had curry and said it was good so I ordered the chicken makhani (butter chicken we call it) as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX8rh3jAdS84Kq60URkcQL8hHgNpB6bIpFTFMMih9qPKS51Mt0NhHeewIE6SQEwRM6KpRCWUt7KAri7s6Wz5DDVC_ZN6BAzQcqCm1nBcayqLYRzNQ-LnH4pYRGtuYY3sFUO2pffOj2eKrcgu6ghz5ZZCtK2bb9gHvti7eDp38TnHspTorGmsqKRAMF4Fn/s4032/IMG_6813.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX8rh3jAdS84Kq60URkcQL8hHgNpB6bIpFTFMMih9qPKS51Mt0NhHeewIE6SQEwRM6KpRCWUt7KAri7s6Wz5DDVC_ZN6BAzQcqCm1nBcayqLYRzNQ-LnH4pYRGtuYY3sFUO2pffOj2eKrcgu6ghz5ZZCtK2bb9gHvti7eDp38TnHspTorGmsqKRAMF4Fn/w480-h640/IMG_6813.JPG" title="Chicken Makhani" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was tasty. I also ordered a bottle of wine. I don't know why I didn't bring one in my suitcase (Oh wait, I do know, because I packed a ridiculous amount of clothes I'd never wear), but oh well. That and dinner cost me £38.20 or $64 CAD. I drank about half the bottle then retired to my room to type the report, taking my wine with me of course. Oh, the bar in the hotel is open 24/7 - huge selling point, lol. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Friday, October 13, 2023 - Southampton, England:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I had my alarm set for 6 and 8 am. I had to adjust my medication times for UK time and 10 pm medicine turned into 6 am. I just wanted to be up by 8 to have breakfast and get ready for departure. I was kind of sad I didn't have a couple days in Southampton to explore a little, but with the money exchange it was probably best I didn't. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAKy_E7f9f9HawUZLaA6mmnaZbw1cCbChC3Dqv64SUvpXlHpTCLeLz-GT5XchyidsTpr5qgNGygohbRjNiB9ULy6fJ0CqFGJoXhWlb9ho1co9P9FhV3TMk__8XgB517-LG7KMotxJ8AmLQ4MrL7v7Wd95LqJTQXuvFLOZJjPyzuyBL9r8T1t8w9_qyWN/s4032/IMG_6815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAKy_E7f9f9HawUZLaA6mmnaZbw1cCbChC3Dqv64SUvpXlHpTCLeLz-GT5XchyidsTpr5qgNGygohbRjNiB9ULy6fJ0CqFGJoXhWlb9ho1co9P9FhV3TMk__8XgB517-LG7KMotxJ8AmLQ4MrL7v7Wd95LqJTQXuvFLOZJjPyzuyBL9r8T1t8w9_qyWN/w640-h480/IMG_6815.JPG" title="Southampton Cruise Terminal" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was packed, showered and out of my room by 10:30 so did not make breakfast, it was a rough morning with sleep/time change. I sat in the lobby/restaurant and waited to go. The taxi showed up exactly on time and off to the port we went. It was £11.98 ($20.03 CAD) which he kindly paid and would not accept half the money from me. We started to wheel our luggage over to the porters when one stopped to help out and take them. He told us to go on inside and confirmed we had all our meds and passport. I nodded yes but my new friend David said he did not have his passport with him. I thought he was joking, but he was not. I guess because he was local he didn't think it was necessary. Anyway, they did NOT let him board and I guess he didn't work it out by getting it from London in time. I never saw him again. I felt so bad for him as he was so looking forward to the trip...he had lost his one and only love of his life wife 10 years ago to cancer and was still living the deep loss. The empath in me felt his pain. 😔</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4R147xvXVAl0hh00tnfE2ggqW-6QMC4Zw-eDSkrefcOGzXzKYe4dovybjM_8wWNOibT7OMBGD9IMojVfghegaQbXNGT-hdbtWUpAnqwjtui2i-BCEP45iQRnPRNyXZHvrA4Dz63my9T0Ex45QwsSJtXKsHjPo1f0X7q8VTuIjM7jDcGESy9U3018Zbzw/s4032/IMG_6816.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4R147xvXVAl0hh00tnfE2ggqW-6QMC4Zw-eDSkrefcOGzXzKYe4dovybjM_8wWNOibT7OMBGD9IMojVfghegaQbXNGT-hdbtWUpAnqwjtui2i-BCEP45iQRnPRNyXZHvrA4Dz63my9T0Ex45QwsSJtXKsHjPo1f0X7q8VTuIjM7jDcGESy9U3018Zbzw/w480-h640/IMG_6816.JPG" title="Jameson Irish Coffee" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I boarded and went to the Irish pub O' Sheehan's for first of many Jameson Irish coffees. Below was an Irish Violin Trio playing in the upper Atrium which can be seen in the Irish pub. Below the string players was the "Starbuck's" coffee shop which was pay and not free. This ship had the worst tasting coffee ever, but I never did buy a Starbuck's while on board...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEWHtYzbRlAnulW6JK0xVM2FKKzSv30-PLbroE9IFA8K7kHZMMwkabZ5oLl4PGtiuoQAs47pTnZBdVLdbT5A1TXN2sjDx9CpOKv9wDLbwHBZZILIWTAKwQgcrsvozm-svbWRpjayZXl5fAwls03rCkFRPSTWXbuevDH0KLXv3zPoOmcHQp65aLmnhN-vS/s3913/IMG_6817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="3913" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEWHtYzbRlAnulW6JK0xVM2FKKzSv30-PLbroE9IFA8K7kHZMMwkabZ5oLl4PGtiuoQAs47pTnZBdVLdbT5A1TXN2sjDx9CpOKv9wDLbwHBZZILIWTAKwQgcrsvozm-svbWRpjayZXl5fAwls03rCkFRPSTWXbuevDH0KLXv3zPoOmcHQp65aLmnhN-vS/w640-h480/IMG_6817.JPG" title="Upper Atrium View" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I sat there until the rooms were ready at 3 pm. I fully unpacked and then headed to check out the bars. I wandered around and went to the pool deck for a bit. This is the first trip where it hasn't been full of people and activity. I met a couple of ladies who are Canadian but now live in Turks & Caicos. Lucky them! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQj0ALAIt9SNel5d1LuAqUJ56NKvfhhSE3ASztPuEgVu23EzY-QeD7luM-AJScxlAJbKuf1TmsXL2r856PshSUX8ChiFfq1lNL6VQK0dSkAucDgfP49v1t3yJO2TVYXF0hRHlwm12J_rSt5YOVfdFmFyaYGbhq-h_7GvDlow-4gLQLBHN2vHzD2M3wwDi/s3971/IMG_6826.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="3971" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQj0ALAIt9SNel5d1LuAqUJ56NKvfhhSE3ASztPuEgVu23EzY-QeD7luM-AJScxlAJbKuf1TmsXL2r856PshSUX8ChiFfq1lNL6VQK0dSkAucDgfP49v1t3yJO2TVYXF0hRHlwm12J_rSt5YOVfdFmFyaYGbhq-h_7GvDlow-4gLQLBHN2vHzD2M3wwDi/w640-h480/IMG_6826.JPG" title="Pool deck around sunset" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I ended up sitting in the "Whiskey Bar" and drinking "Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned's until I thought I better get dinner. I decided to share a table (my first and only time this trip) in the main dining room and sat with two other couples. Conversation was fun and animated. I had a good time. Then I went to "Gatsby's Champagne Bar" where I met a fellow from Indiana. We decided to to go "all in" for drinks as it was the only sea day tomorrow and really the only night to truly misbehave without having to get up early. We were soon joined by a couple from Mandeville, Louisiana. We had a LOT of fun, in fact we closed every bar (last call is 2 am) and sat drinking and talking till 5 in the morning. They left and I started talking to another gentleman who was getting breakfast coffee (Canada vs. US healthcare; he called me a socialist and I got schooled, LOL) until past 6 am before retiring to bed (my wake up alarm went off while I was sitting with him and we both laughed)... I walked 4.5 km today and probably drank that much, if the empty glasses were lined up in a row...🤮</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Saturday, October 14, 2023 - Sea Day</u></b>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I awoke to the phone at 2:30 pm. It was guest services checking on me and asking if I was okay as my room steward was worried. Really they just wanted to know if he could not clean my room today. I told them I was fine and hung up. As expected, I didn't feel awesome. In fact, I barfed twice before I could even shower and get ready. Once I was ready, I was off for "hair of the dog". First person I saw was Mr. Louisiana and he looked great. I told him I was looking for a bowl of soup, lol. He said his wife had only slept 3 hours and was entertaining her mom and aunt. Wow - I felt a zillion years old that day and sure didn't look as good as them! Anyway, I started to come alive about 3 or 5 drinks later... the soup was horrible from the Irish bar (salty black bean chorizo) and that didn't help me feel better...I ended up having to eat at this place the majority of the trip because of my weird "off" hours and that I refused to eat in the buffet, period. The Irish bar served food 24/7 though very limited fast food options.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV8Borp03Cy82GxPi7inAcSXHb3jAELSFClSbi9YDpzroJxt6QLvs0MV10b07-0Lbm9r5T4kXEO8sdEPv7OsK3IV3IMUnp7Q5QFyYg-T6yLiS32G8V3iNIqj41sJQtHt1TEhM_rTEIc3PVkWrs7Pk2SoWAjiyfBk8oCaroXYnfCSzpDcGxAggPhF4x0lo/s3333/IMG_6827.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3333" data-original-width="2910" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV8Borp03Cy82GxPi7inAcSXHb3jAELSFClSbi9YDpzroJxt6QLvs0MV10b07-0Lbm9r5T4kXEO8sdEPv7OsK3IV3IMUnp7Q5QFyYg-T6yLiS32G8V3iNIqj41sJQtHt1TEhM_rTEIc3PVkWrs7Pk2SoWAjiyfBk8oCaroXYnfCSzpDcGxAggPhF4x0lo/w558-h640/IMG_6827.JPG" title="Le Bistro Menu" width="558" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I had dinner at the pay French restaurant (serviceable) and was planning to go to bed after for a good night's sleep... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-Qp5F9bZjWLnt7Jap8COkW_bzHA7Eet9zAGrRUeg0e7izgQvpnZjH6UA5f10nqyAxUbY2XkBu1f1KuchrbyuBXn3c4uknUmoI5R4GcPhkMO6CCrR9GsMaleMgKSw5Z3zJBgTJbt42gZZ9BfSqn8H3Bj7fZ8azeNP1fNpPVPXAA80hjaMy6sRxv0T9MY0/s3835/IMG_6829.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3835" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-Qp5F9bZjWLnt7Jap8COkW_bzHA7Eet9zAGrRUeg0e7izgQvpnZjH6UA5f10nqyAxUbY2XkBu1f1KuchrbyuBXn3c4uknUmoI5R4GcPhkMO6CCrR9GsMaleMgKSw5Z3zJBgTJbt42gZZ9BfSqn8H3Bj7fZ8azeNP1fNpPVPXAA80hjaMy6sRxv0T9MY0/w504-h640/IMG_6829.JPG" title="Escargot in Garlic Butter" width="504" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Escargot in Garlic Butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahn6NXb0ZmcodySDcV0drqTMNTaozYy_-_BdZCZxcaAef5DTPVp3psRSx9vsjiIEFpoZJPS4msdd53gbTN9miDg7Q4XXzIE_Tp9gsKokUhpel_zDsRb3_rbzYQCnneC5q6MVDAktyNOdBvnW0mTybBNkG39aqQikSqG2dTipynOAXCTisVunC5MJoELhY/s2970/IMG_6831.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2321" data-original-width="2970" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahn6NXb0ZmcodySDcV0drqTMNTaozYy_-_BdZCZxcaAef5DTPVp3psRSx9vsjiIEFpoZJPS4msdd53gbTN9miDg7Q4XXzIE_Tp9gsKokUhpel_zDsRb3_rbzYQCnneC5q6MVDAktyNOdBvnW0mTybBNkG39aqQikSqG2dTipynOAXCTisVunC5MJoELhY/w640-h500/IMG_6831.JPG" title="French Onion Soup" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">French Onion Soup</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxpgtcV2EelCjr0oMZoxlQgd64IvCiAocIXdINrQABjIL7C1w7YxD0_SAK7HWnUseiSMw7Q3SQ49zJGJ291g8cioXvjkx_3AMs66pEw7LzJlCenmu9L_9AnCLvx7SsssSa_M3JdYpvSKjGqquq_HW-5vCCINQHlwVVfr5aiMyo90xYImxAWP8WTWo2xVs/s2946/IMG_6832.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2638" data-original-width="2946" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxpgtcV2EelCjr0oMZoxlQgd64IvCiAocIXdINrQABjIL7C1w7YxD0_SAK7HWnUseiSMw7Q3SQ49zJGJ291g8cioXvjkx_3AMs66pEw7LzJlCenmu9L_9AnCLvx7SsssSa_M3JdYpvSKjGqquq_HW-5vCCINQHlwVVfr5aiMyo90xYImxAWP8WTWo2xVs/w640-h574/IMG_6832.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lamb Shank/Chops and Sweet Potatoes</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVofL9OCEoLbqnCPJvije9GdsHs-YEMQoLfXERU0HqhsAH0kdFXISuoZexeb5Qhmflpj016xY4ezVBD2M8duuX_UpdUNaL1kX61BYM-hYq5pTK0FC_vljdeeX7mtPsxHC-1__eLMwpjOiFcnMgKT7rlH96I8p9C7Bz2Gb151Sur6RQYLBEOzuCH-4zWcE/s2953/IMG_6835.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="2953" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVofL9OCEoLbqnCPJvije9GdsHs-YEMQoLfXERU0HqhsAH0kdFXISuoZexeb5Qhmflpj016xY4ezVBD2M8duuX_UpdUNaL1kX61BYM-hYq5pTK0FC_vljdeeX7mtPsxHC-1__eLMwpjOiFcnMgKT7rlH96I8p9C7Bz2Gb151Sur6RQYLBEOzuCH-4zWcE/w640-h300/IMG_6835.JPG" title="Cheese Plate" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cheese Plate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">However, as I left the restaurant, the Louisiana couple were right there and beckoned me to sit down with them. That decision lasted till last call at 2 am again, but was worth it for the fun... I walked 4 km today.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Sunday October 14, 2023 - Edinburgh Scotland:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We had to line up for tender tickets at 6 am so that was painful with 3 hours sleep, to say the least. Then it was hurry up and wait to disembark. I had met another pair of couples from my province (BC - British Columbia) so we finally decided to go up to the Irish bar to drink while waiting. It was a beautiful day but bitingly cold. The ride over was a little rough but when I was greeted by this site, I was truly happy - I think I have a thing for men in kilts. 😍. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKqRSLpHNEqZxhcCN2HWVov1wWzp78D6u0vrwcmm5Tjl_V3p7Wzksn7oe3EprxckWsHIzYhnvszFY9V54qwZcufdWJ32bs3yYZX8Si7N5pJKywkdco1tY2yVCLQdp7O_FvWYRpLPKBAC_1alsxxU_XudyGGNaQZBZqgWckZk1PEH30rPiB_vn0w6Uabaq/s4032/IMG_6842.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKqRSLpHNEqZxhcCN2HWVov1wWzp78D6u0vrwcmm5Tjl_V3p7Wzksn7oe3EprxckWsHIzYhnvszFY9V54qwZcufdWJ32bs3yYZX8Si7N5pJKywkdco1tY2yVCLQdp7O_FvWYRpLPKBAC_1alsxxU_XudyGGNaQZBZqgWckZk1PEH30rPiB_vn0w6Uabaq/w480-h640/IMG_6842.JPG" title="Welcome to Edinburgh" width="480" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKqRSLpHNEqZxhcCN2HWVov1wWzp78D6u0vrwcmm5Tjl_V3p7Wzksn7oe3EprxckWsHIzYhnvszFY9V54qwZcufdWJ32bs3yYZX8Si7N5pJKywkdco1tY2yVCLQdp7O_FvWYRpLPKBAC_1alsxxU_XudyGGNaQZBZqgWckZk1PEH30rPiB_vn0w6Uabaq/s4032/IMG_6842.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRJ5IqObKmAZP_GOxqMnN042WLMrJThvh7mQqyAWZYo4_Zr8PifRo0_QuDCuShvvDyJv_NSWE5srOfVOT-9OJ2yUyTVFe5WDUaSHu3sCHSKCIAKXKVx24HyZyjKtGUUs6IFWkP6Nm54L0kQPdvw7o_NXU0qNYJbs4s0hE_eZbbw7djQ5Uvdwic48Dg3oh/s4032/IMG_6843.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRJ5IqObKmAZP_GOxqMnN042WLMrJThvh7mQqyAWZYo4_Zr8PifRo0_QuDCuShvvDyJv_NSWE5srOfVOT-9OJ2yUyTVFe5WDUaSHu3sCHSKCIAKXKVx24HyZyjKtGUUs6IFWkP6Nm54L0kQPdvw7o_NXU0qNYJbs4s0hE_eZbbw7djQ5Uvdwic48Dg3oh/w640-h480/IMG_6843.JPG" title="Newhaven Harbour" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newhaven Harbour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I lucked out as the hop on/hop off bus I had booked was right at the pier and I was able to board and get going. I took the blue line first and then transferred to the red line. Below, Edinburgh Castle was an amazing site to look at. I have never seen anything as sprawling and majestic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY-hTQrcqb_7ljOyfxwNyzf_G4Uynw3Dbkf8m5zg-RC52AtKsh2tJvqHNAGH7-aKKWz9MH4QiS7hMRKaY_u3nckk65HNvnAlG07A7a0xHaYxm0gxhXLl_66FCH_Fon2AlweCl7vty1AmsppYGoCayT9vdmHoc92zbVVCeH0B8PP6cZNS8LHEepJ3Hrhyphenhyphenb/s4032/IMG_6853.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="4032" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY-hTQrcqb_7ljOyfxwNyzf_G4Uynw3Dbkf8m5zg-RC52AtKsh2tJvqHNAGH7-aKKWz9MH4QiS7hMRKaY_u3nckk65HNvnAlG07A7a0xHaYxm0gxhXLl_66FCH_Fon2AlweCl7vty1AmsppYGoCayT9vdmHoc92zbVVCeH0B8PP6cZNS8LHEepJ3Hrhyphenhyphenb/w640-h298/IMG_6853.JPG" title="Edinburgh Castle" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHwvkrwS3wXgFQ_IGh8CjfcaMW0AUzZy1nKwQBmX4yDsXv4MwwvXgwUtpfFOPWM4NxqaL_7QYVg_yAC4ihhisEGs1ofMgh9jZwkU-cgEYWZk_F6SZiIYp7WKCu1m_HuS-qny7wk4dmz_0uZov9Dz3y1ObmbcKBXMIQHgYRSGN7MyjA5GzGaiLKryC2Rem/s3277/IMG_6856.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3277" data-original-width="2934" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHwvkrwS3wXgFQ_IGh8CjfcaMW0AUzZy1nKwQBmX4yDsXv4MwwvXgwUtpfFOPWM4NxqaL_7QYVg_yAC4ihhisEGs1ofMgh9jZwkU-cgEYWZk_F6SZiIYp7WKCu1m_HuS-qny7wk4dmz_0uZov9Dz3y1ObmbcKBXMIQHgYRSGN7MyjA5GzGaiLKryC2Rem/w574-h640/IMG_6856.JPG" title="Edinburgh Castle" width="574" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The next photos are all random what I saw while on the hop on/hop off bus: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd0tALG45uGZjNLtho9D9nJbNAdQUq6UY6Tcg3JIFD6H5naMXJR4CxWcaMjbfTEzXPQYZT74Flyujoy1YHdfwQlugiMZgvYzLzhO_TEIINHszNXaKUJtDixdM7PEtvRj8LCBdgR08_qi-6YnWtowrWdFEn5d5EzdF665So6vGKoUpX5OrrKfztaTQgZT1/s3927/IMG_6844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd0tALG45uGZjNLtho9D9nJbNAdQUq6UY6Tcg3JIFD6H5naMXJR4CxWcaMjbfTEzXPQYZT74Flyujoy1YHdfwQlugiMZgvYzLzhO_TEIINHszNXaKUJtDixdM7PEtvRj8LCBdgR08_qi-6YnWtowrWdFEn5d5EzdF665So6vGKoUpX5OrrKfztaTQgZT1/w640-h480/IMG_6844.JPG" title="Mansfield Place" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mansfield Place</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtcRBcBkeFEGuW3qksV6mlfixLkyeAp0PAXj1Kh0vOmM5rdnrnXpaCBwd5Cg8zwQ2mkgXQarZXvBwbEceCa_OG-QaK1qju-rtElYbgjGSpLDwMroNl7BwZapbBmj72iecmfN_2y_vYk7xbgaoc3DdoaOiTWtKiFa4jR9WnCeDW5dQo_GUnPrggiPeQh5g/s4032/IMG_6846.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtcRBcBkeFEGuW3qksV6mlfixLkyeAp0PAXj1Kh0vOmM5rdnrnXpaCBwd5Cg8zwQ2mkgXQarZXvBwbEceCa_OG-QaK1qju-rtElYbgjGSpLDwMroNl7BwZapbBmj72iecmfN_2y_vYk7xbgaoc3DdoaOiTWtKiFa4jR9WnCeDW5dQo_GUnPrggiPeQh5g/w480-h640/IMG_6846.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">St Paul’s and St George’s Episcopal Church </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPSYAK-u287eRm1AEO0TDVJsE44qNXJNX5fCrdMNP3kegXpj7ZrXaBqKP_R2P_bRaNrWl4DULeFIOjmnZ9lHqjLApd4dOa8bEo-14ldud5HhyA0hQRZcdRHGqymniGUX_-9DRl0u848ha1rXMquE9_yE-2leeUAJS5lPXHykkELpD4Txokt6CXOyGX6yR/s4032/IMG_6848.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPSYAK-u287eRm1AEO0TDVJsE44qNXJNX5fCrdMNP3kegXpj7ZrXaBqKP_R2P_bRaNrWl4DULeFIOjmnZ9lHqjLApd4dOa8bEo-14ldud5HhyA0hQRZcdRHGqymniGUX_-9DRl0u848ha1rXMquE9_yE-2leeUAJS5lPXHykkELpD4Txokt6CXOyGX6yR/w480-h640/IMG_6848.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Conan Doyle Pub </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNo-Wrt9Cw124_HvGgkixEV5RHB3kF0bC64C9Kn74m7QPskMP3a9G93-ALV0LLHFcrx7XeAzqBa_5R6hHKmxYoIKuolHrS4cIEQJuB_8_IGQszFfd59nq3Iwo0hueexEP3SgPq4AvqWx05e5zUaX0H7EHMSbUEAjXHCQiSYnwQLSSNZdNi2ejbR12_sMS/s4032/IMG_6849.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNo-Wrt9Cw124_HvGgkixEV5RHB3kF0bC64C9Kn74m7QPskMP3a9G93-ALV0LLHFcrx7XeAzqBa_5R6hHKmxYoIKuolHrS4cIEQJuB_8_IGQszFfd59nq3Iwo0hueexEP3SgPq4AvqWx05e5zUaX0H7EHMSbUEAjXHCQiSYnwQLSSNZdNi2ejbR12_sMS/w640-h480/IMG_6849.JPG" title="General Register House" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Register House</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNzLScGac2RGWP4xqmBfZmrTsZJH2oQtn6GRCDUFhHW_7jsc_yNrEf0Akn04Snt3PKWl_uaT-6hEy_jMhgKNVL5JvpbgzLRmzuhmHm2WYHI3DePRdes2h0zjE7-3MwEtdQ2Nhb_rhtEwrzZJnifdlqOX8SEiYoVO-r6nN3STl7JZm38xEhnDZUAVS5OK1/s3822/IMG_6850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3822" data-original-width="2867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNzLScGac2RGWP4xqmBfZmrTsZJH2oQtn6GRCDUFhHW_7jsc_yNrEf0Akn04Snt3PKWl_uaT-6hEy_jMhgKNVL5JvpbgzLRmzuhmHm2WYHI3DePRdes2h0zjE7-3MwEtdQ2Nhb_rhtEwrzZJnifdlqOX8SEiYoVO-r6nN3STl7JZm38xEhnDZUAVS5OK1/w480-h640/IMG_6850.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Melville Monument</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpshxkyKIwr29Xw7tUhlz64Rf-JTOooqF_ww3MgHlctFpIuiJ3apDbgfhLuSPVW0iiIBSu8YfPo-roU8nDvYnq75JMFnfYePwRirCOQSLzTI755xeFAbocl1VrFsHRqfqXgW22XbJ2y6kTjlbuWJ8i-KpigfgCA3MBRhHCuOPlIcLuOciO1Xuc8U6rgeSC/s4032/IMG_6860.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpshxkyKIwr29Xw7tUhlz64Rf-JTOooqF_ww3MgHlctFpIuiJ3apDbgfhLuSPVW0iiIBSu8YfPo-roU8nDvYnq75JMFnfYePwRirCOQSLzTI755xeFAbocl1VrFsHRqfqXgW22XbJ2y6kTjlbuWJ8i-KpigfgCA3MBRhHCuOPlIcLuOciO1Xuc8U6rgeSC/w480-h640/IMG_6860.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Hub (Tolbooth Kirk)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-hxEwqO4NUFFuJpymWpT7fngkcEEJl2bugcJMN7xKOdZ_CoyqRHRoMuZZnS2C8yGgH5qSfBjSw3oVuG6Tpu25FUZzjMFrdEL3DLnERILhTP8zg8lr48tt1J4egA1BrxrNYcRN55bGWMMgDnSViidh1EUt0XSv7tYqdcDhPfZKTZjSsQ6hhSmty1V7jti/s4032/IMG_6869.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-hxEwqO4NUFFuJpymWpT7fngkcEEJl2bugcJMN7xKOdZ_CoyqRHRoMuZZnS2C8yGgH5qSfBjSw3oVuG6Tpu25FUZzjMFrdEL3DLnERILhTP8zg8lr48tt1J4egA1BrxrNYcRN55bGWMMgDnSViidh1EUt0XSv7tYqdcDhPfZKTZjSsQ6hhSmty1V7jti/w480-h640/IMG_6869.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Canongate Kirk</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlXjHhPMrfLpza7bSGOGiAcCthcnlNT9jt51HiZNGkhBEtuzD3HnPyp48OvLEc1ylqwNJQMLRN9esLf1JaReWWeRY5UIh9n-qkskulc-BgJMueSwbp6Kh8cHvHTiDzi9DUKrd25cc8VVPdSehfPGtC7Y9lbHh2bOWqS8xPKvg6suWCiQNj3naVuzx2c4z/s3795/IMG_6868.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="3795" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlXjHhPMrfLpza7bSGOGiAcCthcnlNT9jt51HiZNGkhBEtuzD3HnPyp48OvLEc1ylqwNJQMLRN9esLf1JaReWWeRY5UIh9n-qkskulc-BgJMueSwbp6Kh8cHvHTiDzi9DUKrd25cc8VVPdSehfPGtC7Y9lbHh2bOWqS8xPKvg6suWCiQNj3naVuzx2c4z/w640-h480/IMG_6868.JPG" title="Edinburgh" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I ended at the "Royal Mile" to do some shopping and have lunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.tolboothtavern.co.uk/" target="_blank">this historic place</a></u></b> est. 1820, below. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LbrwsFmVHyPi4pwHsNINqoAKeyNSsZl5wgx57qKTioFSt9gYHcR2zfBYxqyK9An4l92TGWkduOLLk1LZNDgyufsbhjTGMrXeLdnOGlfm9M4KjhwXJNvN0RQzuSsgMm_k_-y-_bnm7oVkvf3h-wKhsqfK-LAuaHM2jGh4KcpzxmVXzv-bjZ25hKvC-Ib4/s3964/IMG_6870.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3964" data-original-width="2973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LbrwsFmVHyPi4pwHsNINqoAKeyNSsZl5wgx57qKTioFSt9gYHcR2zfBYxqyK9An4l92TGWkduOLLk1LZNDgyufsbhjTGMrXeLdnOGlfm9M4KjhwXJNvN0RQzuSsgMm_k_-y-_bnm7oVkvf3h-wKhsqfK-LAuaHM2jGh4KcpzxmVXzv-bjZ25hKvC-Ib4/w480-h640/IMG_6870.JPG" title="Tolbooth Tavern" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My "cullen skink" soup was served cold but at least the "hot toddy" was indeed hot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51XUGuQSTTnez5NQZYpJsWUUDuzVbfW8OydO9QgcFmGiwGdAH9sVk31XX_DbvXBNNagdb0a9SqtXYZnkcn6XPY_A2fB5nsyU5X2QrJdaMYghwwk6CbowT4RuPrFnaxjdpXE_17fy3ZEILWKwrErXZwLVtaLT108cE15H2C9Gfu0nZHcmYAPC-a6bBuEFX/s2489/IMG_6872.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="2489" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51XUGuQSTTnez5NQZYpJsWUUDuzVbfW8OydO9QgcFmGiwGdAH9sVk31XX_DbvXBNNagdb0a9SqtXYZnkcn6XPY_A2fB5nsyU5X2QrJdaMYghwwk6CbowT4RuPrFnaxjdpXE_17fy3ZEILWKwrErXZwLVtaLT108cE15H2C9Gfu0nZHcmYAPC-a6bBuEFX/w640-h546/IMG_6872.JPG" title="Tolbooth Starter Menu" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOx5mHMjI1XzuM2VMKaIjzdvutPaRXplzKxXirTrU9SgO2UgcxUsSDdNsZoe_gS12oCj5gSYyFfJwMqJJO32NBLf3P4IT4gpQLHyXn8X2YWgQ-dpzZslNIoiuA5ORkfNT7ins5HdmTqMR4KWmFrZPLq7pdCQdGkSsHJoGAvZ2mcFlNUGkJ47u_gmQjIdi/s3272/IMG_6873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOx5mHMjI1XzuM2VMKaIjzdvutPaRXplzKxXirTrU9SgO2UgcxUsSDdNsZoe_gS12oCj5gSYyFfJwMqJJO32NBLf3P4IT4gpQLHyXn8X2YWgQ-dpzZslNIoiuA5ORkfNT7ins5HdmTqMR4KWmFrZPLq7pdCQdGkSsHJoGAvZ2mcFlNUGkJ47u_gmQjIdi/w592-h640/IMG_6873.JPG" title="Cullen Skink" width="592" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I asked them if it was meant to be served cold and they said no, picked it up and it disappeared for a while. When it returned it was still cold so I just ate it and let the matter go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTAw1gDRChW2jjOnqMlkJc0hDfAyLlNa3CW4GSx7_02J1WO1vzYR4u1k77B7-uE_zH-T5DYbfvZ7VOvtIHYWCeq_JbAr4lU0r5UArE6EsmJr1BORIrgnRpHP90eZh5MCczzZBzq8W5PraJNh2VGl6f_Aof3VZRsYzLBuY_qVychjnptUMT4sHJq_98gpe/s4032/IMG_6874.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTAw1gDRChW2jjOnqMlkJc0hDfAyLlNa3CW4GSx7_02J1WO1vzYR4u1k77B7-uE_zH-T5DYbfvZ7VOvtIHYWCeq_JbAr4lU0r5UArE6EsmJr1BORIrgnRpHP90eZh5MCczzZBzq8W5PraJNh2VGl6f_Aof3VZRsYzLBuY_qVychjnptUMT4sHJq_98gpe/w480-h640/IMG_6874.JPG" title="Leith Port" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I took an uber back (£7.96 or $13.50 CAD) to the pier where the driver had a horrible cough and hacked away the entire time. I had my window down the whole ride sticking my head out as far as I could, lol. I didn't want to catch whatever she had! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmHVHUF9vVB-znez88RS_-QBxECFbqRjgfxU6vReDqE08cD-LHw5MUc8f4KJbTf9KoVbFQSUVetv5nUPgWhH7a-PPEcnp48-CwU9JrwTVAQGesXij-whOQd2BnB69Z7mMwKZLLwn1yiZ3fKGp9o6qPzogNk3Inu5AsNpKINfmrdPRBksSGQchTs_GelTC/s4032/IMG_6875.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmHVHUF9vVB-znez88RS_-QBxECFbqRjgfxU6vReDqE08cD-LHw5MUc8f4KJbTf9KoVbFQSUVetv5nUPgWhH7a-PPEcnp48-CwU9JrwTVAQGesXij-whOQd2BnB69Z7mMwKZLLwn1yiZ3fKGp9o6qPzogNk3Inu5AsNpKINfmrdPRBksSGQchTs_GelTC/w480-h640/IMG_6875.JPG" title="Norwegian Star docked near Leith Pier" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Back at the pier I walked the seawall to see where our ship was parked. It was about a 30 minute tender ride away. I lined up to get back and it was freezing, so icy windy while waiting there. I guess they hired some boats to help because I got on some small cruise tour like boat that had tables and was much more comfortable to ride in. Due to the wind/weather the ship had a hard time with the tenders coming back and we left late.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPdJIMLkATnGpnrv0Mq7jCb2gvRnHxBueBrTbs9KzeLwnB-tqlxEIhNhHXzOZGuRJTOIzrITu038mGqc-j_IszJeV85bnZsh0Ro1le63FRxsX5nErMa-vPVcNxlJR0GUz4bb0SEDT_tRxlYWd7PzXIt7w-dDeArsz1MA3Qi37YZLlOEjfV9fn4utC5lPj/s3024/IMG_6877.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="3024" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPdJIMLkATnGpnrv0Mq7jCb2gvRnHxBueBrTbs9KzeLwnB-tqlxEIhNhHXzOZGuRJTOIzrITu038mGqc-j_IszJeV85bnZsh0Ro1le63FRxsX5nErMa-vPVcNxlJR0GUz4bb0SEDT_tRxlYWd7PzXIt7w-dDeArsz1MA3Qi37YZLlOEjfV9fn4utC5lPj/w640-h586/IMG_6877.JPG" title="Asian Ribs & Spring Roll Appetizer" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Asian Ribs & Spring Roll Appetizer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrobL3ozJoGaYaIpIdKBN6EbNhHtVf-YD7iGEskjG1JD37kakaiSqPcOhYhP2nlJaq1_-oRByw_hsRxHQcq6Q0OVe0LR4XdYCn_yPDPOStCoRoscGmWbB4GKZM6FwSBss4rLRTErG48nK0lPttkq0tSh0_FmlLhOzeEMj3kkOdM4kPBbl66tS2ilDr6CO/s3024/IMG_6879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2529" data-original-width="3024" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrobL3ozJoGaYaIpIdKBN6EbNhHtVf-YD7iGEskjG1JD37kakaiSqPcOhYhP2nlJaq1_-oRByw_hsRxHQcq6Q0OVe0LR4XdYCn_yPDPOStCoRoscGmWbB4GKZM6FwSBss4rLRTErG48nK0lPttkq0tSh0_FmlLhOzeEMj3kkOdM4kPBbl66tS2ilDr6CO/w640-h536/IMG_6879.JPG" title="Baked Flounder" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Baked Flounder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Back on ship all I wanted to do was sleep but I toughed it out and waited till 6:30 to go to dinner in the main dining room (above). I went solo and at 7:30 I snuck off back to my room and stayed in bed the entire night. 6 km walked today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Monday October 15, 2023 - Inverness Scotland:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtHFTvSS489ybFWe50ZxSTeZYIRaU0TfsNPT8thBMr7zilCsOPgCPJOevePYwxeM9BBDDIPjXfRh3Dk1LQY88NvGLlFCIZCnaKapVTmvWQodxHqqtjsWDp8cIWq2GCEziXzAHrhRBUPo74NAqJ_Sy0x0jPs5_9E09vqWJ4z7ERIuUHHz9-EdFJlpnlR7a/s4032/IMG_6881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtHFTvSS489ybFWe50ZxSTeZYIRaU0TfsNPT8thBMr7zilCsOPgCPJOevePYwxeM9BBDDIPjXfRh3Dk1LQY88NvGLlFCIZCnaKapVTmvWQodxHqqtjsWDp8cIWq2GCEziXzAHrhRBUPo74NAqJ_Sy0x0jPs5_9E09vqWJ4z7ERIuUHHz9-EdFJlpnlR7a/w640-h480/IMG_6881.JPG" title="Sunrise in Inverness" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It was nice just to walk off the ship at sunrise today and I had prepaid a tour to see the Loch Ness and castle. I was told the bus depot was a 4 minute drive from the pier (google maps) but now an uber was saying £35 ($59 CAD) which was waaaay too expensive in CAD, so I asked what was going on at the visitors help desk. They told me that the bus stop was close but then I had to take a bus from there to get to the bus station in Inverness (where the tour left from), and that drive was 45 minutes away and if I took a taxi it would be £50 or $84 CAD! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg2mPTH0ThmobzW7w9jHiLDVcPArYhuscHZ1JMxBJVHBfKADzVzaG80AtYMbOdZX57No4qfCtPP3bozyI1aRERu1aRpqf6k0o72YonVzhacueVzjwgAVJEejC4jqX8ttD5MLJ5XWnxU3ZSKU3V3Ni5JxsgD7sMSQ-XwEdZFLQsEDVZpm-DsT71iY4QaK6/s4032/IMG_6885.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg2mPTH0ThmobzW7w9jHiLDVcPArYhuscHZ1JMxBJVHBfKADzVzaG80AtYMbOdZX57No4qfCtPP3bozyI1aRERu1aRpqf6k0o72YonVzhacueVzjwgAVJEejC4jqX8ttD5MLJ5XWnxU3ZSKU3V3Ni5JxsgD7sMSQ-XwEdZFLQsEDVZpm-DsT71iY4QaK6/w480-h640/IMG_6885.JPG" title="Invergordon Church of Scotland" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Invergordon Church of Scotland</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I would miss the tour for sure now, so I let it go and just walked around in town where I saw other cruise people waiting for the bus. So I followed them and got on. It was £13.50 ($23.00 CAD) return ticket which I tapped with my Visa. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tZgUPMAbUl4eKxDbExvpviTfVnM9JRvoBRq6n7JTAt5OS6CIg2oq8-AGitRvnB47CrhEcW30UFRN-8Nl9avd1Al9D5W8rrzGzlag_rWNsecoFH5vLSY-EaFAhLFA7PJLJQwA9oBTlsNjVdJJqpb9RgFHv-g4sbyrJ9U-lDVHB1-KxyBNy-J-605dF-i3/s4032/IMG_6886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tZgUPMAbUl4eKxDbExvpviTfVnM9JRvoBRq6n7JTAt5OS6CIg2oq8-AGitRvnB47CrhEcW30UFRN-8Nl9avd1Al9D5W8rrzGzlag_rWNsecoFH5vLSY-EaFAhLFA7PJLJQwA9oBTlsNjVdJJqpb9RgFHv-g4sbyrJ9U-lDVHB1-KxyBNy-J-605dF-i3/w480-h640/IMG_6886.JPG" title="Welcome to Inverness" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Once there I went in the bus station (above) and found my tour kiosk. I explained what happened and they said they could reschedule me for 2 pm. I couldn't as the tour was 3 hours and we had to be back on board by 5 pm. He asked if I wanted a refund then. I wasn't expecting that so was very happy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowSbkjShw-uS765WzHMpt8x3REICVPn4vkDXTS6ueSKMlI0Z8RtcR38Sb2osvUGx5PJA85yCO2TckXjX2B17gQcypNhY0FVO6STQFojLu_vibZxJXKRnLVekqSZdiY5gEtR0dXFlf0g23oflsoFf-hhRj0A0QkRDnM1YB4BZ1IOYh3HS_qDl8P3e-qkir/s4032/IMG_6893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowSbkjShw-uS765WzHMpt8x3REICVPn4vkDXTS6ueSKMlI0Z8RtcR38Sb2osvUGx5PJA85yCO2TckXjX2B17gQcypNhY0FVO6STQFojLu_vibZxJXKRnLVekqSZdiY5gEtR0dXFlf0g23oflsoFf-hhRj0A0QkRDnM1YB4BZ1IOYh3HS_qDl8P3e-qkir/w640-h480/IMG_6893.JPG" title="Gothic East Church" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gothic East Church 😍</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I proceeded to walk around town and had a very nice day. I enjoyed it. One thing I noticed while walking around this town was that a lot of the Scots smoked and said "fuck" a LOT. 😆</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVDWBu77aRkli2Iamur8EqV8Xhh0PiaT_tQ1l57jwrHjwVjcqoVAUDhInL3bejTg-dgxBqkTJ23wL0WJGz2LMkD-lEpiptfuxgpOPQWx-jCjR5HjUCl4XcZ_Fsm7O4lD-76xorx9G1gSdY4VN1YxFhzELwizVjXAG9qAnB3XxbjPNMbRvshLYA7mWcHik/s3608/IMG_6894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3608" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVDWBu77aRkli2Iamur8EqV8Xhh0PiaT_tQ1l57jwrHjwVjcqoVAUDhInL3bejTg-dgxBqkTJ23wL0WJGz2LMkD-lEpiptfuxgpOPQWx-jCjR5HjUCl4XcZ_Fsm7O4lD-76xorx9G1gSdY4VN1YxFhzELwizVjXAG9qAnB3XxbjPNMbRvshLYA7mWcHik/w536-h640/IMG_6894.JPG" title="Inverness Town House" width="536" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Inverness Town House</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3fkuei5EUZmjuQxk0YRTRlTrSYdpgXtRyfbtwM-M8qrA_B00KFE1QxuBJ6sovvphdTS7Ccic-4K-bayS4V3EFVTiJ_uVqiMKRvP6RYB2Jl6qPJbuquZp_Vk3oH5r7eHp7LKp9gl3gYfwIekEYf0mgeDfJ-GLmDDCtoLHBwLlt4iMoNjMOmrWRczXH08R/s3891/IMG_6899.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="3891" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3fkuei5EUZmjuQxk0YRTRlTrSYdpgXtRyfbtwM-M8qrA_B00KFE1QxuBJ6sovvphdTS7Ccic-4K-bayS4V3EFVTiJ_uVqiMKRvP6RYB2Jl6qPJbuquZp_Vk3oH5r7eHp7LKp9gl3gYfwIekEYf0mgeDfJ-GLmDDCtoLHBwLlt4iMoNjMOmrWRczXH08R/w640-h480/IMG_6899.JPG" title="Columba Hotel Inverness" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Columba Hotel Inverness</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhRg8y9Duz1XV_avN2qW49dqWYoAhdEEBVSr_nu6Ooc-Btxdl-jQ6ErrxedSoDUzMX8C5aymu8kuduuz0DsSqiAPBGffyUVoqKKp6kEnNTfFhq46PsjLswGR2UKXIih2xf_d31L2-Y4Uf1gg3FQi2SG0-JueP7U1pOftB8yhy9p9KBOQYSOlARoD_gwiJ/s4032/IMG_6900.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhRg8y9Duz1XV_avN2qW49dqWYoAhdEEBVSr_nu6Ooc-Btxdl-jQ6ErrxedSoDUzMX8C5aymu8kuduuz0DsSqiAPBGffyUVoqKKp6kEnNTfFhq46PsjLswGR2UKXIih2xf_d31L2-Y4Uf1gg3FQi2SG0-JueP7U1pOftB8yhy9p9KBOQYSOlARoD_gwiJ/w640-h480/IMG_6900.JPG" title="Greig Street Bridge" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Greig Street Bridge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflLPSV5a1gLXIruCXnOvHE4aZrXDaO6yraLr3FMok3-RyWqWvx-yu_jFbvd7NCluWdepAt_73xfLUff_ymo0TrEzvQwnJPMQuXJ6idhX0LDb-TubRMcpqieUPFhH-CInTAPcORvtRtubcVQuR1kwcE_6AR-wfzDFm7sMV-iHM_ip9oMjp7_XQdHRUUYIG/s3898/IMG_6904.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3898" data-original-width="2924" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflLPSV5a1gLXIruCXnOvHE4aZrXDaO6yraLr3FMok3-RyWqWvx-yu_jFbvd7NCluWdepAt_73xfLUff_ymo0TrEzvQwnJPMQuXJ6idhX0LDb-TubRMcpqieUPFhH-CInTAPcORvtRtubcVQuR1kwcE_6AR-wfzDFm7sMV-iHM_ip9oMjp7_XQdHRUUYIG/w480-h640/IMG_6904.JPG" title="Greig Street Bridge" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Walking the bouncy Greig Street Bridge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASj-3-EtuT9UNEoDSOKqsj-D0Pt7CEvm5CfLV_Qmi-uxDFH-YwAWtACEo7Smb1udCFGXvqRdtbVAx6hM_CK8lBiSzE2yTGnkpRq6Pdkrf9hUeA-3ZgL9Znp_Y5pMSTAlccCE6giCzMginuHV3_bXevJk1eo5dPUOUmGeQPFDDq_k1i6kRzczgAC5BARyZ/s3842/IMG_6902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="3842" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASj-3-EtuT9UNEoDSOKqsj-D0Pt7CEvm5CfLV_Qmi-uxDFH-YwAWtACEo7Smb1udCFGXvqRdtbVAx6hM_CK8lBiSzE2yTGnkpRq6Pdkrf9hUeA-3ZgL9Znp_Y5pMSTAlccCE6giCzMginuHV3_bXevJk1eo5dPUOUmGeQPFDDq_k1i6kRzczgAC5BARyZ/w640-h480/IMG_6902.JPG" title="Glenalbyn Bar" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Glenalbyn Bar: "Friendship is like whisky, the older the better. Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whisky is barely enough.” </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjiO5A0DmvfwlpGHLxmgjVvGgd08FmOiXnANslWZq8W3ERw5as1kjpvyNGj12YTYbdEHNT8Z3NUGRdxm_O1ErPjPN2e4aEAKqRErnaW-EBiz8OKFTjFUfWzSmIz1vKT1wi_E7TuThV2Mo7utMcEB7J25yUBX251Pzog3cqw_VadaWtgaGlytLjrQflGv3/s3896/IMG_6906.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2863" data-original-width="3896" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjiO5A0DmvfwlpGHLxmgjVvGgd08FmOiXnANslWZq8W3ERw5as1kjpvyNGj12YTYbdEHNT8Z3NUGRdxm_O1ErPjPN2e4aEAKqRErnaW-EBiz8OKFTjFUfWzSmIz1vKT1wi_E7TuThV2Mo7utMcEB7J25yUBX251Pzog3cqw_VadaWtgaGlytLjrQflGv3/w640-h470/IMG_6906.JPG" title="Rendezvous Cafe" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO81Fcbhr_hO_iKbxEBDofTRkjDkXuhPiKBIXdJlZTFsgay9JdDyus3VU-L5SacMDWnBYHQjxyJcVPMdeCbgOT5THtXY6FfUB5ci0WyNWJRjGDCW3hKOKLOmWlwmnJ4Lp4ge0gSUepPBAGASgKxdU2sU5fXv5fqbG_TIbY8PCAd4t9XoyjhLWefnzC6u4e/s2891/IMG_6905.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2491" data-original-width="2891" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO81Fcbhr_hO_iKbxEBDofTRkjDkXuhPiKBIXdJlZTFsgay9JdDyus3VU-L5SacMDWnBYHQjxyJcVPMdeCbgOT5THtXY6FfUB5ci0WyNWJRjGDCW3hKOKLOmWlwmnJ4Lp4ge0gSUepPBAGASgKxdU2sU5fXv5fqbG_TIbY8PCAd4t9XoyjhLWefnzC6u4e/w640-h552/IMG_6905.JPG" title="The Beatles played there" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Besides the Beatles playing there, cruise friends said the food was awesome here! I went there too because it was packed full everytime I walked by but it was too busy for me to sit and wait... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumu1HCFKtxBSseW5OmIP5gwHO9_XsXL3DrDj3htRw1pAYAlguI9elzecOnY5hxaMASe8cg5zUzca8kQuy38Af4tniqGWjUOtFot2JrAwiHWby0YWWzA0N3kiEmj3okxve4fWqJhSpHilfCu-lmx-0VPOe7JyBKcup1v-hcvTGegMYDh2cM9QRjoQxeDOb/s3681/IMG_6907.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3681" data-original-width="2761" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumu1HCFKtxBSseW5OmIP5gwHO9_XsXL3DrDj3htRw1pAYAlguI9elzecOnY5hxaMASe8cg5zUzca8kQuy38Af4tniqGWjUOtFot2JrAwiHWby0YWWzA0N3kiEmj3okxve4fWqJhSpHilfCu-lmx-0VPOe7JyBKcup1v-hcvTGegMYDh2cM9QRjoQxeDOb/w480-h640/IMG_6907.JPG" title="Downtown Inverness" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Downtown Inverness</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKKTl5K_-as8DKjqTADDTyAN_IN_fGmxeFHNurumvXSRLeElyTaIEMEB11G1ghk6t3uph2XDrGJVFlK_UuoUviIeDhyphenhyphen6A0JW4ArWD3JSYhKz213IWcaPtjXO5n19nX9MqKACDTMGlv7wxfFNOy0sz_8vAwx0fyezPy-uGTRfQqyPKr8IEw3tDFLn1c6XA/s3934/IMG_6909.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3934" data-original-width="2951" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKKTl5K_-as8DKjqTADDTyAN_IN_fGmxeFHNurumvXSRLeElyTaIEMEB11G1ghk6t3uph2XDrGJVFlK_UuoUviIeDhyphenhyphen6A0JW4ArWD3JSYhKz213IWcaPtjXO5n19nX9MqKACDTMGlv7wxfFNOy0sz_8vAwx0fyezPy-uGTRfQqyPKr8IEw3tDFLn1c6XA/w480-h640/IMG_6909.JPG" title="Downtown Inverness" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Downtown Inverness</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I finally stopped at a pub for lunch. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcGUtrS2SwKJAi19tDlWStb6VQxi_Oy72bZ5bZn0tqOWAnWP5NdToZ9HliyrPnTo09g-vENHFFcifOC4RfZiASCZXKyJAMYqchPdTJzq0Nmi6JSiWLpelxrbSMPw6Sq7oVxiWeEHk0k178j3ne7Yuy3ZJuPAMViq6JPSpYo37szAFNrBCmOHAqQZBaFcm/s4032/IMG_6913.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcGUtrS2SwKJAi19tDlWStb6VQxi_Oy72bZ5bZn0tqOWAnWP5NdToZ9HliyrPnTo09g-vENHFFcifOC4RfZiASCZXKyJAMYqchPdTJzq0Nmi6JSiWLpelxrbSMPw6Sq7oVxiWeEHk0k178j3ne7Yuy3ZJuPAMViq6JPSpYo37szAFNrBCmOHAqQZBaFcm/w480-h640/IMG_6913.JPG" title="The Caledonian Pub" width="480" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I kept waiting for service but after a half hour finally asked her if I had to go to the bar for it. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">She said yes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrdPxa0RDW0bglNExya43iqZUsGa6EoS2c_HXXqkx5JI_Mail1TRmAassBcNXgfoRkUJGSlcDr_KBEOCGBV0BGrn8OvGeTImX-_UzVkyiU8uM8aXYvHyZhBEhkyaUMN0TiZBPPD8PwXHQKZuK7lT11Z1By-77bZmOQjopywZFMi2DYVi1bPag2q-PmK_x/s4032/IMG_6910.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrdPxa0RDW0bglNExya43iqZUsGa6EoS2c_HXXqkx5JI_Mail1TRmAassBcNXgfoRkUJGSlcDr_KBEOCGBV0BGrn8OvGeTImX-_UzVkyiU8uM8aXYvHyZhBEhkyaUMN0TiZBPPD8PwXHQKZuK7lT11Z1By-77bZmOQjopywZFMi2DYVi1bPag2q-PmK_x/w480-h640/IMG_6910.JPG" title="The Caledonian" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I got an Irish coffee and Tikka Masala for £15.00 ($25 CAD). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGERBiVBleOQapgBZ-PIo-BdRi6H-KhE1CLkEg9vj9Q_Hm0DW6lZWU2HHofs6P5x98Z3BbFLqldy2RfXUheIu4rrmrX1SReJV__b1xlstGotK65xcHd7gMtNveoZaOzj6bAhN9VdcLuXEn5xg62M3FgUIawXIHuYtaf3pmIzIdTgny8jrCHvGnyrhfj93/s3024/IMG_6911.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3018" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGERBiVBleOQapgBZ-PIo-BdRi6H-KhE1CLkEg9vj9Q_Hm0DW6lZWU2HHofs6P5x98Z3BbFLqldy2RfXUheIu4rrmrX1SReJV__b1xlstGotK65xcHd7gMtNveoZaOzj6bAhN9VdcLuXEn5xg62M3FgUIawXIHuYtaf3pmIzIdTgny8jrCHvGnyrhfj93/w638-h640/IMG_6911.JPG" title="Tikka Masala" width="638" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I meandered back to the bus and just missed it by it pulling away and me running after it. I waited for about an hour for the next one. I met a wonderful lady on the way back (Jan from Essex, UK) who was on the cruise. She gifted me a beautiful pin she made (said it was the last one) and that touched my heart. 😀 She told me each charm had a special meaning and spelled out our cruise ship name:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05FK-rwnUDwQIjSq5TmccZ23e-i_2-auxthOrQpjE27p5YxdaPYhS5DDGP8cTs_7jm5_AHErhRVEcYFq6gNNy-YV-1ZTUzJzTQvMDQwWLTqd3wekBrOrK9d0xP6iiWXBgkz2A3v-PwKtIIWxZ4eVNzd4qiOqGtIg8ukqtYp70gn39Dffi97c_jxzYa5sj/s1785/387042720_10232165785953195_8491799457624661420_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1785" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05FK-rwnUDwQIjSq5TmccZ23e-i_2-auxthOrQpjE27p5YxdaPYhS5DDGP8cTs_7jm5_AHErhRVEcYFq6gNNy-YV-1ZTUzJzTQvMDQwWLTqd3wekBrOrK9d0xP6iiWXBgkz2A3v-PwKtIIWxZ4eVNzd4qiOqGtIg8ukqtYp70gn39Dffi97c_jxzYa5sj/w640-h442/387042720_10232165785953195_8491799457624661420_n.jpg" title="Cruise Pin" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">S - shamrock for Ireland</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">T - thistle for Scotland</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A - for the ships anchor</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">R - for the Rose of England</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Plus a cruising duck (people were hiding them), star and Gordon Tartan as they were celebrating a family members birthday and it’s his clan (poor man was at stage 4 cancer). I made the gift into a magnet on my fridge. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Back on the ship I found the couples from my province BC in the Whiskey Bar. We watched sailaway together and a Scottish band gave us a send off. Apparently we were the last cruise ship to be in port till next year. I might have teared up a little bit as they were as Scotland is their roots. It was awesome except the cruise director decided it was a great time to upsell buying ship crap on the loud speakers while the bagpipes played. 🙄 Unfortunately you can hear her on the video below:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0NQm-NcCF3V8qhX2pGDoa8hNggKxEM5fNZ03OZT1F0Mj_f7hNZqfC4T4yYPZaMvXPYcn758bivZwtrM8Dgg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We drank and then all had a nice dinner together in the main dining room. They retired to bed and I went to look for Louisiana. I found them and we again laughed, danced and partied. He got the whole place hopping and got the band full of energy as well, it was quite a sight and everyone commented at how he raised the roof of the party that evening. The gift of charisma is <i>his</i> for sure. He even got the band to do an encore, making the audience participate as well. We ended up at the Irish bar until 2 am and they walked me back to my room... I think they were looking to see if I had killed "Indiana" as we hadn't seen him since our first all-nighter drinking bash, lol. I walked 11 km today!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Tuesday October 16, 2023 - Kirkwall, Scotland:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFhOMIkbbx37RvXaF18RTZE_31KzKXJ5zRt9-gtZmo2sIUFGpQxJy_ZCw8nY69up3qna-ORNxdt68r1rnnWVkiRThRGQ7SCoiv-bsYNjjFtuPxZ5WtFr1yLzjSNpNaghOQTYP3ITqjllS0Ewr9iPIEMzOM_vXXKpdCYTSD6C67UPrjUeWrJryTJNxqi2C/s3927/IMG_6924.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFhOMIkbbx37RvXaF18RTZE_31KzKXJ5zRt9-gtZmo2sIUFGpQxJy_ZCw8nY69up3qna-ORNxdt68r1rnnWVkiRThRGQ7SCoiv-bsYNjjFtuPxZ5WtFr1yLzjSNpNaghOQTYP3ITqjllS0Ewr9iPIEMzOM_vXXKpdCYTSD6C67UPrjUeWrJryTJNxqi2C/w640-h480/IMG_6924.JPG" title="Welcome to Orkney!" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This was an early port (6 am till 1 pm) and I regretted staying up till 2 am, again... It was rainy. I had breakfast in the main dining room and caught the free shuttle bus. Originally I was going to walk the 4 km into town but decided to be lazy and stay dry. Kirkwall is a city in Orkney since 1046 and is a royal burgh. I sauntered around town, went into the beautiful cathedral and admired its glory. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1_i3j70y-sxvyXaYfU-pwxhVlF1z_eoo4aPUGynu9nOXppUCxWPisTtEc0TY2Ufd_Y-x0EahO3Fm3-M2d1yYsEhJgVi3ENtrYX6l2-iNIDSa4Pv1nnURVTVUMm2GwfFWYhVp9cnnP6krFQxJbKPMMMFWuLJ05qIN9QtcE2U2B4FWyhiNfHPawUtLLfH0/s4032/IMG_6926.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1_i3j70y-sxvyXaYfU-pwxhVlF1z_eoo4aPUGynu9nOXppUCxWPisTtEc0TY2Ufd_Y-x0EahO3Fm3-M2d1yYsEhJgVi3ENtrYX6l2-iNIDSa4Pv1nnURVTVUMm2GwfFWYhVp9cnnP6krFQxJbKPMMMFWuLJ05qIN9QtcE2U2B4FWyhiNfHPawUtLLfH0/w640-h480/IMG_6926.JPG" title="St. Magnus Church" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's called <b><u><a href="https://www.orkneymuseums.co.uk/our-museums/st-magnus-cathedral/" target="_blank">St. Magnus</a></u></b> and was founded in 1137. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sMF3ONXxwKkGOq-us1SnG3rEKXf8foV7psibLuXzQ8dkjFi_N8ro9dr7tpwrpGw15B15iRolGeiKP2jEpjq-_lUfparj2_NgtnvP5sPgjlAigiMfJTY3cHknNQYT8b6ufJFQ6xu1V8hmWm67EYOKDk3wVgS7IrFkOnlFjc3bHfwAOHU3xL3bRMhjcDfu/s3956/IMG_6936.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3956" data-original-width="2967" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sMF3ONXxwKkGOq-us1SnG3rEKXf8foV7psibLuXzQ8dkjFi_N8ro9dr7tpwrpGw15B15iRolGeiKP2jEpjq-_lUfparj2_NgtnvP5sPgjlAigiMfJTY3cHknNQYT8b6ufJFQ6xu1V8hmWm67EYOKDk3wVgS7IrFkOnlFjc3bHfwAOHU3xL3bRMhjcDfu/w480-h640/IMG_6936.JPG" title="St. Magnus Cathedral" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic66PCP0icqqAHwI4dEBbbyOms-wE2E1zD4t9nq2vyRNm6gbuJLlFKVImKDN_wb6zVDIjK1ZyMVQwmYyU6rBreWb2A3tU1g0fObzhZaFFMmZ-uhP2gcz9_AQmJTZ98UoXsIJ9OUX7_vcTusmPWIi-OzPMhFwKwSEcKSZafMsvClRae878j4zS1mVu1Mr0Y/s4032/IMG_6937.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic66PCP0icqqAHwI4dEBbbyOms-wE2E1zD4t9nq2vyRNm6gbuJLlFKVImKDN_wb6zVDIjK1ZyMVQwmYyU6rBreWb2A3tU1g0fObzhZaFFMmZ-uhP2gcz9_AQmJTZ98UoXsIJ9OUX7_vcTusmPWIi-OzPMhFwKwSEcKSZafMsvClRae878j4zS1mVu1Mr0Y/w480-h640/IMG_6937.JPG" title="St. Magnus Cathedral" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Pictures can't do it justice. I went down to the harbour and back and decided that was all I had in me today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnl4S6edy5ecxhyphenhyphenLMKldKlSa6WXuptR2nbwiwH0sjdj7qiNNfOhy6nFVqR5LZkfDNnfDP1CMNQiUatRCBR6h0J6wb7MSvzJOv9UV7h13oduMfQkWxQSl0cOEGGbpjohCT8Kuyi3zbA84wPpPOk7-Idq2VVgXgWuSsAXTjRVBbdmJtWUs_2YKDVDFKp2lM/s3942/IMG_6930.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2956" data-original-width="3942" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnl4S6edy5ecxhyphenhyphenLMKldKlSa6WXuptR2nbwiwH0sjdj7qiNNfOhy6nFVqR5LZkfDNnfDP1CMNQiUatRCBR6h0J6wb7MSvzJOv9UV7h13oduMfQkWxQSl0cOEGGbpjohCT8Kuyi3zbA84wPpPOk7-Idq2VVgXgWuSsAXTjRVBbdmJtWUs_2YKDVDFKp2lM/w640-h480/IMG_6930.JPG" title="Kirkwall Harbor" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUHDZwHpX8Ft3RN5hsx5kWd06MzC63ixR2iQ5JgRrta6i4AHYuY5kd4uIvoDSEVdBXiEmpjiZZYwskIzHgGAUtlcyi0cWgeQykn8aoUuPK7NwKjbm8QUkPW9fHjfwlice-et0w_k_c5WM5dz5WlcyqCijuJQ7-Rbr_-IN2F_tUorHoLo93nJWw4iyFmUu/s3763/IMG_6931.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2822" data-original-width="3763" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUHDZwHpX8Ft3RN5hsx5kWd06MzC63ixR2iQ5JgRrta6i4AHYuY5kd4uIvoDSEVdBXiEmpjiZZYwskIzHgGAUtlcyi0cWgeQykn8aoUuPK7NwKjbm8QUkPW9fHjfwlice-et0w_k_c5WM5dz5WlcyqCijuJQ7-Rbr_-IN2F_tUorHoLo93nJWw4iyFmUu/w640-h480/IMG_6931.JPG" title="Kirkwall Harbor" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">No shopping at all today for me. In fact, I realize how much ridiculous clothing I packed and my suitcase weighed a tonne! With all the souvenirs I bought already, I feared I couldn't do anymore. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6u1AYL-tEwhl1oWKf_RuQBGa1Iusv-yGIzbisdfIJF-TTAH8ExBgBZ-q5BEFlBttWJEeHg9yUR19OtRw1NRrFIqpi3U38Jbr5LksLDX46D0Ien2WuL9Se7GgwP4pGB3BwvK0e52CzmKI_tMkMQ7TnMZg8thQqGMrnJPbE7a68nFJhrK4kkKLb0HbzcI0/s4032/IMG_6929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6u1AYL-tEwhl1oWKf_RuQBGa1Iusv-yGIzbisdfIJF-TTAH8ExBgBZ-q5BEFlBttWJEeHg9yUR19OtRw1NRrFIqpi3U38Jbr5LksLDX46D0Ien2WuL9Se7GgwP4pGB3BwvK0e52CzmKI_tMkMQ7TnMZg8thQqGMrnJPbE7a68nFJhrK4kkKLb0HbzcI0/w640-h480/IMG_6929.JPG" title="Bishops Palace" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bishops Palace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2Ei0HcSmO1noCF6S-jgwcYh1PmPxxLqWWi42PVPdMMJhwysSdesbCy1lq-3qAqFUiXjx3Yd999Kr-9ikm3B2jZlTiKK23NkS1qJf4xWm6kCJFg3CO44VhDGSFVaxbPO2W3uCN4Vdke-SS4R6yGEaA8-yPe_Ksi8LAc64U4dFl3sJqsMb73fIWGpfaCm8/s3905/IMG_6932.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2929" data-original-width="3905" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2Ei0HcSmO1noCF6S-jgwcYh1PmPxxLqWWi42PVPdMMJhwysSdesbCy1lq-3qAqFUiXjx3Yd999Kr-9ikm3B2jZlTiKK23NkS1qJf4xWm6kCJFg3CO44VhDGSFVaxbPO2W3uCN4Vdke-SS4R6yGEaA8-yPe_Ksi8LAc64U4dFl3sJqsMb73fIWGpfaCm8/w640-h480/IMG_6932.JPG" title="Downtown Kirkwall/Orkney" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoUHtmF5gvyDMFlhPKyVlO0JiBdL-GS3cjP-GrkQAM4kVQlRglgir2RkIabjZ2z1INNBvcZ-qfF0OsaXAticFHFmLLQJkQSqrIYjVzOk5c6Q64C6rNDsvaKVzLC2B1KdV224xNN0VgpvzzmHlhwTC-1n2eocUbARBIfuNpod2cL68XnaNt1oFGIBugCwR/s4032/IMG_6933.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoUHtmF5gvyDMFlhPKyVlO0JiBdL-GS3cjP-GrkQAM4kVQlRglgir2RkIabjZ2z1INNBvcZ-qfF0OsaXAticFHFmLLQJkQSqrIYjVzOk5c6Q64C6rNDsvaKVzLC2B1KdV224xNN0VgpvzzmHlhwTC-1n2eocUbARBIfuNpod2cL68XnaNt1oFGIBugCwR/w480-h640/IMG_6933.JPG" title="Town Hall" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Town Hall</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The town itself was like being caught in ancient history. I took the bus back to the ship and went to my room to nap, which I did for 4 hours. I awoke at 4 pm and went to the Irish bar to start working on the trip report. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That evening I had dinner plans at the Teppanyaki restaurant and that reservation was at 9:30 pm. It was good thing we weren't getting into Belfast until noon tomorrow. And with my long afternoon nap, dinner at that time was fine. I saw the two BC couples and they said they were partying tonight so I said I'd find them later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUcDWzecBxkyTu4jXTbPEpSe4x1g80mWi_T3KMZ83qsM1b4hKgirAj8zHkHwgdLhX13-LJDrOzPrLKfWougzhHYSl5LGphq0qm4ntyFE0GmfLVS0GUKRFh0XTAvhW35L0PiH89vOT2-xE1UYAlbNu7lEPDAN3orMXhiD3t9XITF8m_0trqbEubWYCYiXR/s4032/IMG_6938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUcDWzecBxkyTu4jXTbPEpSe4x1g80mWi_T3KMZ83qsM1b4hKgirAj8zHkHwgdLhX13-LJDrOzPrLKfWougzhHYSl5LGphq0qm4ntyFE0GmfLVS0GUKRFh0XTAvhW35L0PiH89vOT2-xE1UYAlbNu7lEPDAN3orMXhiD3t9XITF8m_0trqbEubWYCYiXR/w480-h640/IMG_6938.JPG" title="Teppanyaki Menu" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was sitting at the champagne bar when someone from staff asked if I could come to dinner now, which was a half hour early. I asked how he knew where I was and he said it was by my key card. Big Brother is watching. I agreed and saw only 3 of us seated around the grill. Below, the seaweed salad they served was really bagged coleslaw with a dollop of seaweed on top. Strange...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeGgJ-VVlWaQkpfwN4cG1B6XZiji6B0BlESFfjZm8vFhVWZKfpiBgNfDyCVbdRtesadG6bTEF9wr5VJ9nXlpLSrYwLeIVMItwdZmmE8en51WLT4O8QRBwUG4d8T_23dBHx5oJxAHpnNMKZOFaOfzwYxiI728VmOWWYspYhTEvGNZZPPlT35mISzB8nN5I/s2960/IMG_6943.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="2960" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeGgJ-VVlWaQkpfwN4cG1B6XZiji6B0BlESFfjZm8vFhVWZKfpiBgNfDyCVbdRtesadG6bTEF9wr5VJ9nXlpLSrYwLeIVMItwdZmmE8en51WLT4O8QRBwUG4d8T_23dBHx5oJxAHpnNMKZOFaOfzwYxiI728VmOWWYspYhTEvGNZZPPlT35mISzB8nN5I/w640-h614/IMG_6943.JPG" title="Seaweed Salad" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINc2N_jmrMjBkvfVOaWGVKapsnxlRAj6UInuDeNVAUg0Pmp6NTgOobJzVNn9lzx4EGuUBwOuAkKacZ_y9Ew8L2Io6rN0ZlPUaugHsJrixlWJDB5lGyE3oKfvyOse5bK4CdDcZJ_JDQ4r90H5j8hDA65n0RA7nLFyb9C6XvcDovMYekJJHRkCbsaUF3uI4/s4017/IMG_6947.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4017" data-original-width="3012" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINc2N_jmrMjBkvfVOaWGVKapsnxlRAj6UInuDeNVAUg0Pmp6NTgOobJzVNn9lzx4EGuUBwOuAkKacZ_y9Ew8L2Io6rN0ZlPUaugHsJrixlWJDB5lGyE3oKfvyOse5bK4CdDcZJ_JDQ4r90H5j8hDA65n0RA7nLFyb9C6XvcDovMYekJJHRkCbsaUF3uI4/w480-h640/IMG_6947.JPG" title="Chef making Fried Rice" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Making Fried Rice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofebxdH5N9qG_kRRJ2Et_8rS5RV4Q2YbQp__K-D9PPrQvHe9be2EuWAJZLC0WNhFfw1nggVsGzaMv7QxfoBrfJQ5v8soLGjM_6k6kmk7BAxjNX6ToTNk_Z8eFDNAdheEi9L18e_JeduD9X63pVaeEXm0fPHQgMtVf5MYobp_1jyCc6bmIB5tS5EcPu7ut/s2985/IMG_6950.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2985" data-original-width="2861" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofebxdH5N9qG_kRRJ2Et_8rS5RV4Q2YbQp__K-D9PPrQvHe9be2EuWAJZLC0WNhFfw1nggVsGzaMv7QxfoBrfJQ5v8soLGjM_6k6kmk7BAxjNX6ToTNk_Z8eFDNAdheEi9L18e_JeduD9X63pVaeEXm0fPHQgMtVf5MYobp_1jyCc6bmIB5tS5EcPu7ut/w614-h640/IMG_6950.JPG" title="Shrimp & Steak" width="614" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shrimp & Steak</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzxNZZXJfkvCNPAmk8VAApLh3DtpZWGMnL9T6QiYP2xMmP6PXguRjY-LPwWwJ1WItdHfRrJHI2Qp32KPu86xDRD5OnYPbkSewr5s2PdsD0969JPSA3z5-aDtRf7g7E0P5XetiFwjQq6S6x6A62uRjqxbCToIre612eunnVvluCbP86A-V7N8BIOi7Q549/s2849/IMG_6952.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="2849" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzxNZZXJfkvCNPAmk8VAApLh3DtpZWGMnL9T6QiYP2xMmP6PXguRjY-LPwWwJ1WItdHfRrJHI2Qp32KPu86xDRD5OnYPbkSewr5s2PdsD0969JPSA3z5-aDtRf7g7E0P5XetiFwjQq6S6x6A62uRjqxbCToIre612eunnVvluCbP86A-V7N8BIOi7Q549/w640-h450/IMG_6952.JPG" title="Fruit Plate" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fruit Plate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The chef was very good, entertaining and the food wasn't too bad. I was pleasantly surprised, the fried rice was really tasty. As the casino was closed today I tipped him $20 USD as I had a couple in my purse. I didn't tip extra for the waiter as he was not pleasant or good and they already get 20% built into the price. I left and went looking for any of my new friends but found none. I ended up in "Bliss Lounge" and watched people dance for the 70's dance party. Oh, I actually watched some lame game show prior to that. All the people dancing were having a blast and were fun to watch. I lasted till midnight and went back to my room. I walked 6.5 km today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Wednesday, October 18, 2023 - Belfast, N. Ireland:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was up and ready for breakfast by 8:30 am. I was excited and wished we were getting into port earlier. I ate and imbibed a few Irish coffees at the Irish pub until it was time to go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmpBkGVCwwHo-D8n1Z5Uk9TQX8H79fuWXQTu4wznX3F61YGVWRdTvmwNNDXxpNHQqLDtzOPqWypB3qLoYZdZZ-3FmEcOsXWDJ5fSqnMXBoFQwS0milxVt1Ra9bsHQHs3Bgxhgr-V7IHbfHqIp6kNr3WYfheTJEbK44wbULiD15YE4Xwy_xHB7yNT_M0xb/s4032/IMG_6954.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmpBkGVCwwHo-D8n1Z5Uk9TQX8H79fuWXQTu4wznX3F61YGVWRdTvmwNNDXxpNHQqLDtzOPqWypB3qLoYZdZZ-3FmEcOsXWDJ5fSqnMXBoFQwS0milxVt1Ra9bsHQHs3Bgxhgr-V7IHbfHqIp6kNr3WYfheTJEbK44wbULiD15YE4Xwy_xHB7yNT_M0xb/w640-h480/IMG_6954.JPG" title="Welcome to Belfast!" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I found my tour bus and we were soon off to <b><u><a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/369/" target="_blank">Giant's Causeway</a></u></b>. All I saw on the couple hour drive was lush green grass and sheeps everywhere! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lCksvY5d-fPD35qaKzvWi1n2XhAm5vnQm2BF7rY9wx0B7mQaT_paugmLdtODfUWOCHIv-5Gshu23WU965RNg1PGHZiE8pSdN9qcG_hZTIv8QO4aRNY92KZuOO80AxggDxRwjw1Q4jvS097yrQLMKYglcnTo5gco1bHDvlzSorK-NPuyrAbwmT2_BepPZ/s3849/IMG_6988.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="3849" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lCksvY5d-fPD35qaKzvWi1n2XhAm5vnQm2BF7rY9wx0B7mQaT_paugmLdtODfUWOCHIv-5Gshu23WU965RNg1PGHZiE8pSdN9qcG_hZTIv8QO4aRNY92KZuOO80AxggDxRwjw1Q4jvS097yrQLMKYglcnTo5gco1bHDvlzSorK-NPuyrAbwmT2_BepPZ/w640-h480/IMG_6988.JPG" title="Lush Northern Ireland" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He made a stop at a gas station for potty break and to buy lunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTZtAJngMH1kwDThbLBoATutPCQhRpizTJDhwlTivMp_F_Iv3nF9RI1VWxSjAcFaBeULBT2L__CmojSSZwPPeQgKDtb1oH5_cnmf27HyEhMXS_dDbOBgsujChy2hATE3WLQxN_S6fE2FkuI3W96gIEju1yqO_NbMQfm3YOilw1PflLecLW-dRWems0ABK/s3562/IMG_6956.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3562" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTZtAJngMH1kwDThbLBoATutPCQhRpizTJDhwlTivMp_F_Iv3nF9RI1VWxSjAcFaBeULBT2L__CmojSSZwPPeQgKDtb1oH5_cnmf27HyEhMXS_dDbOBgsujChy2hATE3WLQxN_S6fE2FkuI3W96gIEju1yqO_NbMQfm3YOilw1PflLecLW-dRWems0ABK/w544-h640/IMG_6956.JPG" title="Gas station stuffed sausage" width="544" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrqSh4SPu5T9PRXfKdva7W_-OnL2U4D2ry9eUWtokdO8WiB5EkT8j36CWIV7zqkQNeWyYFT7Nl3INBY6AIFdnPGjLOjwlk4QFlKalUG4glk13ojiR2Hf8H14Ad8HuC2XbHi4jGhTIjXtHGIp9sOeVsH55BlGqchbYi4zLYP4AokMFnCyOPzaq-m4q7mxI/s2189/IMG_6957.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1853" data-original-width="2189" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrqSh4SPu5T9PRXfKdva7W_-OnL2U4D2ry9eUWtokdO8WiB5EkT8j36CWIV7zqkQNeWyYFT7Nl3INBY6AIFdnPGjLOjwlk4QFlKalUG4glk13ojiR2Hf8H14Ad8HuC2XbHi4jGhTIjXtHGIp9sOeVsH55BlGqchbYi4zLYP4AokMFnCyOPzaq-m4q7mxI/w640-h542/IMG_6957.JPG" title="Stuffed Sausage" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I ended up just buying this bacon wrapped stuffed breakfast sausage. It was delicious and I wished I had bought a couple more. It was another beautiful day and clarity was good when we reached our destination. Our driver had told us a tale of lore/myth about how it was founded:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>"As legend has it, Northern Ireland was once home to a giant named Finn McCool (also called Fionn Mac Cumhaill). When another giant – Benandonner, across the Irish Sea in Scotland – threatened Ireland, Finn retaliated by tearing up great chunks of the Antrim coastline and hurling them into the sea. The newly-created path – the Giant’s Causeway – paved a route over the sea for Finn to reach Benandonner.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>However, this turns out to be a bad idea as Benandonner is a massive giant, much bigger than Finn! In order to save himself, Finn retreats to Ireland and is disguised as a baby by his quick-thinking wife. When Benandonner arrives, he sees Finn disguised as a baby and realises that if a mere baby is that big, the father must be far larger than Benandonner himself!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Following this realisation, Benandonner rushes back to Scotland, tearing away as much of the Causeway as he can in his haste to put as much distance between Ireland and himself as possible. And thus, the myth of the Giant’s Causeway was born</i>."...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfGOPqNJCdUC13t6ATuBU9o4gyWzo1kDlpc8paHRj3R6GSimhfncMdtggtaZSQovhPkyW5HhT7mDyFI9v2ZHAf-6w6LgFTCHA6D2zGGjjQUSfeptYgfwkMskiv61hN184Pw8DJWz6GPuhXlJKvROnw1IHRsdBuhuGt0Bu0Ec5gdBJwjm_XGNwMMCW-c0u/s4032/IMG_6962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfGOPqNJCdUC13t6ATuBU9o4gyWzo1kDlpc8paHRj3R6GSimhfncMdtggtaZSQovhPkyW5HhT7mDyFI9v2ZHAf-6w6LgFTCHA6D2zGGjjQUSfeptYgfwkMskiv61hN184Pw8DJWz6GPuhXlJKvROnw1IHRsdBuhuGt0Bu0Ec5gdBJwjm_XGNwMMCW-c0u/w640-h480/IMG_6962.JPG" title="Walking down to Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I walked down the hill to causeway which they said was a km. It felt longer on the way up, lol. Again, my pictures don't do it justice but this Unesco sight is a true beauty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLBTj5tsexY4sZHCEWQyTx0FDG0sAAkxvLxAUCXfKhQJuxDWYkGSpP3iajcgpfVrsbKVj9g-In-5YzB0A8aBqOd2LabmkCeWtHii6GWw5LKguCm6B3SKa8wY_NFt8k-luBE3TNLbyIuJE-JN_oVTszUUJje1WpPf0e5Q6JEhQa7NksJ0QKBCblrJajDi3/s4032/IMG_6963.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLBTj5tsexY4sZHCEWQyTx0FDG0sAAkxvLxAUCXfKhQJuxDWYkGSpP3iajcgpfVrsbKVj9g-In-5YzB0A8aBqOd2LabmkCeWtHii6GWw5LKguCm6B3SKa8wY_NFt8k-luBE3TNLbyIuJE-JN_oVTszUUJje1WpPf0e5Q6JEhQa7NksJ0QKBCblrJajDi3/w640-h480/IMG_6963.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC2PUX7_Lhz26Ht-4y05X2rslcaaMTAcupjRXHRqnItbpoxW8TNvItuQKizjLJMGmmPCThwdiQWSu8jI28xzHdqosGW6DEGayySq7zGLAVVZpXT_eSlStV_osaI1ppImPW9MoZf7OIa-6VwY3YRp0O1ot0Eqx1JjVlpPorK8iX3-QBiEHwjD-UWvsQ1sB/s3877/IMG_6969.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3877" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC2PUX7_Lhz26Ht-4y05X2rslcaaMTAcupjRXHRqnItbpoxW8TNvItuQKizjLJMGmmPCThwdiQWSu8jI28xzHdqosGW6DEGayySq7zGLAVVZpXT_eSlStV_osaI1ppImPW9MoZf7OIa-6VwY3YRp0O1ot0Eqx1JjVlpPorK8iX3-QBiEHwjD-UWvsQ1sB/w640-h480/IMG_6969.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eVxm7GmfP9QPFBo0srn5zIBmrazn2HaYxOdGjpcZ9_GuaJkZ8PixnwO7T60q8svwAd2F3A1IcdU__HnmEJQ3Wdw5FoPLk-vfOKCZbqboypWDJ6jYe4hgT0zlNMM1XacaiKjkO3eXWVXjPe6U8q1G9MSXjewDP-RRk5iNYyGUggdb_zXsLgc1BsE8vLl8/s4032/IMG_6973.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eVxm7GmfP9QPFBo0srn5zIBmrazn2HaYxOdGjpcZ9_GuaJkZ8PixnwO7T60q8svwAd2F3A1IcdU__HnmEJQ3Wdw5FoPLk-vfOKCZbqboypWDJ6jYe4hgT0zlNMM1XacaiKjkO3eXWVXjPe6U8q1G9MSXjewDP-RRk5iNYyGUggdb_zXsLgc1BsE8vLl8/w640-h480/IMG_6973.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY_7Cyakhz7KJjeP6HtcB9tCmCdY_XMf7VxdIB274QIqed2E-A_Dwo0Q0E_yRJ6CztFx_tmpNLN5OtY6lAFN3nIWSnc9qGl1CPt2R8vE-gCxx-EBY2GoFRPCALE6anXn0_2C2-9XgI_VrserUq4ykmXq5Wpr8surk_D6igkDhUdq44DrwrObc5hHyuVkC/s3750/IMG_6974.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2812" data-original-width="3750" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY_7Cyakhz7KJjeP6HtcB9tCmCdY_XMf7VxdIB274QIqed2E-A_Dwo0Q0E_yRJ6CztFx_tmpNLN5OtY6lAFN3nIWSnc9qGl1CPt2R8vE-gCxx-EBY2GoFRPCALE6anXn0_2C2-9XgI_VrserUq4ykmXq5Wpr8surk_D6igkDhUdq44DrwrObc5hHyuVkC/w640-h480/IMG_6974.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xnx1BXIQ2ocxokXGl36SB7ieWtA2oUTB91CA9vmhrcUtLk22rW3AUoDBWtUc-PAD3i5DltMa9Njw8omk6EuPitzbXf7eGhoMkOkcMOFNxRKRdMwHQmiZDEy-kbEFUyKSUKpX8cIIpupO-05IGq6Js8bgUVIh2sCzMBH7FU6u6chiFsSxU51FADRQgKMX/s4032/IMG_6975.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xnx1BXIQ2ocxokXGl36SB7ieWtA2oUTB91CA9vmhrcUtLk22rW3AUoDBWtUc-PAD3i5DltMa9Njw8omk6EuPitzbXf7eGhoMkOkcMOFNxRKRdMwHQmiZDEy-kbEFUyKSUKpX8cIIpupO-05IGq6Js8bgUVIh2sCzMBH7FU6u6chiFsSxU51FADRQgKMX/w480-h640/IMG_6975.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9hQp2E9z_mmArQen2YXsCDymSTU89JNXFz-4MUDIhvRB9TL2wq5Vjy3yVU-OgHt3fo59joWeZTq3_qgMemqcPBYPDhrgH36qBafRP1QfyoHfs0OCHYI2LBGjeVLxe7FWpw-IwvYNx2Zj2z_nEPjg5mRn7IPnlFSYyaI6jYlc4u05qAQvSwzbTNg2afqr/s4032/IMG_6977.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9hQp2E9z_mmArQen2YXsCDymSTU89JNXFz-4MUDIhvRB9TL2wq5Vjy3yVU-OgHt3fo59joWeZTq3_qgMemqcPBYPDhrgH36qBafRP1QfyoHfs0OCHYI2LBGjeVLxe7FWpw-IwvYNx2Zj2z_nEPjg5mRn7IPnlFSYyaI6jYlc4u05qAQvSwzbTNg2afqr/w640-h480/IMG_6977.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-88WLZXMeVowYuItUSe4bxRWY14XWQuN4gLbitEKCFP2PB45AFo2uAF0NewSvxNV1jHHBP7nT30OCtUrJgWFubwqUpfgJtfVFF5NyYo_JHl-6Q9b5ZW-i8xPQKcQ6KOXTHUgUcyTecimspm_hXJIe7uiyTaARiuszySH8it69s7hiOuKr5PYStRe_XYp/s4032/IMG_6978.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-88WLZXMeVowYuItUSe4bxRWY14XWQuN4gLbitEKCFP2PB45AFo2uAF0NewSvxNV1jHHBP7nT30OCtUrJgWFubwqUpfgJtfVFF5NyYo_JHl-6Q9b5ZW-i8xPQKcQ6KOXTHUgUcyTecimspm_hXJIe7uiyTaARiuszySH8it69s7hiOuKr5PYStRe_XYp/w640-h480/IMG_6978.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzuu6kAoGNpeYlSHdEVL2_o6ZJMPdHGMpWwYUZZUuGNufJQszYNAPNCgHBN-ukgb4Z_IattqAu8VQrPT-isj-DDfqxgLXrx24i3XZ6dR6ytnN0gHIK24wgkDUrHn2N0AZxXMb2GD7A90cnvHpILFwaq6UwGHYTV2RBytidTwURNm_qjngP84ZS1LuflEq/s4032/IMG_6980.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzuu6kAoGNpeYlSHdEVL2_o6ZJMPdHGMpWwYUZZUuGNufJQszYNAPNCgHBN-ukgb4Z_IattqAu8VQrPT-isj-DDfqxgLXrx24i3XZ6dR6ytnN0gHIK24wgkDUrHn2N0AZxXMb2GD7A90cnvHpILFwaq6UwGHYTV2RBytidTwURNm_qjngP84ZS1LuflEq/w640-h480/IMG_6980.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TazDL1dTpYUwk_-Sxu_m0ELJpaX6rYLJTc1kWqazpXlhAuGu1EJgF0EcjiHb0dXoi9X4WnMB9TTq7W1UuD49RjDP6Bwo6j45Y5Vswz5xxOmoXrnPc1Bb3pIKLHkdpBsuKQCuEjaX9uY2ofvPl6TxVV9hjk4swCnLuAurhhbWKM0D_m4PzWRd2jwVJvjH/s3836/IMG_6985.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="3836" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TazDL1dTpYUwk_-Sxu_m0ELJpaX6rYLJTc1kWqazpXlhAuGu1EJgF0EcjiHb0dXoi9X4WnMB9TTq7W1UuD49RjDP6Bwo6j45Y5Vswz5xxOmoXrnPc1Bb3pIKLHkdpBsuKQCuEjaX9uY2ofvPl6TxVV9hjk4swCnLuAurhhbWKM0D_m4PzWRd2jwVJvjH/w640-h480/IMG_6985.JPG" title="Giant's Causeway" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our guide took us for one more picture stop below which was <b><u><a href="https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/dunluce-castle-p675011" target="_blank">Dunluce Castle</a></u></b> and also a "Game of Thrones" site.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTBl9nvfXHpdwsmaxizSp2HYeRW356LtBPPcOHyM83erg5JfJJjw2PTva72HxYrQhfm_p3_6Tu34tL5RJn4sARbpP4wh2NYLNX04C4h-FiaeJ39LN8d7HZiZGn2CGbb_TkqJqQmZ5vBMXjCtLS6-DAdmD22e_Q_wO1AkPOZsGsePVAoyMyvsYpc5n6CHC/s3889/IMG_6986.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3889" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTBl9nvfXHpdwsmaxizSp2HYeRW356LtBPPcOHyM83erg5JfJJjw2PTva72HxYrQhfm_p3_6Tu34tL5RJn4sARbpP4wh2NYLNX04C4h-FiaeJ39LN8d7HZiZGn2CGbb_TkqJqQmZ5vBMXjCtLS6-DAdmD22e_Q_wO1AkPOZsGsePVAoyMyvsYpc5n6CHC/w640-h286/IMG_6986.JPG" title="Dunluce Castle" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ak6_xNoFE47NvqZYmJSEpK9iD0jY6lt3E5V2ETrKWuGkEcdKn7ColwX2oSWm3jzdxe7ZAgmvcgU4iH4SwTMt7fZTOD6utgRrcdlEpJ-YQX4VWU6q16wuvL7bJNpUIPh36LlA0_HtmgWLQtIY4VzljXdwD20tyspSzvKl7ufQn77I8PEtHJub2aOdnvaC/s4032/IMG_6990.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ak6_xNoFE47NvqZYmJSEpK9iD0jY6lt3E5V2ETrKWuGkEcdKn7ColwX2oSWm3jzdxe7ZAgmvcgU4iH4SwTMt7fZTOD6utgRrcdlEpJ-YQX4VWU6q16wuvL7bJNpUIPh36LlA0_HtmgWLQtIY4VzljXdwD20tyspSzvKl7ufQn77I8PEtHJub2aOdnvaC/w640-h480/IMG_6990.JPG" title="Dunluce Castle" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Next we were off for the city tour portion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j7Qvt4R4vwd6SFZbe4qE9PJFpvGySg3BEV0MOObBzMXeuwefaFqOQZmhFvA36if2Xmk6GhWeOph7Xoj-Ks7rKStPphTpJlTaiqjF8GD6CyTZ5JJ_0822-x7X9pBg7DHiKo5AQM9Vced1qGLJvh2RcTQuK3LraOS0GsPzdTHb6k2dkKFVQ6FyqIDjxW3n/s3877/IMG_6991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3877" data-original-width="2908" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j7Qvt4R4vwd6SFZbe4qE9PJFpvGySg3BEV0MOObBzMXeuwefaFqOQZmhFvA36if2Xmk6GhWeOph7Xoj-Ks7rKStPphTpJlTaiqjF8GD6CyTZ5JJ_0822-x7X9pBg7DHiKo5AQM9Vced1qGLJvh2RcTQuK3LraOS0GsPzdTHb6k2dkKFVQ6FyqIDjxW3n/w480-h640/IMG_6991.JPG" title="Downtown Belfast" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJAGS5CI0warWjSA1Rm2Ci8n5KELv8Ywhllb83wrcVee05khkhbPlPShUc8jihDCW5Q7JlqcbkeytVr9wSubPO-fc8fWk2NzWRUedmYCnXl7AAGbgDFD4uvZQ43gpVjGZAj3-IYevDdyHqaIRiwsg37nCCRV5L9wUGqViCvz5n1P1CRxyhNkHSImZG4pO/s3870/IMG_6992.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3870" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJAGS5CI0warWjSA1Rm2Ci8n5KELv8Ywhllb83wrcVee05khkhbPlPShUc8jihDCW5Q7JlqcbkeytVr9wSubPO-fc8fWk2NzWRUedmYCnXl7AAGbgDFD4uvZQ43gpVjGZAj3-IYevDdyHqaIRiwsg37nCCRV5L9wUGqViCvz5n1P1CRxyhNkHSImZG4pO/w640-h480/IMG_6992.JPG" title="Downtown Belfast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYMnmIcsT9ftiy6l2hy22kLO370dyHLClTv6F7HACTNUZ5vrl8-wYSkVlykfT-HusSxmxalSTYYXAaoKwBubzzEdqvDzTuCtzsFEQVOpiUnENmEiyXfTAU_lHRopW1K4VW4uojFcZr_GBqG8YKCLU7HxzbKH8aKoGPBSuOK2oSQmVtbXomDj9s5uP4FtE/s3809/IMG_6995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="3809" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYMnmIcsT9ftiy6l2hy22kLO370dyHLClTv6F7HACTNUZ5vrl8-wYSkVlykfT-HusSxmxalSTYYXAaoKwBubzzEdqvDzTuCtzsFEQVOpiUnENmEiyXfTAU_lHRopW1K4VW4uojFcZr_GBqG8YKCLU7HxzbKH8aKoGPBSuOK2oSQmVtbXomDj9s5uP4FtE/w640-h480/IMG_6995.JPG" title="Downtown Belfast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our guide Gavin gave us the history of "<b><u><a href="https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/the-troubles/" target="_blank">the troubles</a></u></b>" in Belfast and we got to stop at the Cupar Way wall, on the Protestant side. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivwukoppg9fK4k1df3Dq8ziIyB4JavNdsBFESvQYlHh7pUGIz7giejlP6gnHkhzf58LBVYLpf4IFKCTsTWULkgWLdLtZgmJDOwtKywNKPLIKzquW-tp7qQg1JPfG0ATMKTdCwbI-luQyrwtzgD64jiPDgb3KyWVjvhPR44qae1DajOt97qbhBGjoBM1kO/s4032/IMG_6997.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivwukoppg9fK4k1df3Dq8ziIyB4JavNdsBFESvQYlHh7pUGIz7giejlP6gnHkhzf58LBVYLpf4IFKCTsTWULkgWLdLtZgmJDOwtKywNKPLIKzquW-tp7qQg1JPfG0ATMKTdCwbI-luQyrwtzgD64jiPDgb3KyWVjvhPR44qae1DajOt97qbhBGjoBM1kO/w640-h480/IMG_6997.JPG" title="Peace Wall Belfast" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I signed the "peace" wall and found the story particularly sad. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQngMQ0x5bGOkx9hPlcXJAKaeksbM4NjjhN7xAFPUz7aG2t-0bV2Puyt9Pg87D-rU8EKm2wRQBzRbnHuaMcdE-px5Ml7DiDzkSei112cW6dpcBrL2sL4wZY_ZyFUGDT5TX1_Fpcegy5AGpoGdLOijBcKA5ZhbjZXJolt-kvKA9oFdjjhOg3CdfLc60dtu/s4032/IMG_7002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQngMQ0x5bGOkx9hPlcXJAKaeksbM4NjjhN7xAFPUz7aG2t-0bV2Puyt9Pg87D-rU8EKm2wRQBzRbnHuaMcdE-px5Ml7DiDzkSei112cW6dpcBrL2sL4wZY_ZyFUGDT5TX1_Fpcegy5AGpoGdLOijBcKA5ZhbjZXJolt-kvKA9oFdjjhOg3CdfLc60dtu/w480-h640/IMG_7002.JPG" title="Peace Wall Belfast" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm glad progress is being made and now even Protestants and Catholics can marry. Gavin said he would like to see a day where that wall comes down and that he'd party like never before...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMF9NeUrpDv7F81k8AvqrCL55IuqP2_Mj_ayHrxD2O46bHh21EHsKT8RNpJ2P2YeEfBR8TJKl34WDk7F1_7MINtl6t6ffk0n_eHshCD9FmejuvkZ25jgyzzueKJ9ZpReykXTGbjSJju4OyTDfpGULSE_afyhbMUzlRWb5WV807YMxHBrK9MZOyqUMPi1o/s4032/IMG_7003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMF9NeUrpDv7F81k8AvqrCL55IuqP2_Mj_ayHrxD2O46bHh21EHsKT8RNpJ2P2YeEfBR8TJKl34WDk7F1_7MINtl6t6ffk0n_eHshCD9FmejuvkZ25jgyzzueKJ9ZpReykXTGbjSJju4OyTDfpGULSE_afyhbMUzlRWb5WV807YMxHBrK9MZOyqUMPi1o/w480-h640/IMG_7003.JPG" title="Peace Wall Belfast" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We continued through downtown on our return journey. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBwmrmILasVJT1DsHm-ylauIwKvPxY3TeVm6cXfo1hQTS0YDd9YSCAzGjHkC4-HQy634bLuqNajqEQvTWJ9s3wI9qFPokziy4GJQ-b5W1V8b9qzPEzZ1e4HeE9cRCYsfYMfbANaBzYaqGgCq_hxq3AEq9twrljAChXYWP8HSuwpVCiWt5ub4tPfxIRfxK/s4032/IMG_7006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBwmrmILasVJT1DsHm-ylauIwKvPxY3TeVm6cXfo1hQTS0YDd9YSCAzGjHkC4-HQy634bLuqNajqEQvTWJ9s3wI9qFPokziy4GJQ-b5W1V8b9qzPEzZ1e4HeE9cRCYsfYMfbANaBzYaqGgCq_hxq3AEq9twrljAChXYWP8HSuwpVCiWt5ub4tPfxIRfxK/w480-h640/IMG_7006.JPG" title="Downtown Belfast" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Back at the ship I said goodbye, tipped £20 for him and driver Joe, then rushed up to my room to pee and freshen up. It was time to eat and I was starved! I was seated solo but wound up beside my Louisiana friends. I had the lamb shank which was decent. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TlnmVwnTlmEsVWvP6sTmVQOBrLV5TiPD0gfRZeSpPxEgiPsOjMR3Hi9VyIqRRIJmgUnCWB2wr0zdQHfx7mdNeDioP4wy2uyWl5VteBUuHhqKy8cmaEUu-On_B-kYPrlLQwOi9UT8-Jz50BQtRA284wHomw-O87P1vGmuNxg6ldO1sqqSPUHCAK9aZf4X/s4032/IMG_7012.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TlnmVwnTlmEsVWvP6sTmVQOBrLV5TiPD0gfRZeSpPxEgiPsOjMR3Hi9VyIqRRIJmgUnCWB2wr0zdQHfx7mdNeDioP4wy2uyWl5VteBUuHhqKy8cmaEUu-On_B-kYPrlLQwOi9UT8-Jz50BQtRA284wHomw-O87P1vGmuNxg6ldO1sqqSPUHCAK9aZf4X/w480-h640/IMG_7012.JPG" title="Lamb Shank" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We agreed to meet later in the "Whiskey Bar". I ran into my other BC friends there but they were heading to dinner. They invited me to come along but I told them I just ate and would wait for them there. I got tired of waiting for both parties so decided to go to my room for a bit at 9 pm. I never came back out. I snuggled under the covers and went to sleep. I awoke at 4 am and typed the trip report and then tried to sleep till my 6:30 am alarm for tender tickets. I walked 6.5 km today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Thursday, October 19, 2023 - <strike>Douglas, Isle of Man,</strike> Sea Day:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I cued in line and got my tender ticket, but then a couple hours later I heard on the speaker system that we would not see this port due a storm and the tenders could not make it over safely. They said we could use our tender tickets for Dublin tomorrow so at least that was good. I was a bit sad as I didn't want to miss any ports this trip, but not in my control... But then I got this letter. 😞 Dublin kindly refunded my hop on/hop off tour there and replied immediately so that was appreciated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c60FUYZvySFIsADGRDRfS2xs3n5xF6O2I_hCl7aP-8r-TeDNNkd11RwU7EHRzZ7cuubJPdz4r8uTpNijf_dBraQirh3w66lTJ7IsJycClcRGQ_kK0PK4m_xI0_AjjVMiip-ZNT4xtbAEN_RwG_1qQ383t_1xsXrc6DHrEyJ1o8gOqUzFAh5BhasF1XtL/s3255/IMG_7059.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1687" data-original-width="3255" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c60FUYZvySFIsADGRDRfS2xs3n5xF6O2I_hCl7aP-8r-TeDNNkd11RwU7EHRzZ7cuubJPdz4r8uTpNijf_dBraQirh3w66lTJ7IsJycClcRGQ_kK0PK4m_xI0_AjjVMiip-ZNT4xtbAEN_RwG_1qQ383t_1xsXrc6DHrEyJ1o8gOqUzFAh5BhasF1XtL/w640-h332/IMG_7059.JPG" title="Cancellation Ports" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Dun Loaghaire (is pronounced Dunleary!) So, this would be day drinking on the ship now... I started right after I got tender tickets at 7 am (main dining room is the only place you can get booze - Irish bar at 8 am)! Below was my breakfast:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyxfoD29m6KSMsgb8AgAKb5D-R1ORrVolE6HiobszFRv6obxatgtBha69Ne1VSifPYtQXxLK381Kh9glGNjo9ERnXxic4ZFygNyZwxl8YbzgiLPi-nOz0yBVkUfEmkLkaFiQGh6J8kViVfbm1pEbLEuHJMiP4cbQEbFbnz0UHaJ4e5alssNpp7mZJRStR/s2918/IMG_7013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2611" data-original-width="2918" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyxfoD29m6KSMsgb8AgAKb5D-R1ORrVolE6HiobszFRv6obxatgtBha69Ne1VSifPYtQXxLK381Kh9glGNjo9ERnXxic4ZFygNyZwxl8YbzgiLPi-nOz0yBVkUfEmkLkaFiQGh6J8kViVfbm1pEbLEuHJMiP4cbQEbFbnz0UHaJ4e5alssNpp7mZJRStR/w640-h572/IMG_7013.JPG" title="Bagel with Cream Cheese/Lox and side of Sausage" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I hung with my fellow BC friends and we drank, and drank and then drank more. Earlier, I found my Turks & Caicos friend and we went to the casino. I won and was up $300 so I walked away and took the win which was about $220 US after what I put in. Yeah!!! Back to my BC friends. We walked a few laps - it was like summer out on the deck. Hard to believe we had to miss the port, but whatever... I lasted till 4 pm before bailing on them and passed out cold in my room. I woke about 9 pm, had a shower and then the only food option was the Irish bar so I made my way there. Everyone was loud, lively and having a good time. I just ate and then went back to bed for the night. I did stop at guest services to see when my passport would be returned, they said after Republic of Ireland cleared them tomorrow. I walked 5 km today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u>Friday, October 20, 2023 - <strike>Dublin</strike>/Cork/Cobh, Ireland:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouSC7TCAWbk9aWfsF8NXoKxA29rQyPaai9BZ2-ybNoDfykpnYmtfWxdHHynD-wVActqE-EuNllpT8s2dl27mFykjul419LlTdAmeBbGBFeaqd8A1OPW-aAtmEbR9AQPpWYlsBMmYBUhR9-wAPcPj5yX1UXLTrDAKF4XJBAsQQjjCzfuIStoQcnXivYl3F/s3927/IMG_7031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouSC7TCAWbk9aWfsF8NXoKxA29rQyPaai9BZ2-ybNoDfykpnYmtfWxdHHynD-wVActqE-EuNllpT8s2dl27mFykjul419LlTdAmeBbGBFeaqd8A1OPW-aAtmEbR9AQPpWYlsBMmYBUhR9-wAPcPj5yX1UXLTrDAKF4XJBAsQQjjCzfuIStoQcnXivYl3F/w640-h480/IMG_7031.JPG" title="Port of Cobh" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This port is infamous for being the last stop for the Titanic's maiden voyage and they host a museum there. We were cleared to get off the ship at noon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn_K2RjtyC9fnRrJ5gPtKyYQJaWnc-eTosDCEg5zb5Xy6oQDUTyEYYThbkCyUP_4DIpOsV0vIm00NpCrW89e52Hmu2P952rPrlRxyJ6RZL8s6gF-QyW3uHUBsPeARD4FfzGHRALMm29XHk949AJlEd2urZkrHwYMOgFANTjUoGGqCvAGt7f9qrM5GXSkK/s3986/IMG_7032.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3986" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn_K2RjtyC9fnRrJ5gPtKyYQJaWnc-eTosDCEg5zb5Xy6oQDUTyEYYThbkCyUP_4DIpOsV0vIm00NpCrW89e52Hmu2P952rPrlRxyJ6RZL8s6gF-QyW3uHUBsPeARD4FfzGHRALMm29XHk949AJlEd2urZkrHwYMOgFANTjUoGGqCvAGt7f9qrM5GXSkK/w640-h480/IMG_7032.JPG" title="Cork Rail Station" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was first off and first to the train station to get ticket into the town of Cork. It was €7.50 return or $11 CAD. The Republic of Ireland uses Euros and the rest of Ireland uses GBPounds... The rail was easy to navigate as the port was Cobh - pronounced Cove and first stop. The last stop ended in Cork. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-99JcP9t1o9hXcdSvJPT894kkrRcDFTH2lmLbg5j2ZiQPUUqwP32rIgKlMig-i6h_HeDlxsFgVGW6BThw-T_R7F5hBfKAFuZL52W-dO73NAV0117a4CLDh2NrF2upBHRvP2ir6a25N1BIxx5JM5pDkuDuW1koo07ObnprjB5LXECqgFb5S-GbIYt6pkz4/s3870/IMG_7034.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3870" data-original-width="2903" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-99JcP9t1o9hXcdSvJPT894kkrRcDFTH2lmLbg5j2ZiQPUUqwP32rIgKlMig-i6h_HeDlxsFgVGW6BThw-T_R7F5hBfKAFuZL52W-dO73NAV0117a4CLDh2NrF2upBHRvP2ir6a25N1BIxx5JM5pDkuDuW1koo07ObnprjB5LXECqgFb5S-GbIYt6pkz4/w480-h640/IMG_7034.JPG" title="Cork" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmPijE9SgJJLPd0Vy9eM011o8tS3jsWxiQUT-xboJZeSyXnkfIhtOyKAMzi06Chjk3Z6lgw5WgEzLDg3KxUmVIrny-O6N-CORlhcBwwCO_5Jo1xKQBMwXoBvEvf4TTAve8VMahcqntj3jV13w5E7kIgMYkiRBHxco16NbUAYDq9SqLDt8jbsCFo-04_xl/s3525/IMG_7036.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3525" data-original-width="2718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmPijE9SgJJLPd0Vy9eM011o8tS3jsWxiQUT-xboJZeSyXnkfIhtOyKAMzi06Chjk3Z6lgw5WgEzLDg3KxUmVIrny-O6N-CORlhcBwwCO_5Jo1xKQBMwXoBvEvf4TTAve8VMahcqntj3jV13w5E7kIgMYkiRBHxco16NbUAYDq9SqLDt8jbsCFo-04_xl/w494-h640/IMG_7036.JPG" title="Isaac's Lunch Menu" width="494" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was hungry so I decided to pick a restaurant. I was too nervous to go to a pub by myself so thought I'd get my first Guinness there instead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAy-x62DgvBXT1nx5sQMyvahOKCg735ZBS17R4jO2_u6tOxbf9Z9XOhYfYLJIaoWJxpXCf3GEN-Azyr__WukcJd9Uk2rgA3asRj1ZZOoUNBO7VGit_ysRlQA9CYwz6Sqys7E3izJac1g3VgHrk6gc77BH_F_N1PspjN0ftrlgaVAYaYYqbnRI7hF8qmho/s2780/IMG_7039.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2780" data-original-width="2399" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAy-x62DgvBXT1nx5sQMyvahOKCg735ZBS17R4jO2_u6tOxbf9Z9XOhYfYLJIaoWJxpXCf3GEN-Azyr__WukcJd9Uk2rgA3asRj1ZZOoUNBO7VGit_ysRlQA9CYwz6Sqys7E3izJac1g3VgHrk6gc77BH_F_N1PspjN0ftrlgaVAYaYYqbnRI7hF8qmho/w552-h640/IMG_7039.JPG" title="First Guinness in Ireland!" width="552" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I picked a place called <b><u><a href="https://isaacsrestaurant.ie/" target="_blank">Isaacs</a></u></b>. They kindly gave me a table without a reservation and everyone was dressed up! I don't know if they all do to dine or whether it was because I was in a business district but I felt a little embarrassed. Unfortunately, I found my first Guinness beer underwhelming. I got through half before I gave up on it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM9861p8ygxjw8rgfWwQ6-HsoqxMEIlSkY83pRus-d-3kGoEsTqOfqniXH5Ja1-cXj-oUJtRJw0b82HeHEY5vQBNBQJ4sweG4Xl8q_V8JSfBUr8OwhL72mh9kPnBBvxl2xNWOOQEPmSR7F6HdKDaX0ynM6V5PNfWqzKM3TsLJHVEB_PBq9-SgYSIp6Xue/s2961/IMG_7037.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2961" data-original-width="2878" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM9861p8ygxjw8rgfWwQ6-HsoqxMEIlSkY83pRus-d-3kGoEsTqOfqniXH5Ja1-cXj-oUJtRJw0b82HeHEY5vQBNBQJ4sweG4Xl8q_V8JSfBUr8OwhL72mh9kPnBBvxl2xNWOOQEPmSR7F6HdKDaX0ynM6V5PNfWqzKM3TsLJHVEB_PBq9-SgYSIp6Xue/w622-h640/IMG_7037.JPG" title="Beef Stroganoff" width="622" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The stroganoff was delish and I thoroughly enjoyed lunch. I asked how to tip and she said 10% at most so that's what I gave. With tip it came to €23 or $34 CAD . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7okVJDWLwhgEl0clnUlxyfaM7_50aXbOZ4wYQE_ckkE8KLn_2jb_Upc3modleungd1h5KKjKKLAjfjRhIKbB5Z2r7MK5DrZCGomy-FFpEpkAG1Zp7WDfCucMY5gKDNypA4ATtTzHxSA7Np7XRotHHjYkNqfIhMf3zOGgb5_-dAv3qUJ2cu5Zsrd5kOrVE/s3971/IMG_7040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="3971" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7okVJDWLwhgEl0clnUlxyfaM7_50aXbOZ4wYQE_ckkE8KLn_2jb_Upc3modleungd1h5KKjKKLAjfjRhIKbB5Z2r7MK5DrZCGomy-FFpEpkAG1Zp7WDfCucMY5gKDNypA4ATtTzHxSA7Np7XRotHHjYkNqfIhMf3zOGgb5_-dAv3qUJ2cu5Zsrd5kOrVE/w640-h480/IMG_7040.JPG" title="Cork" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">From there I continued onto City Centre and wandered pretty much every street downtown. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadFNaNWUS2Bym2PPAch3vdJmOcOX6ZoujEtZIqAopQIURyIBQ6Xti5jeCs3C-hrB3jHZhIbXAvspKBfdSw11wHx066P-bYvNpkMBXzl2iElg1k3Tw6dgXmGDDhMQDh4X6ilGv-Q4oVFtI5-TSL_H2jXMH_iI5p2K9FMhzxxfSaRvI1x94AiCGYfR1o8yR/s4032/IMG_7042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadFNaNWUS2Bym2PPAch3vdJmOcOX6ZoujEtZIqAopQIURyIBQ6Xti5jeCs3C-hrB3jHZhIbXAvspKBfdSw11wHx066P-bYvNpkMBXzl2iElg1k3Tw6dgXmGDDhMQDh4X6ilGv-Q4oVFtI5-TSL_H2jXMH_iI5p2K9FMhzxxfSaRvI1x94AiCGYfR1o8yR/w480-h640/IMG_7042.JPG" title="Downtown Cork" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbdsVKVpOUYAJvLfZ6JpYay3j8tGeVm2cGhEjd8u9GaywbrGWw0e0loxyQhfUxanuntcLAt4-Fagl9X9GiSbpnsqomCQDuPlkNOxYVys2Iw5rZJVq8CuMiSozq066zFX4kuN46-TT4fVkjbe7oaMBJ4k9Hf7r2jcjeelCHNW9YZPHdV3VjzShBHfo8emT/s3942/IMG_7043.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3942" data-original-width="2956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbdsVKVpOUYAJvLfZ6JpYay3j8tGeVm2cGhEjd8u9GaywbrGWw0e0loxyQhfUxanuntcLAt4-Fagl9X9GiSbpnsqomCQDuPlkNOxYVys2Iw5rZJVq8CuMiSozq066zFX4kuN46-TT4fVkjbe7oaMBJ4k9Hf7r2jcjeelCHNW9YZPHdV3VjzShBHfo8emT/w480-h640/IMG_7043.JPG" title="Downtown Cork" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdiZnbgAC9tT1IhilI3MVePgbb4rHogMIwvl0qeZ-997FiMhLqp89sLNV8IXHpAupkwkAWw7iJGmGkB2PWb_nYW_wTjEgl4V-b2-8iwVah50ovHLLjidBscEXLQIhmNejFWf8FepDkj35rgYGbBTYLruHZkcSCWapFmgs8cbbhqIZEngIxSaOmZlxoRfK/s4032/IMG_7044.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdiZnbgAC9tT1IhilI3MVePgbb4rHogMIwvl0qeZ-997FiMhLqp89sLNV8IXHpAupkwkAWw7iJGmGkB2PWb_nYW_wTjEgl4V-b2-8iwVah50ovHLLjidBscEXLQIhmNejFWf8FepDkj35rgYGbBTYLruHZkcSCWapFmgs8cbbhqIZEngIxSaOmZlxoRfK/w640-h480/IMG_7044.JPG" title="BallyCotton Seafood in English Market" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcT-gtZJhn8KpTgCBY_M_lS9dhZ-dGnywJhNBU3A-_qoX8v647Wg-5u_G7zI_rC9y9saNL7jk06ON4PoJkcP01-27dNEtiwbRI3iX58Cc3IDn-zY-DX4lqSFC8Uekit9bcfzf2Fu01drxHP5mianzQK4HGjjqx0YqjU0ZMYL3tbGBqx2vF0ZPInq5iQuR/s4032/IMG_7046.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcT-gtZJhn8KpTgCBY_M_lS9dhZ-dGnywJhNBU3A-_qoX8v647Wg-5u_G7zI_rC9y9saNL7jk06ON4PoJkcP01-27dNEtiwbRI3iX58Cc3IDn-zY-DX4lqSFC8Uekit9bcfzf2Fu01drxHP5mianzQK4HGjjqx0YqjU0ZMYL3tbGBqx2vF0ZPInq5iQuR/w480-h640/IMG_7046.JPG" title="Downtown Cork" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5DJaVbnlhVBtBOCwL9T3dm4GfxtMglBW9IgGPPN25nPNR20qY-9fEWqWFRA9rROj-0yTeFhwsjH48t8c4jZLPj4LZmAcQAWwLH4Z5c2SMDcHMtpxhvyrRLtmYuOxUYnid6VmKfRoHnZ8Rd_TH8Pn57P16I3pCnSrS-L7aVKfhN2YJhsI336pGFDhISm7/s3942/IMG_7047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3942" data-original-width="2956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5DJaVbnlhVBtBOCwL9T3dm4GfxtMglBW9IgGPPN25nPNR20qY-9fEWqWFRA9rROj-0yTeFhwsjH48t8c4jZLPj4LZmAcQAWwLH4Z5c2SMDcHMtpxhvyrRLtmYuOxUYnid6VmKfRoHnZ8Rd_TH8Pn57P16I3pCnSrS-L7aVKfhN2YJhsI336pGFDhISm7/w480-h640/IMG_7047.JPG" title="Downtown Cork" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I found my Christmas ornament and magnet and walked back to the train. I was achy breaky at this point. When I got off I realized I had to explore the quaint town of Cobh. It was a beautiful seaside gem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQvu4ARSOt8vX_rPQK91spnHygO2xudCoQ186Cx2yn5tUBTEASOs8QPs8Sf3-iqQ1rajYJp3ISCu7AEfbNZUQoPf68e6CpuAnmF9iamXF6QcfjdR6xJqP__VozRynfZxqbop8ZPz7id2qYucXiT2D2JA0lNNSkatvgZpYXBe-QWL_T2n5NBw_obIdSXkz/s4032/IMG_7048.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQvu4ARSOt8vX_rPQK91spnHygO2xudCoQ186Cx2yn5tUBTEASOs8QPs8Sf3-iqQ1rajYJp3ISCu7AEfbNZUQoPf68e6CpuAnmF9iamXF6QcfjdR6xJqP__VozRynfZxqbop8ZPz7id2qYucXiT2D2JA0lNNSkatvgZpYXBe-QWL_T2n5NBw_obIdSXkz/w480-h640/IMG_7048.JPG" title="Town of Cobh" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnW8PB6iJ2y-TISmZ9WHQmsAgQOi7VnTYqN-WN6dH5wzGHZvvAX5seysQNzzFjALmWiVsF9S2YnMxAlbWwkbzoSRr4j84GrgEEwdJrw_zTb_v9Jgf-sUfH19C04vEQ0lqZM4KhuW-OYfmTTVUPyDRG4FJN4LOCIv42ITNt8TRKa8KRjprEDTHBTglX16_/s4032/IMG_7049.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnW8PB6iJ2y-TISmZ9WHQmsAgQOi7VnTYqN-WN6dH5wzGHZvvAX5seysQNzzFjALmWiVsF9S2YnMxAlbWwkbzoSRr4j84GrgEEwdJrw_zTb_v9Jgf-sUfH19C04vEQ0lqZM4KhuW-OYfmTTVUPyDRG4FJN4LOCIv42ITNt8TRKa8KRjprEDTHBTglX16_/w480-h640/IMG_7049.JPG" title="Town of Cobh" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin69txWnyQE_IMXp10HHNy17eDeM4zBURHOTTEpYxiybq0yy5sPkdyOIKR_3txuifypfxRJAbsHS4epjlkwAssVwCBclq7rSLJ2A8G2eBLB8hq_Zbbv3TTTkbHHJ6W58ZlMw8J0wGOLDqG8FBEtbAc0f9Voz2hio3dHmkMple-ZFWsj-IU2tCz58-1QEOm/s4032/IMG_7050.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin69txWnyQE_IMXp10HHNy17eDeM4zBURHOTTEpYxiybq0yy5sPkdyOIKR_3txuifypfxRJAbsHS4epjlkwAssVwCBclq7rSLJ2A8G2eBLB8hq_Zbbv3TTTkbHHJ6W58ZlMw8J0wGOLDqG8FBEtbAc0f9Voz2hio3dHmkMple-ZFWsj-IU2tCz58-1QEOm/w640-h480/IMG_7050.JPG" title="Titanic Museum & Bar" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Titanic Museum & Bar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Ch_DGeM8OKsK-PULsZfBhyphenhyphen3FPE-8xf9tu63jBbqyNf60eHjA2PoypNFF8Xp5o3lEutuMcyyzh-wITyUxhJEwGyuZJ8o6jw1zWW8WPboK1FW9U6YDqCKWicjdkGyHVj2IzHgKuLCON1EZHbfvQACafmwXlwd2Xd-syIV64xkc97AZwb9tePGa3kATkOA/s4032/IMG_7053.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Ch_DGeM8OKsK-PULsZfBhyphenhyphen3FPE-8xf9tu63jBbqyNf60eHjA2PoypNFF8Xp5o3lEutuMcyyzh-wITyUxhJEwGyuZJ8o6jw1zWW8WPboK1FW9U6YDqCKWicjdkGyHVj2IzHgKuLCON1EZHbfvQACafmwXlwd2Xd-syIV64xkc97AZwb9tePGa3kATkOA/w480-h640/IMG_7053.JPG" title="Cobh Museum" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cobh Museum</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back on board the BC couples and I ate dinner in the Asian restaurant. We agreed we're obviously <i>very spoiled</i> living in Vancouver by the Asian food. The food in this Ginza restaurant was NOT Asian food, it was maybe the worst Asian food I've ever eaten, next to the Asian restaurant on Celebrity cruise lines. Horrible. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMafMwDt6PKHZIqK0ao-m62dcTvF4SM9rTrXLlIEEyF5Jat-3vdeFiTtGynKyW2jQ7mCkVIcCksOWXv7sTCv66X_M0kjxyLC2q55CXuhyphenhyphengNCX0cimrB15Q5_MO3gE83q78yCXsTt1Y0s2BYsF-MtKiGqKZSIbQR2MNHSDNiGdlP2_OMYWF45306Y3ZeTkH/s2801/IMG_7055.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2462" data-original-width="2801" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMafMwDt6PKHZIqK0ao-m62dcTvF4SM9rTrXLlIEEyF5Jat-3vdeFiTtGynKyW2jQ7mCkVIcCksOWXv7sTCv66X_M0kjxyLC2q55CXuhyphenhyphengNCX0cimrB15Q5_MO3gE83q78yCXsTt1Y0s2BYsF-MtKiGqKZSIbQR2MNHSDNiGdlP2_OMYWF45306Y3ZeTkH/w640-h562/IMG_7055.JPG" title="Chewy Calamari" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chewy Calamari</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz20IaYFxwvZ9W59_T7kr1Wl-GPHPEBugghbbJhJPTk0jB-zGMank4JAIpq2vrHXxsPBKewy3zZ4mhkI6GuKnaAQluMOyYUpR9DpeNR7Fqu1m-qSypi4NI-AUJ2TSqESMc2ZgVLJXMgUIh0KAPCfDRGYVTmLv026ZdtFlq0fWi2e7G86OIrXUGjAcn56rG/s3024/IMG_7056.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3024" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz20IaYFxwvZ9W59_T7kr1Wl-GPHPEBugghbbJhJPTk0jB-zGMank4JAIpq2vrHXxsPBKewy3zZ4mhkI6GuKnaAQluMOyYUpR9DpeNR7Fqu1m-qSypi4NI-AUJ2TSqESMc2ZgVLJXMgUIh0KAPCfDRGYVTmLv026ZdtFlq0fWi2e7G86OIrXUGjAcn56rG/w640-h492/IMG_7056.JPG" title="Kung Pao Chicken (Not!) & Lo Mein Noodles (Blech!)" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kung Pao Chicken (Not!) & Lo Mein Noodles (Blech!)</div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">I told my friends that the only good thing about this dinner was the company. 😊 We went and watched a band in the lounge and laughed and sang and had a great time. I didn't stay too late as I had to be up early for my tour...I walked 10.5 km today.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-J4HB5nFd9hGocAZZRM1-uA05EwNTEWpz1AYrS6tXWxy16Q6uTEl4ZudgzO3l2orBf4LcbvpQ05OG_drZ5UVldcu_qnhkafuDD6M09huCQAD_9XZobebIyMn0npVImoUrn_k8AjAWXTiC8QPZADwhGAQlU_qzXCLs78cjtL1IbSfqGK-TBGyPnQb8x3w/s4032/IMG_7104.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-J4HB5nFd9hGocAZZRM1-uA05EwNTEWpz1AYrS6tXWxy16Q6uTEl4ZudgzO3l2orBf4LcbvpQ05OG_drZ5UVldcu_qnhkafuDD6M09huCQAD_9XZobebIyMn0npVImoUrn_k8AjAWXTiC8QPZADwhGAQlU_qzXCLs78cjtL1IbSfqGK-TBGyPnQb8x3w/w640-h480/IMG_7104.JPG" title="Bliss Lounge" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Saturday, October 21, 2023 - Cork/Cobh, Ireland:</b></u> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8z1kAxTycq3dmt9tri8Hqe_XlhNyGb3fBRu4v93fkKJcBAJUylPllqp_pakz-S-wbxt2jtVpAgxIWBbjcZKDU1RFg_pJ2ftHm3it-p34RUARKKcplCF1_HSMWCKtSr4TCln8JrzqyopZAqi9l7CFx2RJS5gXBp4iW5H__Djay9-ZhARWg54uqrce8Qtuj/s3815/IMG_7060.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="3815" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8z1kAxTycq3dmt9tri8Hqe_XlhNyGb3fBRu4v93fkKJcBAJUylPllqp_pakz-S-wbxt2jtVpAgxIWBbjcZKDU1RFg_pJ2ftHm3it-p34RUARKKcplCF1_HSMWCKtSr4TCln8JrzqyopZAqi9l7CFx2RJS5gXBp4iW5H__Djay9-ZhARWg54uqrce8Qtuj/w640-h480/IMG_7060.JPG" title="7:30 am in Port" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was out waiting for the bus at 7:30 am along with a lot of other people for an 8 am departure on Paddywagon Tours. We were headed to Blarney Castle & Kinsale (€89 or $138 CAD). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn9zKc-iGRDpMDwYYeczTJyJXK_PK3_QIc-TmzlHbf0T2WIOhhVUSgGYtHKjabxPcFfLMVNuXUT1GEldpra8M8KIBriDs_v64TDQgXLrL8bQb1xQierzj9g1DQIUf7rcZGi9iSC71EfoG0-jT3e0XYcJ7v2BO0Yx_qEt76XxStegFsY5QS9oy_Q7XL53_/s3743/IMG_7062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3743" data-original-width="2807" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn9zKc-iGRDpMDwYYeczTJyJXK_PK3_QIc-TmzlHbf0T2WIOhhVUSgGYtHKjabxPcFfLMVNuXUT1GEldpra8M8KIBriDs_v64TDQgXLrL8bQb1xQierzj9g1DQIUf7rcZGi9iSC71EfoG0-jT3e0XYcJ7v2BO0Yx_qEt76XxStegFsY5QS9oy_Q7XL53_/w480-h640/IMG_7062.JPG" title="Waiting for the Paddywagon Bus" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our bus didn't show up till 9 am and there was a lot of pissed off people now, including myself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_N7V8SRXkfefw24rfMHqhaC1N-C8i67H9jYC_X-wh_UYn5ICb3eGqSch5l_lEcC3Z0G8Tv1ZJRTXwwEML0xKHAgWeQK_PorqOMycFH68hqEqUv0fTgVc9xKTIN7CM7wG0YClprHFYzod_TP2CnTLLJjhuAMnpPcFXBiMkwm28ZsNpCWeEHr3AWcsBQYY/s2084/IMG_7052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="2084" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_N7V8SRXkfefw24rfMHqhaC1N-C8i67H9jYC_X-wh_UYn5ICb3eGqSch5l_lEcC3Z0G8Tv1ZJRTXwwEML0xKHAgWeQK_PorqOMycFH68hqEqUv0fTgVc9xKTIN7CM7wG0YClprHFYzod_TP2CnTLLJjhuAMnpPcFXBiMkwm28ZsNpCWeEHr3AWcsBQYY/w640-h414/IMG_7052.JPG" title="LATE bus..." width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It took about another half hour to sort as it was overbooked. Anyway off to Blarney Castle we went. On the way he showed us Belvelly Castle "De Barrà" (below) and remarked how tacky the gold tree on top was, lol. I kinda liked it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Dah_eJdIFb3JGb8hDvoEMYsGV-5UwspDxoDjVbuTGZA1V9QU_y66dae48iOVpM_vfOqNCfAjsC8s3JI9siajsj238lVCm4NSA4-TbsdgDhRIiT31z2EfurWgsG8bOfCBv11HYSyR_E9fWUAjCt78BFtgsFEPQhwpgVkBN_kTbjYXoGWpKDoU5dUcCJfW/s1793/IMG_7063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="1476" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Dah_eJdIFb3JGb8hDvoEMYsGV-5UwspDxoDjVbuTGZA1V9QU_y66dae48iOVpM_vfOqNCfAjsC8s3JI9siajsj238lVCm4NSA4-TbsdgDhRIiT31z2EfurWgsG8bOfCBv11HYSyR_E9fWUAjCt78BFtgsFEPQhwpgVkBN_kTbjYXoGWpKDoU5dUcCJfW/w526-h640/IMG_7063.JPG" title="Belvelly Castle "De Barrà"" width="526" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BC couples did Blarney Stone yesterday and told me to run up to the castle when I got there and don't stop to take pictures till I was done. I was up the castle in a short time with not many other people and I did take this picture below on the way up. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje93iLBlcBuEgQf1xyEGVF1OdY53vG_9sqXykzOocJVn6TuLwoLf0j2TVEXcM8b-p3sG1MMWtsgvs7iqJmwlJtsYXF37R3C87vMqSE0a_sKjmpCqWGGYB5T-7SKzLu4DqMsVXSa8aF1mRBIuItvXwO7DdY6BLqQd0ItAVAOslPabeAr_dlda_lJqoaDMku/s4032/IMG_7065.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje93iLBlcBuEgQf1xyEGVF1OdY53vG_9sqXykzOocJVn6TuLwoLf0j2TVEXcM8b-p3sG1MMWtsgvs7iqJmwlJtsYXF37R3C87vMqSE0a_sKjmpCqWGGYB5T-7SKzLu4DqMsVXSa8aF1mRBIuItvXwO7DdY6BLqQd0ItAVAOslPabeAr_dlda_lJqoaDMku/w480-h640/IMG_7065.JPG" title="Blarney Castle" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Inside, it was a winding little claustrophobic stairwell that provided a rope to hang on to to get up top. Once up top someone told me not to look down but I did and whoah...my fear of heights kicked in. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILrJwJOhJG1HCMdKeGHcqSQBBq9dtaUjJVW17DX2Lyc1xjTvmSlQJ964UkAVKEorLV-Fvxvr8Lnf-BQPBTMJc06euhAmesryJD_BTLrV3atrm-rYh1T_FZjKSSCD5jABeeVQh-ca8qr7fJzGYlj1f0SQjSa3FXpi7iZMNG27la6zBwTpNJ5CthO40nZbu/s2912/IMG_7066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="1515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILrJwJOhJG1HCMdKeGHcqSQBBq9dtaUjJVW17DX2Lyc1xjTvmSlQJ964UkAVKEorLV-Fvxvr8Lnf-BQPBTMJc06euhAmesryJD_BTLrV3atrm-rYh1T_FZjKSSCD5jABeeVQh-ca8qr7fJzGYlj1f0SQjSa3FXpi7iZMNG27la6zBwTpNJ5CthO40nZbu/w332-h640/IMG_7066.JPG" title="At the Top of Blarney Castle" width="332" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Nevertheless, I got down on my knees, then my back and scooted backwards to kiss the stone. I had a hard time with positioning my hands on the bars correctly while my head was upside down. I got to within an inch of the stone and then accidentally looked down and freaked myself out. So, I blew a kiss (my lips missed the stone by a few millimetres and scrambled off and up. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V3e6Bh_95QyGxW2jKN2-sMFGFBe_HQhR8U3h8kmn7dQeJI2YqEB_BdYKE6cQl30LUJOEu5oibI6PZunfvJzEYDgRNws74CR8ChV8E3cdoZapwb67DTeL-83ikTxvUD58g_S5Z8F3IoNHVX8mR9iciVBTok555jn9RSGItlcf17KGf4vfo0NgPydQXdtJ/s1702/IMG_7069.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1702" data-original-width="1538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-V3e6Bh_95QyGxW2jKN2-sMFGFBe_HQhR8U3h8kmn7dQeJI2YqEB_BdYKE6cQl30LUJOEu5oibI6PZunfvJzEYDgRNws74CR8ChV8E3cdoZapwb67DTeL-83ikTxvUD58g_S5Z8F3IoNHVX8mR9iciVBTok555jn9RSGItlcf17KGf4vfo0NgPydQXdtJ/w578-h640/IMG_7069.JPG" title="Me Kissing the Blarney Stone" width="578" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I bought my picture and really felt elated that I had done this! I felt kind of spent too because it was the one and only thing I wanted to do on this trip, so it was kind of a relief exhaustion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZob-sV5JhQalqiBqaPZ43TWZrrZwYcseNPfHFCmDcHW9PV9kHW46QP6_cUdtGGg3DmBUp1K6GvCltqLv14E_XYYgUtYp1LilMW_isEy_BUO3sRmtPwGhHbUBxPwDSHUtUiLAQ5xujC1AuLlrcWdQoCEzTsuWDd1nmIdTE2eJnRu-D4wVW3_ybIZreLBs/s3371/IMG_7073.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3371" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZob-sV5JhQalqiBqaPZ43TWZrrZwYcseNPfHFCmDcHW9PV9kHW46QP6_cUdtGGg3DmBUp1K6GvCltqLv14E_XYYgUtYp1LilMW_isEy_BUO3sRmtPwGhHbUBxPwDSHUtUiLAQ5xujC1AuLlrcWdQoCEzTsuWDd1nmIdTE2eJnRu-D4wVW3_ybIZreLBs/w574-h640/IMG_7073.JPG" title="Blarney Stone is directly above" width="574" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsxVOM5i26S4RHOYvR9tIQ3zkwxF9ZpgQ3txKTwIRTDkDubPZlkHjzXlcC5hivqjICPEWk69Ji4pyGKo9j5-mzJkLE6JtuXJjsDMGa4RDPgAoyiuuHjGIgUsLUESaiX-hapQ2lZzjkGGd3Y3SWQb_C5C762bfRwAunlyuyYXQNnA1mlcGc6qdFBGqpIJ7/s4032/IMG_7072.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsxVOM5i26S4RHOYvR9tIQ3zkwxF9ZpgQ3txKTwIRTDkDubPZlkHjzXlcC5hivqjICPEWk69Ji4pyGKo9j5-mzJkLE6JtuXJjsDMGa4RDPgAoyiuuHjGIgUsLUESaiX-hapQ2lZzjkGGd3Y3SWQb_C5C762bfRwAunlyuyYXQNnA1mlcGc6qdFBGqpIJ7/w480-h640/IMG_7072.JPG" title="Blarney Stone from the Ground" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I briefly stopped by the Poison Garden. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrudXc-QTHtqVuEmF42gTZWr7azvV2pcA42fqlCHLHJm9TI4Ww_NHmYHgaovifDcp9s8S4_4irLNVI5oY87610KbS4Hxez-ndhuDcio0K4_5PY_4HWji3dHPm2CtO3705vE60C5WMJTfCfI9gYgXQAY5QkOhjAGpKJIR43PajBiORY43N-SGzNhcwhTAry/s4032/IMG_7070.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrudXc-QTHtqVuEmF42gTZWr7azvV2pcA42fqlCHLHJm9TI4Ww_NHmYHgaovifDcp9s8S4_4irLNVI5oY87610KbS4Hxez-ndhuDcio0K4_5PY_4HWji3dHPm2CtO3705vE60C5WMJTfCfI9gYgXQAY5QkOhjAGpKJIR43PajBiORY43N-SGzNhcwhTAry/w480-h640/IMG_7070.JPG" title="Poison Garden" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXpTJ6E9HGCrwkd429mHE1EK_Rn8oAdgiv8nWPpkhkmOAgcKenKLsmev4WsRPHmLAd_gztw8xEkab-1drlTF9zNiZ2Lw4VREh6IPLL4D7CJCwbbybUILD7YxwaKfAVnDYWAeTJ4KUxgrt1dSgE12_1i5oX0Gt8ooSHIeJ_vDtiCijMNHJR9OfZn3z1Cp/s3836/IMG_7071.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3836" data-original-width="2877" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXpTJ6E9HGCrwkd429mHE1EK_Rn8oAdgiv8nWPpkhkmOAgcKenKLsmev4WsRPHmLAd_gztw8xEkab-1drlTF9zNiZ2Lw4VREh6IPLL4D7CJCwbbybUILD7YxwaKfAVnDYWAeTJ4KUxgrt1dSgE12_1i5oX0Gt8ooSHIeJ_vDtiCijMNHJR9OfZn3z1Cp/w480-h640/IMG_7071.JPG" title="Poison Garden" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also saw another kilted man. I made him smile with my smile while he was doing his thing (after the picture below) and I giggled.😉</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxP9Ud_W5p5KP2nHVOMbOrXjjLZa5ydyM93_IdpmBzCqRTTw9BrS-aua1WgS0_O5Gogao8AxCa_qITrACBOPEEtGo9315nqPrOwjh03T1yi9O_FH8QH7gafSJVsK0eR1YUitQQ25tE1EItfW8UIgyHpfMe4k2iWf2Udd3isyeP58_q1FejTYzfFHf5eyU/s3295/IMG_7075.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3295" data-original-width="2635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxP9Ud_W5p5KP2nHVOMbOrXjjLZa5ydyM93_IdpmBzCqRTTw9BrS-aua1WgS0_O5Gogao8AxCa_qITrACBOPEEtGo9315nqPrOwjh03T1yi9O_FH8QH7gafSJVsK0eR1YUitQQ25tE1EItfW8UIgyHpfMe4k2iWf2Udd3isyeP58_q1FejTYzfFHf5eyU/w512-h640/IMG_7075.JPG" title="Bagpipes" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OZ2slbYQPXxijy0rmE7nkT9iRlNmplNvKyoPe5lJwiE8a_xdNZ5oOoImGkk76cd4C8eO8EjD6h4cTVJhVREOuCZoQqHyAh7XPnl0paFq_6y8uYDeqw-LKDblyM6WLMtU8soyiPXN0Ulm7Yrw_ptSamHbUT_L_KitK0DxZLrCiPz4p_59j9u-qIa6CPva/s3964/IMG_7078.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3964" data-original-width="2973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OZ2slbYQPXxijy0rmE7nkT9iRlNmplNvKyoPe5lJwiE8a_xdNZ5oOoImGkk76cd4C8eO8EjD6h4cTVJhVREOuCZoQqHyAh7XPnl0paFq_6y8uYDeqw-LKDblyM6WLMtU8soyiPXN0Ulm7Yrw_ptSamHbUT_L_KitK0DxZLrCiPz4p_59j9u-qIa6CPva/w480-h640/IMG_7078.JPG" title="Two Rivers" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWUf_FDjF0hoqO7esgqV1PdK6Sm-doDfekYK0PBKvu1ecLR8BD6Iu5E5FPnQpL5xj_MX-cr4snb-XlAd1cCv4WJeYezDIqWdJsU1R_tb88_aeRyT3ErmBoteDAVT2zMDl51v0BxRfBSy7wH0edsI0HOT-iNXfm-h5c6PASBZUpoh8c7EdGUxFSOx2a3FD/s4032/IMG_7079.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWUf_FDjF0hoqO7esgqV1PdK6Sm-doDfekYK0PBKvu1ecLR8BD6Iu5E5FPnQpL5xj_MX-cr4snb-XlAd1cCv4WJeYezDIqWdJsU1R_tb88_aeRyT3ErmBoteDAVT2zMDl51v0BxRfBSy7wH0edsI0HOT-iNXfm-h5c6PASBZUpoh8c7EdGUxFSOx2a3FD/w480-h640/IMG_7079.JPG" title="Where Two Rivers Cross" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyOd6l7UtRp_VB9i3Ms-XAMPDJOjzXPBmFtkMWOv0jCubntxYx62j7GpPa9Q1huffeFcM7Wd3_WP18Myf0tbyQCBrTXV06w0W4-cNcEdBiIRdM0qzGrA7Q9FvMtKFyk2HLwtmtjVYqtyMhFzcEV1l5sHqimMKm7qjyslT96DCqRDF255zOjDumliysSTl/s4032/IMG_7080.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyOd6l7UtRp_VB9i3Ms-XAMPDJOjzXPBmFtkMWOv0jCubntxYx62j7GpPa9Q1huffeFcM7Wd3_WP18Myf0tbyQCBrTXV06w0W4-cNcEdBiIRdM0qzGrA7Q9FvMtKFyk2HLwtmtjVYqtyMhFzcEV1l5sHqimMKm7qjyslT96DCqRDF255zOjDumliysSTl/w480-h640/IMG_7080.JPG" title="Two Rivers" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wandered around the grounds a bit, got a "kissing Blarney stone" Xmas ornament and an Irish coffee that actually had WHIP CREAM on it, which is how I like them at home. I needed that coffee to calm my nerves. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I made my way for more shopping at the bus pick up stop Woollen Mills and ran into Louisiana who I told were "ghosting" me. He replied that why would he holler at me then when I didn't even see him? Okay, lol. I joined him for another Irish coffee, he drank Guinness and wife was shopping for Irish hand sewn sock gifts and looking after mom and aunt. Time to go again and off I darted back to the bus. Mr. Louisiana told me later my enthusiasm made them go kiss the Blarney stone too but my story of running up to the top of the castle was not really true and when they stopped half way up for a rest, he said, "fuck you Christine". Hahahaha. 😃 In truth, I stopped half way up too in the "dining room" but it was hard to start again (less confident and harder to get up) so I decided no more stopping until I reached the top! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2wz1hr9w7nZm-VFwF_4Y0wzd881Jt7anmThF559zk50u7OpofniqR7t9Fs5OcF8SIEkPrpEhZ5ffSR3TCT7uN2d7EDH77yraGwbd1ASHlcIi_7e0e59AsNX2Hxwfwkkv7819SvxlzIfPEVFIAISmTbTrgyrF1l31ctRPl0Mu3uu8mPtMw11AJy0MAj_-/s4032/IMG_7083.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2wz1hr9w7nZm-VFwF_4Y0wzd881Jt7anmThF559zk50u7OpofniqR7t9Fs5OcF8SIEkPrpEhZ5ffSR3TCT7uN2d7EDH77yraGwbd1ASHlcIi_7e0e59AsNX2Hxwfwkkv7819SvxlzIfPEVFIAISmTbTrgyrF1l31ctRPl0Mu3uu8mPtMw11AJy0MAj_-/w640-h480/IMG_7083.JPG" title="Charles Fort, Kinsale" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnCZ2nilSGGfrHIZgXlE0qsXJYzgZ0sthXnDeuMOYE07nouxB-6GydCvb18LYWpckhkQ3Uxgz6gp3YRrTdetFYVoOeZN5MuqPaOjoEVqUM2T4eRjCqB8pwk4BFzIFnpEQvDkGMvFvsq84zr6CiulPa8mmfPOq92xf7MPpiGB9Ld5BC2mwvMkxxllObn-a/s3984/IMG_7085.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2380" data-original-width="3984" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnCZ2nilSGGfrHIZgXlE0qsXJYzgZ0sthXnDeuMOYE07nouxB-6GydCvb18LYWpckhkQ3Uxgz6gp3YRrTdetFYVoOeZN5MuqPaOjoEVqUM2T4eRjCqB8pwk4BFzIFnpEQvDkGMvFvsq84zr6CiulPa8mmfPOq92xf7MPpiGB9Ld5BC2mwvMkxxllObn-a/w640-h382/IMG_7085.JPG" title="Charles Fort" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ69Dt_Cbw2Vk2gf5NSDr33-306bKI5SxiVQa1aP_QWuAcCy4lSxt1sJyFVNLInjeryGwpGhKx40D_gO_Lje3DheieZXtYo2zYGRj8sL7TY4JcT39R-1SMI3SQa1DhWEWhzYiwpUbcWaxdnhJsPacPxLfHBbayDaXPXy7QGHz4fc6TJkFpcuPjYN_A6LA/s3891/IMG_7086.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="3891" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJ69Dt_Cbw2Vk2gf5NSDr33-306bKI5SxiVQa1aP_QWuAcCy4lSxt1sJyFVNLInjeryGwpGhKx40D_gO_Lje3DheieZXtYo2zYGRj8sL7TY4JcT39R-1SMI3SQa1DhWEWhzYiwpUbcWaxdnhJsPacPxLfHBbayDaXPXy7QGHz4fc6TJkFpcuPjYN_A6LA/w640-h480/IMG_7086.JPG" title="Charles Fort" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I got to ride up front with the driver Aidan on the way to the next stop which was a photo op at Charles Fort (above). As the bus was full, he offered me the seat as I was solo and I had the best view in the house. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr5Jty3Diw5aWZ4mgbKaGd59q70NX_xg3E9Y5OXQfXg70xX3mPu5KHJ51Zq4bqJ1yl_z0wWmakNReRzAXBas9XK7_lEHnVl9XILr5o76Bi-w8cKoYEEhu8kPSpjJ2x86Q31zr-TnPpgiFfbNQ71TQVFA6iu0qH-FGf1khkXa1otMqvh2JBlnqrO3lqFzp/s4032/IMG_7089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr5Jty3Diw5aWZ4mgbKaGd59q70NX_xg3E9Y5OXQfXg70xX3mPu5KHJ51Zq4bqJ1yl_z0wWmakNReRzAXBas9XK7_lEHnVl9XILr5o76Bi-w8cKoYEEhu8kPSpjJ2x86Q31zr-TnPpgiFfbNQ71TQVFA6iu0qH-FGf1khkXa1otMqvh2JBlnqrO3lqFzp/w640-h480/IMG_7089.JPG" title="Kinsale" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We were off to Kinsale which he said was the "Gourmet capital of Ireland" and the "Irish Riviera". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AKVJM-WUkPKEEFVDE5rngMj9WEJGArRhYBpcqIQ13c3UwW4WBB3pZHqc2Xe8NeG8R4YTRNAKNbVLHpFfGMKDhBtYjp1vY48I-q-fVW1kbcZad5fytfp4b5tWVX8ADXrRZ5sAOthsygEaz2Chl2hGJaU2iLmqHiVMJupsB6g7rdL8BnqQEE38e9z4yP46/s3649/IMG_7094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3649" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AKVJM-WUkPKEEFVDE5rngMj9WEJGArRhYBpcqIQ13c3UwW4WBB3pZHqc2Xe8NeG8R4YTRNAKNbVLHpFfGMKDhBtYjp1vY48I-q-fVW1kbcZad5fytfp4b5tWVX8ADXrRZ5sAOthsygEaz2Chl2hGJaU2iLmqHiVMJupsB6g7rdL8BnqQEE38e9z4yP46/w530-h640/IMG_7094.JPG" title="Irish Cider" width="530" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUu1qGbehuIEC9X5lfy7FczjRy3nVLqWJs8PD8xy_4kdXRxs8a7NYUMXmHyRKYxPAUo6QVz_ioua7aXuItdpJpvrrhOSvIcYObFAPcabpzeeS5CPmW5LIlZT0uGZhYOAMdWu6l3lSZx322q_Om0bPiDROBxYUoQJu2J9HLPa8phFa0dKpNZp99Q0_lFya/s3770/IMG_7095.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2312" data-original-width="3770" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUu1qGbehuIEC9X5lfy7FczjRy3nVLqWJs8PD8xy_4kdXRxs8a7NYUMXmHyRKYxPAUo6QVz_ioua7aXuItdpJpvrrhOSvIcYObFAPcabpzeeS5CPmW5LIlZT0uGZhYOAMdWu6l3lSZx322q_Om0bPiDROBxYUoQJu2J9HLPa8phFa0dKpNZp99Q0_lFya/w640-h392/IMG_7095.JPG" title="Fish & Chips with Curry Sauce" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I did have the best meal of my trip here (<b><u><a href="https://www.dinostakeaway.ie/" target="_blank">Dino's</a></u></b>), simply fish (haddock) and chips with a side of curry sauce. YUM!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzGYSEeVXYsS0horkS1mPk5RzpGCEsQC0lD5SwumBmpqVgbICDL0uhm0V4TMjD6EXy6zXzQqSXLQBV7ph98PdShBBqT9BwIltq8iRf9NSXDgJyeTzcqmLn7mOhl_rJeu2c7GBSe9hqho4h-_C8ePmq7EbrtoD-oDm0LZtE12EW8WGpATzUALzR6eil_OQ/s3913/IMG_7093.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="2934" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzGYSEeVXYsS0horkS1mPk5RzpGCEsQC0lD5SwumBmpqVgbICDL0uhm0V4TMjD6EXy6zXzQqSXLQBV7ph98PdShBBqT9BwIltq8iRf9NSXDgJyeTzcqmLn7mOhl_rJeu2c7GBSe9hqho4h-_C8ePmq7EbrtoD-oDm0LZtE12EW8WGpATzUALzR6eil_OQ/w480-h640/IMG_7093.JPG" title="Kinsale" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lRhIKrFEz0rv_u03Gi-c1wocj_TUUMtFZQ-8kxWAMJbkLBpx_3k6tXo32jtszolZSZHhBcDnO3JgSXB9grCVTorJXnNehcoT6dKpFYyo6nf3KcHUCruFeGN9rS6q4HM2ZoR1yOZmCoS-QRYnhRXuUI8EI8YVBbCucOlOzXBHC7Ss5nvJSvQFXR9gExwr/s4032/IMG_7098.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lRhIKrFEz0rv_u03Gi-c1wocj_TUUMtFZQ-8kxWAMJbkLBpx_3k6tXo32jtszolZSZHhBcDnO3JgSXB9grCVTorJXnNehcoT6dKpFYyo6nf3KcHUCruFeGN9rS6q4HM2ZoR1yOZmCoS-QRYnhRXuUI8EI8YVBbCucOlOzXBHC7Ss5nvJSvQFXR9gExwr/w480-h640/IMG_7098.JPG" title="Kinsale" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibj3Cekras0uqVcNd_Il8guYhM_tyCs-OYRCNQixFE_IBIFZjB7MugdZ8QusBIv2QnNpCW1KleDT81i0tG1nzpQeHV1XoA0mskGt_ws3ZUNcyJ2JC9deo-PQlZv7TCRdZjd9zQyWbYEA5s78UFehdl3Uvfa-IEXFf13XOqihI30L4ReDu_4Rm4xiy401ex/s4032/IMG_7099.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibj3Cekras0uqVcNd_Il8guYhM_tyCs-OYRCNQixFE_IBIFZjB7MugdZ8QusBIv2QnNpCW1KleDT81i0tG1nzpQeHV1XoA0mskGt_ws3ZUNcyJ2JC9deo-PQlZv7TCRdZjd9zQyWbYEA5s78UFehdl3Uvfa-IEXFf13XOqihI30L4ReDu_4Rm4xiy401ex/w640-h480/IMG_7099.JPG" title="Kinsale" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLveULrGtnexR-eaemFX0KB6Iuyaz0KWzyieCgeRmqz6d8rlv8NrLQF9_1CR6DkGrpjR2vvbXQ5yYKsluNp4JWDoZOy4ZyTcgRHPCqQfXPDkA5U04WwMAXhYu5-W8obdh7BvqkNZ9YBKOSYMX2oRY2CexiVQhK6HdshoBFrCH7TJkfHIMdr56sUI045i/s3849/IMG_7100.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="3849" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLveULrGtnexR-eaemFX0KB6Iuyaz0KWzyieCgeRmqz6d8rlv8NrLQF9_1CR6DkGrpjR2vvbXQ5yYKsluNp4JWDoZOy4ZyTcgRHPCqQfXPDkA5U04WwMAXhYu5-W8obdh7BvqkNZ9YBKOSYMX2oRY2CexiVQhK6HdshoBFrCH7TJkfHIMdr56sUI045i/w640-h480/IMG_7100.JPG" title="Kinsale" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The town itself was cute but I preferred the seaside town of Cobh more. I thought it was more picturesque and charming. Anyway, both were lovely little spots and I was happy to see them both. I strolled Cobh again when we returned back to the port. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had dinner in the pay steakhouse restaurant called Cagney's. I wasn't feeling steak today so hoped seafood would be okay. I know that you shouldn't eat anything but steak when you go to a steakhouse but how bad could it be? 🙄😉. I started with oysters Rockefeller and they were pretty good though slightly cold.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemgTJ5bKXhmrMqsk7brBVePJ3OUlM91SQRjtbqdlcHCMOPh3Kbx70q5FdQZ_9RPIwErwyu3cLCey8cOO60yyvyAX8Oj48l-4yJlbJlXc3Jx7kpr6y-5h8fSFGXSg7AgRmA5Ooaid1iSxEGrQB3-lbkSZyZocq1CdMRzd7x_17GeXeMqJJMzc6rBIm7LaB/s2672/IMG_7106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2672" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemgTJ5bKXhmrMqsk7brBVePJ3OUlM91SQRjtbqdlcHCMOPh3Kbx70q5FdQZ_9RPIwErwyu3cLCey8cOO60yyvyAX8Oj48l-4yJlbJlXc3Jx7kpr6y-5h8fSFGXSg7AgRmA5Ooaid1iSxEGrQB3-lbkSZyZocq1CdMRzd7x_17GeXeMqJJMzc6rBIm7LaB/w640-h440/IMG_7106.JPG" title="Oysters Rockefeller" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZnieLsmuAKR14VTTVbTDVely7TcQzZ3GFDdKBgBAdcdftwz6c3hhWVQ6rXRdUkyV2yxM33AnSD7P1RBDYKvY0N9kakyFDkhILk_72LLfmp_hObw7VjYYYNO_0BdIL9dznrqlx2g9TAFjHXgzUMaowZeYYebu1xb2su_ZsJakAr-9Mn7ZFndsz0I9cPgx/s3012/IMG_7108.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2491" data-original-width="3012" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZnieLsmuAKR14VTTVbTDVely7TcQzZ3GFDdKBgBAdcdftwz6c3hhWVQ6rXRdUkyV2yxM33AnSD7P1RBDYKvY0N9kakyFDkhILk_72LLfmp_hObw7VjYYYNO_0BdIL9dznrqlx2g9TAFjHXgzUMaowZeYYebu1xb2su_ZsJakAr-9Mn7ZFndsz0I9cPgx/w640-h530/IMG_7108.JPG" title="Wedge Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The wedge salad was also good. But, when the seafood platter came that was a horrible disaster. They served sweet & sour sauce as the dip and top right is supposed to be a crab cake. 😔</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZaFtuzYh9VjmqR3PYJlAvY3I2P5kF5yFf9Z5gNTab3Tg_T7NyZNqW35Plo9ZSJAeAo74DWdhVwpxcWDZ14Ndji6ofXScZC2XEXmQnBwjdxbGh7LQ3lKEqrnuCs0fCkBsgO1CPZg2d8ebloiDPt_Tcd3jyJsqd26_gUudzQBUi3CFXa5h5Teb_zD6ry9K/s2391/IMG_7110.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2391" data-original-width="2208" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZaFtuzYh9VjmqR3PYJlAvY3I2P5kF5yFf9Z5gNTab3Tg_T7NyZNqW35Plo9ZSJAeAo74DWdhVwpxcWDZ14Ndji6ofXScZC2XEXmQnBwjdxbGh7LQ3lKEqrnuCs0fCkBsgO1CPZg2d8ebloiDPt_Tcd3jyJsqd26_gUudzQBUi3CFXa5h5Teb_zD6ry9K/w592-h640/IMG_7110.JPG" title="Seafood Platter" width="592" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The trout (which I normally love) was like shoe leather, couldn't cut it with a steak knife! The calamari was like bouncy rubber balls, etc. etc. The creamed spinach was slimy and tasted only of nutmeg. The potatoes were okay but DRY. I gave up and said I didn't want anything else. They brought me a bottle of pinot noir to make up for it. As I was walking to my room with it I saw my Louisiana friends. They walked with me to drop it off and then we went off for our usual 2 am drinking binge...Indiana found us too so the original 4 were together again. I walked 8.5 km today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Sunday, October 22, 2023 - Portland/Weymouth, England:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last day! I was ready to go home. The AI drinking/eating part of the trip was over for me days ago. This was the only day I booked a ship tour ($120 CAD) which was going to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. It was a LONG drive there - 2 & 1/2 hours each way which was the majority of the day and I regretted it. I was pretty bitchy because I still had to pack, wanted to see the town of Weymouth and knew I couldn't get there. I did the "hurry up and wait" in the Stardust theatre (first time in there) and finally was on the road about 12:30 pm. I ate breakfast in the Irish pub before departure as I slept in till 9 am this morning. The tour guide said Stonehenge is one of the most studied sites in the world, to this day. He said they recently found a plague virus in some old bones which may explain why the people left. Anyway, he said if anyone tells you what happened here, they're lying as it's still unknown except for the facts they've been able to prove...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa8TTCodxTHpLNYGVUuOabOay2GiBxACMjxMaTP0Nq4UOeGRmwUf0BcSFvYWhnwwHbNM8jtDTJgRuTqJRow5ABvpkkyOhS9ZZ78yEkAUfkPibFwocfPpnUfIpVZnfsOzXN08-sllwiQ98g_K8A5TKJ8s2QgUIZoHzQXlPvQm0GkCmrnPZNRBU34U2NjbM/s4032/IMG_7112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa8TTCodxTHpLNYGVUuOabOay2GiBxACMjxMaTP0Nq4UOeGRmwUf0BcSFvYWhnwwHbNM8jtDTJgRuTqJRow5ABvpkkyOhS9ZZ78yEkAUfkPibFwocfPpnUfIpVZnfsOzXN08-sllwiQ98g_K8A5TKJ8s2QgUIZoHzQXlPvQm0GkCmrnPZNRBU34U2NjbM/w640-h480/IMG_7112.JPG" title="Stonehenge!" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Stonehenge was located in a beautiful spot, felt mystical, magical and spiritual even...(or maybe it was just in my head?). Anyway, I'm glad I got to see it and did a full circle walk around it. If you want to know ALL about it, <b><u><a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/" target="_blank">click this link here</a></u></b>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvQ3vy1y0O-NQ3wRfsFOnpWdX-1q4R8hn0z1r20DPSn0UgrBmMV64J_shBl09R3w8xxglhK-MFkGt9wtnCDKHMy0KC1bNS9Wrd6u3ZIX4A5e2aedI7EPbXTu77F8LoliAN-AYJOiTbVG4Hg4TjevPQ1vX2ZayTjxbEaQvMyQTDjzD53FCVrC24U3bC12e/s3651/IMG_7123.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="3651" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvQ3vy1y0O-NQ3wRfsFOnpWdX-1q4R8hn0z1r20DPSn0UgrBmMV64J_shBl09R3w8xxglhK-MFkGt9wtnCDKHMy0KC1bNS9Wrd6u3ZIX4A5e2aedI7EPbXTu77F8LoliAN-AYJOiTbVG4Hg4TjevPQ1vX2ZayTjxbEaQvMyQTDjzD53FCVrC24U3bC12e/w640-h480/IMG_7123.JPG" title="Stonehenge" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucJe6SE6DxzaElUQteyS6VYUhPb6A4NfmZLBTSBj0q4OhK9kNPYKtdZ5xCCmZglFpZ5aGDh2MMeNywZKG6fqtb1_858BKw_pEW4oXrT8gdfrjZ-ZDt8QWNID-_uC92CigJWR74wzp2qA5IKKnXQUwXIRA4eeXF6wvyf04t5Tu3bwRUE_X54kDmq7q2pSX/s3776/IMG_7121.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="3776" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucJe6SE6DxzaElUQteyS6VYUhPb6A4NfmZLBTSBj0q4OhK9kNPYKtdZ5xCCmZglFpZ5aGDh2MMeNywZKG6fqtb1_858BKw_pEW4oXrT8gdfrjZ-ZDt8QWNID-_uC92CigJWR74wzp2qA5IKKnXQUwXIRA4eeXF6wvyf04t5Tu3bwRUE_X54kDmq7q2pSX/w640-h480/IMG_7121.JPG" title="Happy Texel Sheep" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Texel Sheep</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEffT_mMaB9qHkcclq3LjdyN2fKPcizeKOGM974JznVYHqnf6AYHA53vtbobfLCNflaH2qMLaZyIf_RLTsSskcakrwwcFcmO3oEhHjD-9IrxIWzu4416a8VDq3SD6439rkH7B7BGvqgSINI8cAnWc2ukY-1xzAa-mPIzHLn40RfhyoIskWWToniAxeCEmo/s4032/IMG_7114.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEffT_mMaB9qHkcclq3LjdyN2fKPcizeKOGM974JznVYHqnf6AYHA53vtbobfLCNflaH2qMLaZyIf_RLTsSskcakrwwcFcmO3oEhHjD-9IrxIWzu4416a8VDq3SD6439rkH7B7BGvqgSINI8cAnWc2ukY-1xzAa-mPIzHLn40RfhyoIskWWToniAxeCEmo/w640-h480/IMG_7114.JPG" title="Stonehenge" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I stood in a horrendously crowded tourist shop and bought my Stonehenge magnet. Wow, the patience I have, lol. The driver took us for one more photo op before returning us to the port; Chesil Beach in Dorset. It runs for a length of 29 kilometres from West Bay to the Isle of Portland and in places is up to 15 metres high and 200 metres wide. It was really beautiful at sunset. Wow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdg5xERHf7oYjMZOKCsF6m1JlOHsEnowoTuWCLgLqHXLL7x2aKVodd4n04875IkxQQkdxfmDdPvNOiGG8BiaKyXr9LWF9PuBj8EWiqgQbaK4ckWgrlCckp32jfuUWY2ODU-0i4zHXmuqWcETpJKdFeqTm4IpRWgFR2ccCaWGH63ycaxSKaHSyccgVARCs7/s4032/IMG_7125.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdg5xERHf7oYjMZOKCsF6m1JlOHsEnowoTuWCLgLqHXLL7x2aKVodd4n04875IkxQQkdxfmDdPvNOiGG8BiaKyXr9LWF9PuBj8EWiqgQbaK4ckWgrlCckp32jfuUWY2ODU-0i4zHXmuqWcETpJKdFeqTm4IpRWgFR2ccCaWGH63ycaxSKaHSyccgVARCs7/w640-h480/IMG_7125.JPG" title="Chesil Beach" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTHOiNepR9_-1HwyUpL9CLjM8QZ5hafmLCRgThtP2yvctPrE69PwdAm6oN0oXGYYooUocV-l51g3tDQ-FdcX78pCOpdDtK8jj_nVMaNjPJT_ySzOvoGIN0FWXHP6MPILEAI-GqYDoMmLZfBBBUuwefCROVss8hDPBOgSolHbs7L7_zuVtAa-ibG-vksdr/s4032/IMG_7126.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTHOiNepR9_-1HwyUpL9CLjM8QZ5hafmLCRgThtP2yvctPrE69PwdAm6oN0oXGYYooUocV-l51g3tDQ-FdcX78pCOpdDtK8jj_nVMaNjPJT_ySzOvoGIN0FWXHP6MPILEAI-GqYDoMmLZfBBBUuwefCROVss8hDPBOgSolHbs7L7_zuVtAa-ibG-vksdr/w640-h480/IMG_7126.JPG" title="Chesil Beach" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pwKhX3f9iYjjYIrolwZf8DQg458MUghw9nGP9CRGQn3JCrZZi02cL4oTZBy-tEGS-sauEzEvCTCFoOepXN4KUNR6phaG58yYWXuAmMPt7s-nXCCLbe0po8AUpVrEBug65u9UXnPtk9KODfma5yIMcbu1FQA81S5-A45Bo3oIDnYvcdu-PkFpFNuOb14W/s4032/IMG_7131.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pwKhX3f9iYjjYIrolwZf8DQg458MUghw9nGP9CRGQn3JCrZZi02cL4oTZBy-tEGS-sauEzEvCTCFoOepXN4KUNR6phaG58yYWXuAmMPt7s-nXCCLbe0po8AUpVrEBug65u9UXnPtk9KODfma5yIMcbu1FQA81S5-A45Bo3oIDnYvcdu-PkFpFNuOb14W/w640-h480/IMG_7131.JPG" title="Chesil Beach" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I had dinner in the main dining room when I got back. The WORST prime rib I have EVER eaten in my life. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSiW4alCbW7Hdr1SjvcWguJKBAa_ewFTsjpmuTMIuvqGsEaoY1kJKtgaRmUaaIjWuPaeoNUuQOQCcbVMAfUTfYCkkhIsPIGq7hxQDKE9UwsGVkQ0XoNHuiiMNvD5UjjsLzzKIzpyrx2IOTsxyZL0BTD0VloIMZb7VP8QTdydF3pIqBHVWxIycUV6Vd74m/s2799/IMG_7142.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2654" data-original-width="2799" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSiW4alCbW7Hdr1SjvcWguJKBAa_ewFTsjpmuTMIuvqGsEaoY1kJKtgaRmUaaIjWuPaeoNUuQOQCcbVMAfUTfYCkkhIsPIGq7hxQDKE9UwsGVkQ0XoNHuiiMNvD5UjjsLzzKIzpyrx2IOTsxyZL0BTD0VloIMZb7VP8QTdydF3pIqBHVWxIycUV6Vd74m/w640-h606/IMG_7142.JPG" title="Worst Prime Rib EVER!" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In fact, I couldn't eat it. A sharp steak knife could not even cut through it - a tough stringy disastrous mess; impossible to slice or chew. It looked so good but was frankly inedible. I just ate the side dishes and called it a day. The strawberry spinach salad was the highlight of dinner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCgYf_3ugZ_XRFBpGsLJZkdAJjhrIJaVHMf_qYtNHRJ7l9idbmm6VBjm1yQ1f1eKsZpBK-uX247yUOtLKdVJY2wWnDF-OYt2mQC2KiyBhRwdrmjI3qZytqi7TA2NORvVdCWAamFZFjwesGznZXrlKV8JefmavARqFMBq_NZRNkZCfEVwMNoVeWcDiodnx/s3005/IMG_7139.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="3005" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCgYf_3ugZ_XRFBpGsLJZkdAJjhrIJaVHMf_qYtNHRJ7l9idbmm6VBjm1yQ1f1eKsZpBK-uX247yUOtLKdVJY2wWnDF-OYt2mQC2KiyBhRwdrmjI3qZytqi7TA2NORvVdCWAamFZFjwesGznZXrlKV8JefmavARqFMBq_NZRNkZCfEVwMNoVeWcDiodnx/w640-h580/IMG_7139.JPG" title="Spinach Strawberry Salad" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My BC friends saw me and invited me to join them but I had to go pack so I could get my luggage out my door and then meet my Louisiana & Indiana friends for our final night. I was drinking martinis but they had no olives. The next one, they brought me this, lol:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40GxVcEH17BhPrCy3Qyk7hrp5tU16obrEjGWM0IOQsHvP6yEBqWlh_QnAhsBZ8LAhhlp4vux217MB8kUFhocO1D9EJZZd1BIR5waaDJkH3cfg1hlOZOeloTDTka_YZdied8SWq9Kk6hO3ETZ5Ta-Ln0Kt_TtXnf6NXfwAfsyLuiZHt8N5_9T28cDj0_wJ/s3657/IMG_7154.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3657" data-original-width="2743" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40GxVcEH17BhPrCy3Qyk7hrp5tU16obrEjGWM0IOQsHvP6yEBqWlh_QnAhsBZ8LAhhlp4vux217MB8kUFhocO1D9EJZZd1BIR5waaDJkH3cfg1hlOZOeloTDTka_YZdied8SWq9Kk6hO3ETZ5Ta-Ln0Kt_TtXnf6NXfwAfsyLuiZHt8N5_9T28cDj0_wJ/w480-h640/IMG_7154.JPG" title="Fake Olives" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Again, lots of laughs, drinks and we closed the evening at 1 am in the Irish bar, an hour earlier than as per usual. I walked 6 km today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Monday, October 23, 2023 - Vancouver - there's no place like home!!!</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was up at 5 am, showered and ready to go by 6:30. I didn't leave my room, just waited for my color code to be called to disembark which was about 8:30 am. I tried to drink the free bottle of wine but it wasn't going down too good. When called to get off the ship, I found my way to my luggage, then my airport transport. I slept on the bus pretty much the whole way. At Heathrow security my boots beeped in walking through the doorway and they had me remove them and put them in a bin, and then I didn't beep. BUT, weirdly after I went through, a lady with a wand asked if she could check me. I said okay and she dropped to her knees. So strange as her face was level with my crotch! She spent a long time with that wand and I was creeped out. Anyway, I was finally cleared to move on. I walked forever to find my gate, 20 minutes in reality, but then discovered there was only one coffee shop there. It was either walk back to the restaurant area or suck it up and stay put. My carry ons were so heavy I decided to try the United lounge which was close by for a day pass. I was successful except couldn't spend my remaining GBPounds for entry there, only credit cards accepted so $59.99 USD or $83 CAD. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuntOrwXpeV6vL4hAz0N7tP6Nn6QzgCWIZ5Pt8lftZgim2plFFOqMvPQnAcLiu0LDGI3K1Lki3XIE1b1EMGDa7Pp_HT-ES4qb21z507PEUCY6QW7MyA7CYs7VhXcMDhfuc0jaLa9v-HDVXHmJvf3n6VwhIk3gc2Q9CKaI01j3ZBfXpjZMhE6RWD8TExJr/s3877/IMG_7155.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3877" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuntOrwXpeV6vL4hAz0N7tP6Nn6QzgCWIZ5Pt8lftZgim2plFFOqMvPQnAcLiu0LDGI3K1Lki3XIE1b1EMGDa7Pp_HT-ES4qb21z507PEUCY6QW7MyA7CYs7VhXcMDhfuc0jaLa9v-HDVXHmJvf3n6VwhIk3gc2Q9CKaI01j3ZBfXpjZMhE6RWD8TExJr/w640-h480/IMG_7155.JPG" title="United Lounge @ Heathrow" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was okay in there, a kind British guy told me how to navigate the place and pointed me to the "loo", lol. I wrote the trip report some more, had English breakfast and a couple glasses of champagne before boarding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_WHn6WZscT-dyVpxmnAvVOPZ_7QPCU-iGeEr1f4T9wkCkIdbFrzpbnKbbwzAkjr96Y9fIcXdbVaoPWD_KeHb-5IR0idGultXbp4bicVn9VU8fx4tpGBmNIkpK9KgJrtH72GChpoWrbaNA4fpNTLD0jCs9-HLiBCk3BayXWNk72J3L5JM4gtRJFFdWRp_/s4032/IMG_7156.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_WHn6WZscT-dyVpxmnAvVOPZ_7QPCU-iGeEr1f4T9wkCkIdbFrzpbnKbbwzAkjr96Y9fIcXdbVaoPWD_KeHb-5IR0idGultXbp4bicVn9VU8fx4tpGBmNIkpK9KgJrtH72GChpoWrbaNA4fpNTLD0jCs9-HLiBCk3BayXWNk72J3L5JM4gtRJFFdWRp_/w640-h480/IMG_7156.JPG" title="United Lounge @ Heathrow" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">10 hour flight to SFO and then it was a shit show! I had 2 hours for connecting flight but had to go through customs, (90 minutes), then collect luggage, drop luggage, go through security again and then find gate which was in another terminal! I literally made it with 2 minutes left to board. Anyway, 2 & 1/2 hours later I landed in Vancouver at 9 pm. Was home by 10 pm my time... 6 km walked in airports, lol. </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Trip Summary:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As far as the "Norwegian Star" thoughts, I really went in with zero expectations and while a lot of that zero was met, overall it's always the people I meet that win the cruise for me and in that department it was a 10/10. All the company I kept and spent time with were amazing and I enjoyed that part the best, truly. I hopefully have made new friendships that last going forward. P.S. "Fuck you Greg!" (a.k.a. Mr. Louisiana). He told me daily that was the only thing I said to him that didn't have a Canook (Canadian) accent and sounded American. 😆</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Food was really hit/miss - mostly miss and the majority of it was downright bad to inedible. I enjoyed the breakfasts the most as that was usually a safe bet. I never ate at the buffet once. I wished I didn't bother buying the two extra "pay" restaurants, not worth it in my view.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The layout/design of the ship was horrible in my opinion. In 10 days I still never knew where I was going and walking through stateroom halls to get everywhere was my least favorite part of it. The best part of navigating someone taught me was that the fishies on the carpet told you which way the front was by the direction they were swimming, so I could always look at that them to see if I was going the right way...my cabin was all the way forward...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The entertainment was average that I saw (bands, singers, etc). I never watched one show in the Stardust theatre so can't comment on that. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did find staff overall good (except my room steward) and they worked their butts off, like any cruise. I'd only sail Norwegian again if price was right with an itinerary too good to pass up. 5/10 I'd rate it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Side note</u></b>: The esim was wonderful. I ended up topping up another 3 gigs and the six gigs lasted me the 12 day journey. I will always buy one going forward, it was really a hot damn and I loved it!...10/10! It felt so good not to have to check for free wifi all the time. While sailing, I mostly could connect too, except for in my room where I used my ship wifi package if necessary. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">PHEW! I'm finally finished (I know this was a long one once written)! - I had to sort through 400 pictures to put this trip report together. I wrote a lot of it while on the ship but it still takes so much time to add pictures AFTER the fact and fact check everything that was written. I truly loved seeing the British Isles, it was a dream come true. Anyway, I thought this was a good way to end the report, with what my current plan is until I start packing for Hawaii next week... 😏 Well, first I have a few new 2023 Hallmark Christmas movies to catch up on too...🎄</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-hkVmUNxk-68a5NJHL8gq4U4eMPkVASbK4FMYDgYeQ-TvFo0zaBHUxB5SbuBprEbPxNB93LKu62EuxEUa0WETmJ0zxvwoo7osHvAsCK2BAnElABi8ygI6orq5pFp2rZbUkemXfQgC84Myz_07bSsCGbR5cNfZfqmcO0NvvgBY1wKaTiIitAZDQS-W2pP/s741/hurkledurkle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="741" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-hkVmUNxk-68a5NJHL8gq4U4eMPkVASbK4FMYDgYeQ-TvFo0zaBHUxB5SbuBprEbPxNB93LKu62EuxEUa0WETmJ0zxvwoo7osHvAsCK2BAnElABi8ygI6orq5pFp2rZbUkemXfQgC84Myz_07bSsCGbR5cNfZfqmcO0NvvgBY1wKaTiIitAZDQS-W2pP/w640-h438/hurkledurkle.png" title="Hurkle Durkle" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And lastly... I thought it only fitting that Mr. Louisiana close out the trip report with the video below. 😊</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz2_EPMPgjNV1ecbE94xxAsUHsaLEARNfVwduF3YEJyVAOB50K8zAB8X2jglA_EQCq35ANcazXp5h1x0OHusA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0British Isles54.658372699999987 -5.707144700000000634.308099641917366 -40.863394700000008 75.008645758082608 29.449105300000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-74422365611332127712023-06-19T14:25:00.030-07:002023-06-20T13:49:07.358-07:00Puerto Vallarta Trip Report - June 11 - 18, 2023<p>It's been 10 years since I've wiggled my toes in the sand in Puerto Vallarta. I was there on a cruise a few years ago but didn't get off the ship to visit. PV is not one of my favorite places. This would be my third time staying here; third time a charm? 🤞 Also, my first trip to PV was in June and I swore I'd NEVER go back in that month because of the heat/humidity but here I am (I've learned to never say never)... Below, the picture is from the RIU website. I read enough reviews to know that food would taste average but be plentiful, the alcohol is NOT top-shelf and the hotel needed a good refurb. Almost like most all-inclusives I've stayed at...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_906hRk9ruw6iuMU5tgFJXZEuezGMZ4IOWMpicMd08W0S6qmfUTtirb70HJ-YaAZ0AafKwpZRCTkSvUGrX_nKlqCJKfss76Pypht0wZVFuJU6f83xfivuuc9MIX6p9bg_cJ7190Kgm_hOatBphIsXNPYJKCmbLegnKmpap0JkcjLUL5op90v0NCspmg/s899/RiuJalisco.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="899" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_906hRk9ruw6iuMU5tgFJXZEuezGMZ4IOWMpicMd08W0S6qmfUTtirb70HJ-YaAZ0AafKwpZRCTkSvUGrX_nKlqCJKfss76Pypht0wZVFuJU6f83xfivuuc9MIX6p9bg_cJ7190Kgm_hOatBphIsXNPYJKCmbLegnKmpap0JkcjLUL5op90v0NCspmg/w640-h424/RiuJalisco.png" title="Riu Jalisco" width="640" /></a></div><p>I booked this last minute. Lately I tend to talk myself out of doing anything on a "whim" but I went ahead and booked 12 days before departure. It was a good price; being solo (higher rates), air, transfers, full insurance and tax came out to $1315 CAD. My amazing son insisted he buy the trip for me as I had been waffling on it and he wanted me to go enjoy myself. So, I let him 💜. I spent $500 CAD in MXN pesos for tips and I had another $110 CAD leftover in pesos from my last trip as well. Now this was on my least favorite airline, <b><u><a href="https://www.sunwing.ca/en/" target="_blank">Sunwing</a></u></b>, but if it cancelled, oh well, I'd go somewhere else...I also noticed they increased their luggage weight to 50 lbs which was good for me! This trip was solely for me to practice my social skills as I'm a changed person after covid and it's been a slow uphill climb (one step forward, two steps back) coming out of it. 😔 </p><p><b><u>Sunday, June 11, 2023:</u></b></p><p>Flight was early, 8:45am and I was expected to be at the airport for 5:45am. I made it by 6 am and it was plenty of time as I was already checked in and just had to bag drop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2w5IlpMQyEtXdCIFjHHhvgvTBdRJPw-ZinKrf4JSPbKiOl7PHEBqFFBK9Uu3z3u6jazbiVrkXYCguMD_spkFkmrLltM6K1Xk6Y_J_Km6_wU6CPKd2ARBKXskZYN9mMost-88QRz5cDH4i4Dk1c5EuODvEdGKgaiKBB_8O-kj2uhEd499PB1N38G85MN9B/s3895/IMG_6537.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3895" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2w5IlpMQyEtXdCIFjHHhvgvTBdRJPw-ZinKrf4JSPbKiOl7PHEBqFFBK9Uu3z3u6jazbiVrkXYCguMD_spkFkmrLltM6K1Xk6Y_J_Km6_wU6CPKd2ARBKXskZYN9mMost-88QRz5cDH4i4Dk1c5EuODvEdGKgaiKBB_8O-kj2uhEd499PB1N38G85MN9B/w480-h640/IMG_6537.JPG" title="Sunwing Departure Gate" width="480" /></a></div><p>Flight was full and I was sandwiched in between two families with babies. I was able to tune it out with my audio book/music/headphones. I think I even nodded off because when I woke up the lady sitting beside me told me they dropped off a customs form we had to fill out. There was one drink service and I ordered a "Caesar". The flight attendant asked if I wanted two as there was only one service so I said sure. This was a hidden bonus as they never charged me for the two vodkas! Poor guy at the end paid $5 for a teeny container of Quaker oatmeal, lol. We arrived a half hour early so 2pm or 3pm local time.</p><p>I didn't have to do the green/red light through customs. They just opened a new line and had us scan our luggage and then I was on my way. The Sunwing rep was outside and got me to our air-conditioned bus that was also full but at least it was only for our hotel. The ride was a half hour away and I was blown away when we arrived at how large it was! This was definitely the biggest all-inclusive I've stayed in (well, that I remember anyway, haha). It was gorgeous.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwhMqVBhFfG_NujyD0mKnl_6Fyrq13U0ertpeE3M1PrQpg8GKoI84zliThHkh8KyPChszd1wI30ozyxJBtlvB-IjuEeB_PZ1S5CG24sfnGElCu_Y20VDSRroSTnGU2fQ2_7HYO0tWVhOuYgOYYEv6H8QpMvst2nHSTx2xRr8-OpE5YiTlazMUDXPfvKVw/s4032/IMG_6564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwhMqVBhFfG_NujyD0mKnl_6Fyrq13U0ertpeE3M1PrQpg8GKoI84zliThHkh8KyPChszd1wI30ozyxJBtlvB-IjuEeB_PZ1S5CG24sfnGElCu_Y20VDSRroSTnGU2fQ2_7HYO0tWVhOuYgOYYEv6H8QpMvst2nHSTx2xRr8-OpE5YiTlazMUDXPfvKVw/w640-h480/IMG_6564.JPG" title="RIU Jalisco" width="640" /></a></div><p>I checked in quickly and took my own luggage up to room 4128 but the key didn't work. This wasn't good as it was a looong haul from the elevators and I had to pee now! I tried my key card at room 4127 and it worked. So I tinkled and then called the front desk. They told me they'd send someone up with a new key for 4128 so I waited outside. Someone came up quickly and my new key worked. I felt bad for peeing in someone else's room, but at least it was not checked in by anyone yet. 🤨</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQG2gF5ADgohsGPxfcXjup9Z7voHwAUIPcQUvuTj6paTu6CeeSpsc60xv8HI5jISKV41c7vEFmVilTpMDUel91sVn_khWSYq6db5qDxUvzJ6iPafivnmZbumYzJ2o5atZ3OH8LvepJiHc4fyhVrlpJBOxa4TDQ4l9TKzqf8NCh3kvSZNxunWuY2goKV0-/s4032/IMG_6539.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQG2gF5ADgohsGPxfcXjup9Z7voHwAUIPcQUvuTj6paTu6CeeSpsc60xv8HI5jISKV41c7vEFmVilTpMDUel91sVn_khWSYq6db5qDxUvzJ6iPafivnmZbumYzJ2o5atZ3OH8LvepJiHc4fyhVrlpJBOxa4TDQ4l9TKzqf8NCh3kvSZNxunWuY2goKV0-/w640-h480/IMG_6539.JPG" title="Room 4128 RIU Jalisco" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8M67V0JJJiLPIrlqRurR0GAU5YA4xpVGXf06Y9VQ05MSm7bEI-eUUGtS2-8EBT8df_rAn1c5KyLQUjR2emZWziZdAZ9WUll1Z3R49paVCqRxGkFou_Yotwf9SCbSCy6hak4HKVrAP5z6jbyu831oWxYUhFEI5XrGkH5V9h6KOCRzD48SpZuSSEqULrae/s3456/IMG_6540.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3456" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8M67V0JJJiLPIrlqRurR0GAU5YA4xpVGXf06Y9VQ05MSm7bEI-eUUGtS2-8EBT8df_rAn1c5KyLQUjR2emZWziZdAZ9WUll1Z3R49paVCqRxGkFou_Yotwf9SCbSCy6hak4HKVrAP5z6jbyu831oWxYUhFEI5XrGkH5V9h6KOCRzD48SpZuSSEqULrae/w640-h548/IMG_6540.JPG" title="Mini Bar" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1iYV_o3ZUNR5-a-yv2cfAjPpjil7qdN7uki5PNVp4q_DCiWQtuZ3yU-aEZhvGVBG5xUI_MDpoevoORkxwhc9IaUAz86SjICIPGj4OfmNWpJtbgPY0yUA_AY8FwgVKyEzsGlZjXQJFKwr41wj6am3hRSQg8PcicsNfb71l99hQgKl_9k700Mm9RMLFZC/s4032/IMG_6542.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1iYV_o3ZUNR5-a-yv2cfAjPpjil7qdN7uki5PNVp4q_DCiWQtuZ3yU-aEZhvGVBG5xUI_MDpoevoORkxwhc9IaUAz86SjICIPGj4OfmNWpJtbgPY0yUA_AY8FwgVKyEzsGlZjXQJFKwr41wj6am3hRSQg8PcicsNfb71l99hQgKl_9k700Mm9RMLFZC/w640-h480/IMG_6542.JPG" title="Bathroom" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The room was nice, well worn but perfectly fine and the A/C was even on when I got in! My view from the balcony is below and was MEH but it wasn't like I'd sit out there anyway.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2poxqLJq8-gGpD3eb0_fs5KQg8KB1N_ZmlC8TU7IjgzVKCkySd2qbRrmo9WbZ_we5PRhg_0RL9q4gnJJ1bFAQM76x6zAD8qs8OlAZPCnMks23nFQL-s5AbNawsmpQ4p4kK6baYrpE_qHPqQ03PKAoPPoWDYtA4pcPQkFQiabSJdoFs57284pTpPigICd/s3927/IMG_6552.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2poxqLJq8-gGpD3eb0_fs5KQg8KB1N_ZmlC8TU7IjgzVKCkySd2qbRrmo9WbZ_we5PRhg_0RL9q4gnJJ1bFAQM76x6zAD8qs8OlAZPCnMks23nFQL-s5AbNawsmpQ4p4kK6baYrpE_qHPqQ03PKAoPPoWDYtA4pcPQkFQiabSJdoFs57284pTpPigICd/w640-h480/IMG_6552.JPG" title="Balcony View" width="640" /></a></div></div><p>Speaking of the weather, it wasn't too bad at all. Humid yes, but not unbearably so. I unpacked and then made my way down for dinner. I looked around and found the buffet and Mexican restaurant. I decided I'd try the Mexican which opened at 6:30. I wondered why it was open at 5:30? I realized later that I was using my watch which was an hour behind, lol. Below, I enjoyed the tortilla soup.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2cKAzrFXgYQyxZZsjy0d5uBAGr5OEfI9jJHbFrd47XrRzjaxHitHMqEEus6v3jLzQU7LrXgONTCRKlqIrg0D4IgSgWCD7sIdABuVlrA-PQCwJChwLw9LNbK73Wg1aErOIxAE_Y4UDbUJCU2VdQ8qvlb9Qwi_Rs07xefBto_YBQPIMyl30jeEuC3C3KNE/s3209/IMG_6549.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3209" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2cKAzrFXgYQyxZZsjy0d5uBAGr5OEfI9jJHbFrd47XrRzjaxHitHMqEEus6v3jLzQU7LrXgONTCRKlqIrg0D4IgSgWCD7sIdABuVlrA-PQCwJChwLw9LNbK73Wg1aErOIxAE_Y4UDbUJCU2VdQ8qvlb9Qwi_Rs07xefBto_YBQPIMyl30jeEuC3C3KNE/w604-h640/IMG_6549.JPG" title="Tortilla Soup" width="604" /></a></div><p>I found my way to an outside bar and ordered champagne. It was drinkable, with ice added. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_TIckKMjVYmuy9fV7fKVbZmXutNzLF_yM4cRBJeAgDKL3vfJfB2vfPh6sdVic9f1ldD7J9mzN4rog4YKI4G5OZX0dcLlzqbSIfjRB1YkxIx3HcGyvSy_A7cHlICgc6yaN_V-7fSWgQcTf59Jghu8f1m_l1DVhTVJfbK9caIaNiqyxdlNtWPu74uGj1nb/s3893/IMG_6585.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_TIckKMjVYmuy9fV7fKVbZmXutNzLF_yM4cRBJeAgDKL3vfJfB2vfPh6sdVic9f1ldD7J9mzN4rog4YKI4G5OZX0dcLlzqbSIfjRB1YkxIx3HcGyvSy_A7cHlICgc6yaN_V-7fSWgQcTf59Jghu8f1m_l1DVhTVJfbK9caIaNiqyxdlNtWPu74uGj1nb/w640-h480/IMG_6585.JPG" title="The "Outside" Bars" width="640" /></a></div><p>Bar wasn't busy so I talked with bartender Victor who was learning English in school. I asked him where to go for "Birria" tacos in Bucerias and then him and another worker told me about a place that was only open on Saturdays but had the true locals experience. I asked how I could do this and Matteo(?) said he'd arrange it for me with Uber drivers and that Victor could go too, if I wanted. I agreed and said I'd set it up later in the week. They told me to look for them around the resort any day after 5pm as they rotated work stations. After I was done it was about 8:30 my time, I went back to the room. I ended up falling asleep till morning as I was beat. Travel days are always hard.</p><p><b><u>Monday, June 12, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I awoke feeling rested but looked in the mirror and felt 100 years old! My plan for this morning was to have breakfast, book my transfers back to the airport and then walk the beach to get my exercise. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03YQ_OHm3NcxVOVjg48rZg8S-jonD2ZXezhPTi-v1N9CKB7i9ScPAi4KTo0vagydoMdMaxDqlRC_ciadQoqUe__Hzrl5sQ6YO6_avhrpRKpcSQvbGXUxeeP4PiY36jh0kr-E9Hw1766l_XlzcOXW9SG5fpOTPARDiXAbWVJqrnfZ8jD4nW0E44YudHxYT/s4032/IMG_6555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03YQ_OHm3NcxVOVjg48rZg8S-jonD2ZXezhPTi-v1N9CKB7i9ScPAi4KTo0vagydoMdMaxDqlRC_ciadQoqUe__Hzrl5sQ6YO6_avhrpRKpcSQvbGXUxeeP4PiY36jh0kr-E9Hw1766l_XlzcOXW9SG5fpOTPARDiXAbWVJqrnfZ8jD4nW0E44YudHxYT/w640-h480/IMG_6555.JPG" title="Breakfast Buffet" width="640" /></a></div><p>I was eyeing those pools yesterday and they were not desirable to me at all with the swim up bar patrons that never moved, lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe24txQ2R4SnW6oPw750Jx09nZ7XDzZ20lWi0rIsPNgTabPnQbxIhHXVvpXWlNB1uOvt6OL0VZs688mjHApi8z-faTKB1JowhOB3QHwLuxD0lHWtzu8EUXFPq4mMi0Lm8XpsPsFQOvXBeJy1FbEWpkC2Iv8oTnlC3UOhzK-1o9h_7ryUugeXdYUiSa7Ku/s4032/IMG_6623.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="4032" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe24txQ2R4SnW6oPw750Jx09nZ7XDzZ20lWi0rIsPNgTabPnQbxIhHXVvpXWlNB1uOvt6OL0VZs688mjHApi8z-faTKB1JowhOB3QHwLuxD0lHWtzu8EUXFPq4mMi0Lm8XpsPsFQOvXBeJy1FbEWpkC2Iv8oTnlC3UOhzK-1o9h_7ryUugeXdYUiSa7Ku/w640-h424/IMG_6623.JPG" title="Swim Up Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>Breakfast was plentiful and I tried not to over indulge as I would have lunch after my walk. I saw they had Spanish Tortilla, one of my favorite eats, but it was dry and boring unfortunately. The fresh scrambled eggs were good and was fine with a tortilla, salsa and a couple sausages. They don't have champagne at the breakfast buffet but do have premade mimosas. When finished, I booked my transport back (which was really just tour sales) and I headed out to the beach stopping first to grab a champagne-to-go on ice. Below is the RIU's outdoor massage tables.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2eDE6FKsIbD-zRQnkDTU3GWccVUDKJugK6qR_M3-Vs1_abABXLo_K7UTWbxtpERiVcA2sN2L-rMJHMgeatv6RDhYmQLz6ybVc_jD3z-zaoGTpZr-XqHIdDati7rtccY7h2iSif7RbMKxqqR30YVgkHMZMIADcFkPPts3WnHCnc01WGquSyeGtxKRLQUn/s3202/IMG_6556.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3202" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2eDE6FKsIbD-zRQnkDTU3GWccVUDKJugK6qR_M3-Vs1_abABXLo_K7UTWbxtpERiVcA2sN2L-rMJHMgeatv6RDhYmQLz6ybVc_jD3z-zaoGTpZr-XqHIdDati7rtccY7h2iSif7RbMKxqqR30YVgkHMZMIADcFkPPts3WnHCnc01WGquSyeGtxKRLQUn/w640-h584/IMG_6556.JPG" title="Massage Tent" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiJdnJ32EmPyCfImjSh1Ox0F9ScWpwJUUxlEaiV4RmLPFLiCi_Z7tiiBUqlZz86NmacKW4kRzmswHGirlvK9N6V-0_nS6UGnEwYCKiOjwmn5X3poDiWt0XXupk-sv_4rjOoxLQeZLO7yDYG_yA8WD83CVIo_Zoc5Hq7IOD-twc_giAJSFoIHV4Bbcp07g/s4032/IMG_6558.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiJdnJ32EmPyCfImjSh1Ox0F9ScWpwJUUxlEaiV4RmLPFLiCi_Z7tiiBUqlZz86NmacKW4kRzmswHGirlvK9N6V-0_nS6UGnEwYCKiOjwmn5X3poDiWt0XXupk-sv_4rjOoxLQeZLO7yDYG_yA8WD83CVIo_Zoc5Hq7IOD-twc_giAJSFoIHV4Bbcp07g/w640-h480/IMG_6558.JPG" title="RIU Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>I was soaked from the humidity after an hour but completed my 10,000 steps which felt good. I remembered those horseback rides from my first trip in 2004 and saw they still do them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tgbdqrtT9CwLACStZsT6P57pZKWgRAWWaFlWajcnVUP63CzNurxnLxJ-Lm_VhLB8iAKujYNbHU6jjY1seDRrTUMQrWaZPod8wJ_LWB3JrDEB3G38yS7aRKw9pii9Tawp2kd_774dLPuHC1VS-oL4RGhyfygLRraEdwDwbOvMQ-pSdlOQbKNgtmgS3PPK/s4032/IMG_6562.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tgbdqrtT9CwLACStZsT6P57pZKWgRAWWaFlWajcnVUP63CzNurxnLxJ-Lm_VhLB8iAKujYNbHU6jjY1seDRrTUMQrWaZPod8wJ_LWB3JrDEB3G38yS7aRKw9pii9Tawp2kd_774dLPuHC1VS-oL4RGhyfygLRraEdwDwbOvMQ-pSdlOQbKNgtmgS3PPK/w640-h480/IMG_6562.JPG" title="The Beach!" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ejQUhfgaaks4YccU_etJWa4Eh5aeDmd-3XPiH8EV9Gtkz7u2S1WDM7-jJ3uf_VFbrSWT3obEiSUc8ulfxFHlVwBMlanwXZ-dTZAtre5tAHrbdVoivCw3WEj3W0olZhongaVyErhe8mxREozRtyUDKiUTq1pr5Xliu903ZC6o-iiEdB9qrvK3xVWvWFvq/s3797/IMG_6593.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2847" data-original-width="3797" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ejQUhfgaaks4YccU_etJWa4Eh5aeDmd-3XPiH8EV9Gtkz7u2S1WDM7-jJ3uf_VFbrSWT3obEiSUc8ulfxFHlVwBMlanwXZ-dTZAtre5tAHrbdVoivCw3WEj3W0olZhongaVyErhe8mxREozRtyUDKiUTq1pr5Xliu903ZC6o-iiEdB9qrvK3xVWvWFvq/w640-h480/IMG_6593.JPG" title="Back to the RIU via the beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>While I was walking the beach I got the usual sales pitches from the vendors as I passed by. One gentleman tried his spiel and I declined. Then he asked if I wanted a Mexican boyfriend instead? I just continued on my way but did chuckle. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraK8eKq0hfB4Hqf_hkQbzelOdNAxNEwc3Ro8gGzW8Fjz1oJxULbcLm03io2o0mEMKatxgH9qPd5h31A5lKAykSuYJU9YGQCnJhMrytANOfdLVgGO_v184fzcN7EyO_HJW8uhyLPQXIEE6mZksCP8XiunrEgNo9R6JVkcuYvFGK-c2Nr3WHa56wvzpZ2FP/s4032/IMG_6569.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraK8eKq0hfB4Hqf_hkQbzelOdNAxNEwc3Ro8gGzW8Fjz1oJxULbcLm03io2o0mEMKatxgH9qPd5h31A5lKAykSuYJU9YGQCnJhMrytANOfdLVgGO_v184fzcN7EyO_HJW8uhyLPQXIEE6mZksCP8XiunrEgNo9R6JVkcuYvFGK-c2Nr3WHa56wvzpZ2FP/w640-h480/IMG_6569.JPG" title="One of the Pools at RIU" width="640" /></a></div><p>As I stopped at an empty pool lounger to change to my sandals I overhead a man yelling at his family. He unkindly barked that he would not consider an outing, not Bucerias, not anything. The mom, son and daughter were beet red in the face as he continued to yell. He told them to enjoy the god damn resort as it was the only the place they were going to see and to shut up and leave him alone. He then stormed off and they trailed behind him. Just yuck and made me happy I was alone at that moment. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtkbeWTEdFSIowL8rRKddh53oW0c5dw_9vL7vajxBN1mk5l47qeA9DzegxgCn0PqUjrE8mfbD8SiySFSY_Wp5caHLhDZlDmP3ywTipn2ItDR9oaqEik1nODtB-WCBVGjafM3rJe0ONIP6JUzIjfiSEt3uNlZWZZ5dYL-kcGBag_VxoT70Igsll394XwyJ/s3941/IMG_6566.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtkbeWTEdFSIowL8rRKddh53oW0c5dw_9vL7vajxBN1mk5l47qeA9DzegxgCn0PqUjrE8mfbD8SiySFSY_Wp5caHLhDZlDmP3ywTipn2ItDR9oaqEik1nODtB-WCBVGjafM3rJe0ONIP6JUzIjfiSEt3uNlZWZZ5dYL-kcGBag_VxoT70Igsll394XwyJ/w640-h480/IMG_6566.JPG" title="Sports Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>I went to the A/C sports bar and cooled down before going to my room to get ready for lunch. Most bars had champagne so I drank it iced. I had the RIU app and it told me which restaurants/bars were open in real time so that was handy.</p><p>I drank a LOT today. By the time the outdoor dinner bar opened up I was feeling no pain. I did shots with a lot of girls there and ended up having dinner with a lady from El Paso, Texas talking drunk covid & politics, lol. Never a good idea... Some gorgeous, young latino guy kept waving at me from across the bar and blowing me kisses. Victor the bartender said he was probably looking for a sugar mama. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZwqIUwtscbCJGmfdGsLxR0WldRU4F4jxY_xZyFurlH0v7ReDqNjYXjSSj6ubzIFJIJtWk5mmVHUHd-XcZiSe4cqTTjVvDUVNcvpPf2Dqi6TiVkUSJXrh1JCaJY7eF74AUVgC9dfpRISya5qdutSc6Z3-F3meVbN65ybfW0wtJtPKp6x2AUmOA7Fp1cXg/s3280/IMG_6577.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3280" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZwqIUwtscbCJGmfdGsLxR0WldRU4F4jxY_xZyFurlH0v7ReDqNjYXjSSj6ubzIFJIJtWk5mmVHUHd-XcZiSe4cqTTjVvDUVNcvpPf2Dqi6TiVkUSJXrh1JCaJY7eF74AUVgC9dfpRISya5qdutSc6Z3-F3meVbN65ybfW0wtJtPKp6x2AUmOA7Fp1cXg/w640-h590/IMG_6577.JPG" title="Michael Jackson Show" width="640" /></a></div><p>I watched the very 80's Michael Jackson show and then went to the room and passed out cold! All I remember about dinner is that I ordered lasagna. I have no idea if it was good or not though I remember thinking it was dry...I see I even took a picture!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycH-RUXVc-dwlcITbbXBBpjN0gLQ9GqYhUJPBfJlOYIOVlVcbxxgjw8csFQJWWEUUu9xsvWlHk7sl3Xngkvrybk1x1krHPF58cfCRGx8v8cHDvmWZtBPTBCYJ7xYXm8UPUJx7riruLwP4CxKzUn6XLEd6XwAZq_q_DowFjx4Rf8PN5JFoNvk-sFCXfFwQ/s3927/IMG_6573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycH-RUXVc-dwlcITbbXBBpjN0gLQ9GqYhUJPBfJlOYIOVlVcbxxgjw8csFQJWWEUUu9xsvWlHk7sl3Xngkvrybk1x1krHPF58cfCRGx8v8cHDvmWZtBPTBCYJ7xYXm8UPUJx7riruLwP4CxKzUn6XLEd6XwAZq_q_DowFjx4Rf8PN5JFoNvk-sFCXfFwQ/w640-h480/IMG_6573.JPG" title="Lasagna" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><u>Tuesday, June 13, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I awoke feeling like sh*t. At 9am, I finally managed to make my way to breakfast. Nothing looked or tasted good and I forced myself to put some food in. The scrambled eggs that seemed so good yesterday were abominable today. It seemed so busy and LOUD and I was not feeling it at all. I hid in the sports bar and drank Bailey's coffee until it was time to get my booked hair appointment at the SPA. It was $72 CAD and I tipped her 20% in pesos (200). I went back to the sports bar with the A/C as it was so HOT today, humid ugly. I think everyone else agreed as the place was packed! I managed to get a couple iced champagnes down and then it was lunch time. I didn't do well again and everything looked and tasted horrible. I ate a bunless burger with cheese and then I went to my room to nap. I got awoken by the door coming open and it was the liquor mini-bar guy. He didn't refill anything, just looked at the fridge and left. </p><p>I typed the report and chillaxed until it was time for dinner. I ended up chatting with people at the bar before dinner and decided martinis were a good idea. NOT. I went to the Asian place which also had Indian food. The lamb jogan rosh was enjoyable & a nice kick to it, nothing else was worth mentioning that I tried.</p><p>I went back to the usual bars by the stage but didn't see Victor. I really enjoyed the show tonight, it spanned all decades and I got a great screen shot of good looking Mickey Rourke from "9 & 1/2 Weeks" days while they did Joe Cocker's "<b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N8CO91sByQ" target="_blank">You can leave your hat on</a></u></b>". Anyway, everyone at the bar was lit and having a fun time singing and dancing, including myself. I started chatting with a couple from Dallas and we spent the whole evening laughing it up. Victor came by to say hi and we set the time for 10am on Saturday to meet. At 12:30am I ran off like Cinderella. They were calling after me asking where I was going and I told them to meet me back at the bar at 6pm tomorrow. I had way, way, waaaaay too much to drink tonight. UGH and THUD to the bed. Down I went...</p><p><b><u>Wednesday, June 14, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I've been too hungover to walk these last couple of days so that's been a bummer. I felt so horrible today, and again had to force myself a couple bites of breakfast (a hash brown with a spoon of refried beans on it and 2 pieces of bacon. One cube of cantaloupe and one of honeydew melon) before they closed. I slept late and didn't get out of the room until the maid knocked at 11:30am. I walked to sit at the beach but then some ant or something bit me and that turned me off. I'm scratching the hell out of it as I type this. 😒 I sat and people watched at the pool for a bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBT2P4kERtpUlToo8WI7LVUEsZSFvOGsUhLgYYiQUZWhOeJbtxxBEF7qi5O_0qFq0DNYL6U5zcmHymggzgsU2-J99qBuzBb7POH5aPEWzR4uniMrnXkB5--NjZ_NG3b09xaq1YE3WzvwaNrlBQSInrqiizIan82dSeQwfRrDiWiHYSaYYdUkz9bZ4DhBW/s4032/IMG_6579.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBT2P4kERtpUlToo8WI7LVUEsZSFvOGsUhLgYYiQUZWhOeJbtxxBEF7qi5O_0qFq0DNYL6U5zcmHymggzgsU2-J99qBuzBb7POH5aPEWzR4uniMrnXkB5--NjZ_NG3b09xaq1YE3WzvwaNrlBQSInrqiizIan82dSeQwfRrDiWiHYSaYYdUkz9bZ4DhBW/w640-h480/IMG_6579.JPG" title="RIU Jalisco Pool" width="640" /></a></div><p>I ended up back at the sports bar and managed to get two champagne's down to see if I could feel human again? Nope, maybe some bad food? I ate a microwaved hot dog there for lunch with fake nacho cheese sauce & ketchup! 🌭 Then I went back to my room and took a nap. I felt so awful, I can't even begin to describe it and I noticed in the shower that I was bruised all over the place, must have banged on and off those bar stools a few times, or maybe walls, who knows?...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhUTWuezJl80nfXyLUgKVXg4U1YfsDIaJlhjvMgfy4dOZkKg5B0ktLMDli8-fxYEa0hNTvQwG00qoKKQdDPGSCxs2blcUWxdfl9O9l1HKqHznDAjBSGpiN0tGY5HW_LPj7kSMz_GDk7KfRTVM8xS3M_u1rWEJ1pStKaOIp6fmwqv3orPOhXkBZ6jdqHW2/s4032/IMG_6588.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhUTWuezJl80nfXyLUgKVXg4U1YfsDIaJlhjvMgfy4dOZkKg5B0ktLMDli8-fxYEa0hNTvQwG00qoKKQdDPGSCxs2blcUWxdfl9O9l1HKqHznDAjBSGpiN0tGY5HW_LPj7kSMz_GDk7KfRTVM8xS3M_u1rWEJ1pStKaOIp6fmwqv3orPOhXkBZ6jdqHW2/w640-h480/IMG_6588.JPG" title="Mexican Coffee Bar" width="640" /></a></div><p>I got ready for 6pm and found the Mexican "flaming" coffees 🔥 set up outside the lounge (above) so I stopped for one and briefly chatted with Mr. Dallas from last night. There was a sax player doing his thing too to Frank Sinatra's "My Way":</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uudgXrQSP6m0Nf6kFTZElREQ3ZX2YrRvdISxEz_yYg4BVnIlV91kiKa_ARVEjchjclAX5REK4D0jSn13I5bEZSwvubXrZ06ZuCi2HfDX4VrONlMNSknSdFFQRqcoRuW5UFIWN_dZs9HFSMYqhI5CsR9ssEuvazZFwLOH7sV5Hkt8YW7PvB7JMR6Pl7d-/s4032/IMG_6586.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uudgXrQSP6m0Nf6kFTZElREQ3ZX2YrRvdISxEz_yYg4BVnIlV91kiKa_ARVEjchjclAX5REK4D0jSn13I5bEZSwvubXrZ06ZuCi2HfDX4VrONlMNSknSdFFQRqcoRuW5UFIWN_dZs9HFSMYqhI5CsR9ssEuvazZFwLOH7sV5Hkt8YW7PvB7JMR6Pl7d-/w480-h640/IMG_6586.JPG" title="Sax Player" width="480" /></a></div><p>I decided I'd try the buffet tonight as I saw they had pork ribs and oxtail soup. I never found the soup but the ribs were okay and the food I ate was fresh, hot and actually good. After that I was pretty much done, I went to the sports bar and grabbed a champagne to go. I retired in my room watching Netflix "Jewish Matchmaker".</p><p><b><u>Thursday, June 15, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I left my room about 9am and was ready to walk the beach after breakfast. I remember talking to a lady yesterday about the food and she said she made BLT's for breakfast That's what I wanted to do. Alas, they had no bacon so I improvised (sliced ham) but it was good and hit the spot. I decided I was going to get reflexology on my feet at the pink tent I saw on the beach the other day. The guy gave me his card and said $20 USD for an hour massage. Well...the guy I talked to today ended up being from "<b><u><a href="https://flamingos.villadelpalmar.com/" target="_blank">Villa Del Palmar - Flamingos</a></u></b>" and talked me into a vacation presentation. Swore up and down it wasn't a timeshare, only for word of mouth; getting friends/family to look at it and promised me a massage, facial & reflexology session at the pink tent. I should have known...</p><p>There is quite the sales procedure going on there. Beach guy drops me off, but prequalifies me asking if I have credit card and ID, and that no husband is with me or he has to be there. Then first associate (Miguel, who I genuinely liked) comes by with more prequalifying questions, and takes me to breakfast. I don't eat so neither does he. I don't even look at the food though he wanted me to. We tour the resort, below was the view shot from the display unit. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWs81S0Sn5cRStGnl4q-iRqaYcbWefBRbfKuLzWJnXHebcrSkPkFI2puebYq5adznZbCyOlIGWY8sDloRPMVfhFzy-sN7R-8MUR8_3WLfkv_asV1VPG2vqyHw3HP5iA6gHKjbrmIq4h9MAdGp69cWXhqj2NtPafKECPEQntkEDvY8po6BEG_O1BUFA5u1/s3861/IMG_6589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWs81S0Sn5cRStGnl4q-iRqaYcbWefBRbfKuLzWJnXHebcrSkPkFI2puebYq5adznZbCyOlIGWY8sDloRPMVfhFzy-sN7R-8MUR8_3WLfkv_asV1VPG2vqyHw3HP5iA6gHKjbrmIq4h9MAdGp69cWXhqj2NtPafKECPEQntkEDvY8po6BEG_O1BUFA5u1/w640-h480/IMG_6589.JPG" title="View Shot - Villa Del Palmar Flamingos" width="640" /></a></div><p>Then into the pressure room where I get assigned another lady to hard sell me. There is clapping/bell ringing every few minutes as they say sales have been made but I think those people were just "plants" in the room. When I said that to the lady, she laughed very uncomfortably. 😉 Anyway, after a VERY LONG hard core sell where the price drops to half and in Canadian dollars, I say no and am escorted down by my first guy who says he'll drop me off to collect my "prizes".</p><p>But <b><u>NO</u></b>: enter "The Closer", final sales pressure; this time they drill it down to a "trial membership". Relentless he (Eddie) was and I was so worn down and tired that I accepted. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBTGUmiJkh-xLg3RVOpdVG4qU5YZP0M2RaP-rzrXOsRxWJBRd9Q6bsPdwHmr8b-tOfY-_0RVdkgKnxogS7eCNWUvIOfyujg_m--F7Hq1nKYFCRxizQRPuZ9AR7iAfG9xEVVtDPs5HMLEQnHysKZnoXT8w7lMMNjQOLgR2p8JcYQASGGeXuuOZ_wAeR6tf/s4032/IMG_6591.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBTGUmiJkh-xLg3RVOpdVG4qU5YZP0M2RaP-rzrXOsRxWJBRd9Q6bsPdwHmr8b-tOfY-_0RVdkgKnxogS7eCNWUvIOfyujg_m--F7Hq1nKYFCRxizQRPuZ9AR7iAfG9xEVVtDPs5HMLEQnHysKZnoXT8w7lMMNjQOLgR2p8JcYQASGGeXuuOZ_wAeR6tf/w480-h640/IMG_6591.JPG" title="Exit Final Sales Push" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUyb1HICwRWuhJ766TUqBpMmps5ohVg2M2utPQwkDynnNIiGx_wZHVEAMURq_Tp_PiYFgKyF97EpHrXF46Sp_rcVRhHqwjP0UMZP9HaRgP3lQDXwoexpFcQgji-coP_wv-NdqXut-CVjLhX8HpxdClzIFEpPHivzWC53T5NKIb_qS55fi7iE5Hlg_IodK/s3023/IMG_6592.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2749" data-original-width="3023" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUyb1HICwRWuhJ766TUqBpMmps5ohVg2M2utPQwkDynnNIiGx_wZHVEAMURq_Tp_PiYFgKyF97EpHrXF46Sp_rcVRhHqwjP0UMZP9HaRgP3lQDXwoexpFcQgji-coP_wv-NdqXut-CVjLhX8HpxdClzIFEpPHivzWC53T5NKIb_qS55fi7iE5Hlg_IodK/w640-h582/IMG_6592.JPG" title="Trial Offer" width="640" /></a></div><p>$4000 CAD (billed $2995 USD) for a 3 year trial, 6 weeks vacation and 1 free week in Mexico. I signed that all up and then got my gifts. I stopped for my reflexology but honestly, just felt sick to my stomach and didn't enjoy it all. </p><p>When I got back to my room, I read it all over and then saw a line that said I could cancel within 5 days, penalty free at the place I purchased it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_nlDbSHS_01FRMacyvOT8pMU_vueEk0bE5CY6qsTJu1UQtSMXh5V83loLoBSuPGLJCgRAyPrOjr1qoyyxdjJbdqL-0V1BTN-Ydkwh0gSdCZsPooZsseInjtOlUk2lZGFt1TG516-7zowWxk5PGM9AXZZFwsxfHzoWLsp-v4kaZB2ASqj6rNNDWcnWdAs/s3918/IMG_6595.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="3918" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_nlDbSHS_01FRMacyvOT8pMU_vueEk0bE5CY6qsTJu1UQtSMXh5V83loLoBSuPGLJCgRAyPrOjr1qoyyxdjJbdqL-0V1BTN-Ydkwh0gSdCZsPooZsseInjtOlUk2lZGFt1TG516-7zowWxk5PGM9AXZZFwsxfHzoWLsp-v4kaZB2ASqj6rNNDWcnWdAs/w640-h96/IMG_6595.JPG" title="Section "G"" width="640" /></a></div><p>I messaged the sales guy and this is what I received, below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb8NcAOPzfv8NHAGV7crWvYQv55Jsc3jBPDvKr54CWmmFugvV1BLuiHFLu09wjEkFkrFeDyOLcj5oNEPCVL0BZF3May6EiTIaxFgOCXBv5hpJbvl60mbNohpEKEocSYsn1R81010egvO5UeE1PRWrG7YRAD-uMI6vCw_yYhKmBY0Zh5vdXMnNqRKCl1t-/s1792/IMG_6598.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb8NcAOPzfv8NHAGV7crWvYQv55Jsc3jBPDvKr54CWmmFugvV1BLuiHFLu09wjEkFkrFeDyOLcj5oNEPCVL0BZF3May6EiTIaxFgOCXBv5hpJbvl60mbNohpEKEocSYsn1R81010egvO5UeE1PRWrG7YRAD-uMI6vCw_yYhKmBY0Zh5vdXMnNqRKCl1t-/w296-h640/IMG_6598.PNG" title="Sales Guy still pitching..." width="296" /></a></div><p>...so I was expecting the hard sell again tomorrow. I barely ate dinner, barely slept...I messaged my friend to share my woes and she said only "I" could find a way to be stressed out on vacation...😆</p><p><b><u>Friday, June 16, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I woke up at 7am and couldn't get back to sleep. I showered and left walking the beach back to the Timeshare resort. I ended up there about 9am. I went straight to the manager and she told me Eddie would be in at 10 to see me. I told her I didn't want the pitch again and that I was <i><b>done</b></i>. I handed her my written letter and she signed it saying received and the date, then sent me an email saying I could expect my refund back in 7 - 15 business days. I wouldn't leave till I actually received the email so had to work out the WiFi with her. Eddie showed up but she told him to forget it and with that, it was over. <i>Hopefully it's over</i>... (as I type this now, 3 days later, there are TWO charges for it on my credit card now and no refund...)</p><p>I decided not to even go get my free massage and facial that was booked for today. Instead, I got a taxi ($140 pesos or $11 CAD) and headed to Bucerias to hopefully find some <b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quesabirria" target="_blank">Birria</a></u></b>! I found the place I wanted to go to but it was closed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6G3k1I4QojZtl88UkmTdmr9ey_DYmuzqwWUTaoy3j63UhaYH6g-7yT2FLLrruftFjBw-P2wviz9-UoEwNvCNditWJ1rKaskGaZp6Y-Gz0T1qunJjBwHSDgL0l2zDRnQJ7PZnDB2hmkQsD-i3zsDO8Tbq4TDfbAbPZQB4VXJzAV1s9ASZ_KuBK1zkqhaW6/s4032/IMG_6605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6G3k1I4QojZtl88UkmTdmr9ey_DYmuzqwWUTaoy3j63UhaYH6g-7yT2FLLrruftFjBw-P2wviz9-UoEwNvCNditWJ1rKaskGaZp6Y-Gz0T1qunJjBwHSDgL0l2zDRnQJ7PZnDB2hmkQsD-i3zsDO8Tbq4TDfbAbPZQB4VXJzAV1s9ASZ_KuBK1zkqhaW6/w640-h480/IMG_6605.JPG" title="Bucerias" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was so hot walking around there in town that I had to stop to get out of the sun. A place called <b><u><a href="http://miguelangelbucerias.com/" target="_blank">Miguel Angel</a></u></b> by the beach invited me in and got me a fan. They had a parrot out there with them and he told me the parrot said to tell me they were open now to serve me some food, lol. The owner was charming as can be and I ordered a Pacifico beer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h0uYA-gL9R67mnfant-1yML67iaVRPrmZu7opXXRoQANGOsvzAtbPmCcuUyfEs2o7ge3SrZkxblu_9ixvaQ0pzYImUPjggi2Aswk9pynv0aBGZkU3SF2w3EMGNrPuH8DnXdDy3KeUHXlHR2lNdRnRjlhqw6Im1nqKgpxIXAaEB15wTqGxe8TwfpwcYVF/s4032/IMG_6608.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h0uYA-gL9R67mnfant-1yML67iaVRPrmZu7opXXRoQANGOsvzAtbPmCcuUyfEs2o7ge3SrZkxblu_9ixvaQ0pzYImUPjggi2Aswk9pynv0aBGZkU3SF2w3EMGNrPuH8DnXdDy3KeUHXlHR2lNdRnRjlhqw6Im1nqKgpxIXAaEB15wTqGxe8TwfpwcYVF/w480-h640/IMG_6608.JPG" title="Bucerias Parrot" width="480" /></a></div><p>He said he could make something similar to birria, so I told him to go ahead. It ended up being beef tips in a red sauce, and it was okay to eat, not great. It came with corn tortillas.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tK6HCNRZRaW_xp6Ou9NpGLhYOQEdKn_qzIMnXnxRb3CQkys61BjsgYVzWgOk6bqsj3vRo7ye9R4_PUPTj0OyFShjHg4OHz1DFwYuA9Arm6pMXwcjefiJ9ht6B048rac6bXwKiZmdsN9q4wc0Z5ka9GeUnHbWL4i-w8IHTu_33L_x2SJGmrujUBFtNOv8/s4032/IMG_6609.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="4032" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tK6HCNRZRaW_xp6Ou9NpGLhYOQEdKn_qzIMnXnxRb3CQkys61BjsgYVzWgOk6bqsj3vRo7ye9R4_PUPTj0OyFShjHg4OHz1DFwYuA9Arm6pMXwcjefiJ9ht6B048rac6bXwKiZmdsN9q4wc0Z5ka9GeUnHbWL4i-w8IHTu_33L_x2SJGmrujUBFtNOv8/w640-h462/IMG_6609.JPG" title="Beef Tips" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GDcuC8S2mV0H3xmlFzSNh9_EncgHdV02NisQ8Act3j11o6DGMmgtuEgWPMxerwPjMIDr-JJLetQaxF7Cfb9KgC1eZu_ijPrhACzkO3MVEq091Kc8DSbNmqwa5gnrUwnzdywH4cZz3uodEJD5QyxMYiUZUS7mow9TK1F2bnzyeqrYn5NpkTGRV2X2tKyv/s4032/IMG_6611.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GDcuC8S2mV0H3xmlFzSNh9_EncgHdV02NisQ8Act3j11o6DGMmgtuEgWPMxerwPjMIDr-JJLetQaxF7Cfb9KgC1eZu_ijPrhACzkO3MVEq091Kc8DSbNmqwa5gnrUwnzdywH4cZz3uodEJD5QyxMYiUZUS7mow9TK1F2bnzyeqrYn5NpkTGRV2X2tKyv/w480-h640/IMG_6611.JPG" title="Don't Exploit Children!" width="480" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately I haven't eaten any "great" food yet but I wasn't expecting to so not a surprise. I sat for a while then they called a taxi for me and I went back to the resort. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJABKFbsjy7oAtD94bmR96f4fCmgyX8DCVZf_VNnOPehndHjChYepieu3qBljAXd9x97KLEoRNyBJAqFX07eHsLGdwrDj6Od5NmxFbhMSdKTktJ1cjpcTmfhWzyGtKTVYuYLUl9PwU8-ewT3PkqQWB1WeIcxfqPr3Rc2qQqssXcStNKVmxyJaJKb8y_qZ/s4032/IMG_6581.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJABKFbsjy7oAtD94bmR96f4fCmgyX8DCVZf_VNnOPehndHjChYepieu3qBljAXd9x97KLEoRNyBJAqFX07eHsLGdwrDj6Od5NmxFbhMSdKTktJ1cjpcTmfhWzyGtKTVYuYLUl9PwU8-ewT3PkqQWB1WeIcxfqPr3Rc2qQqssXcStNKVmxyJaJKb8y_qZ/w640-h480/IMG_6581.JPG" title="RIU Beach" width="640" /></a></div><p>I made my way to the sports bar and chatted with the bartender for a couple drinks. She was there every day and today was the first day we had a conversation as it was really slow in there, which was nice. I was done with the trip at this point. There was a big "White Party" this evening and I just wanted to ignore it. I was ready to go home.</p><p>I came back to the sports bar for a pre-dinner drink and it was packed. But the worst part was when this group of 6 young guys come in, and one has a ghetto blaster around his neck and is blaring music at the loudest volume setting. One bartender asked them to turn it off but they ignored her and worst of all, they sat beside me! They each ate 2 hotdogs and then finally left. The bartender and I rolled our eyes and shook our heads at each other. That sports bar is open 24 hours and I got told earlier how ugly it got in there after the disco closed... I can only imagine. I had someone banging and trying to get in my door last night and my phone didn't work to call the front desk. Finally he went away but was yelling and banging for a while and that was only at midnight.</p><p>I snuck into the buffet for an early dinner. Everyone at the resort was all wearing white so I stood out like a sore thumb. Roast turkey was the special but it went back to the kitchen because it was raw, so I just had nibbles and then went up to my room before the party started. All the kids were lined up getting their faces bejeweled with white diamonds, white paint, etc. They had been decorating all day with white streamers, etc. and I understand they even invite the guests from the Riu next door over for it. NO THANK YOU, lol. </p><p>I chatted with my son who attended his grandpa's funeral today and felt bad I wasn't there for him. I put "Black Mirror" on Netflix and settled in for the night.</p><p><b><u>Saturday, June 17, 2023:</u></b></p><p>I had a good sleep for a change. Got in the shower and went to the sports bar for a champagne on ice and then a Spanish coffee. The coffee was really good here and they made a damn fine drink.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia7gQB-UK7tD7hcwyzZbX6NUoyVIv2Gd1HT-5yrfVgq_cIK9nIIAP09IO5EQiIntWfod6KpQhyUvF5boydRwsXXMIwZVodvmqjFkqbh5AXfgIOB5VN15EcH_jBBPkR7Ln2qmbB5lhWI_SYwKns4GNklSNs3VFjay9Ic8Kg_mIdpvIclZ8IrhfLcTk-8QS/s3289/IMG_6620.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3289" data-original-width="2099" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia7gQB-UK7tD7hcwyzZbX6NUoyVIv2Gd1HT-5yrfVgq_cIK9nIIAP09IO5EQiIntWfod6KpQhyUvF5boydRwsXXMIwZVodvmqjFkqbh5AXfgIOB5VN15EcH_jBBPkR7Ln2qmbB5lhWI_SYwKns4GNklSNs3VFjay9Ic8Kg_mIdpvIclZ8IrhfLcTk-8QS/w408-h640/IMG_6620.JPG" title="Spanish Coffee" width="408" /></a></div><p>I walked to the security gate at 10am to see if Victor would be there but I doubted it since I hadn't gone to his bars for three nights now. A taxi pulled up and a lady who spoke English asked me if I wanted a ride? I told her I had to wait till 10 but if no one showed up and she knew a good birria place I'd love to go with her. At 9:59 she said she got another fare, so I said I'd go then if she'd take me. She told me she had birria for breakfast and goes to the same place at least 3 times a week or more as it's so good. She said tourists wouldn't know this place. I was so excited! Round trip she quoted me $260 pesos ($20 CAD) and then whatever I wanted to give her for waiting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtBjc-1rQKwRXPwlC_vyFBTY33UL2gbQE_vinWkpZvgOiiYyCpIXjP_k-VA3w_s4jDh76fdIcXiE6-DhG5vdN3VsC-SP9VqlGCgSTctHO3lviv3CklrV86WGTYIjawi9RGwSSpP3gGfhZ_CZqytfrHZKUIhyaZWsLlJkGXUvV5bRCLSaIQJ6WBUSA25qj/s4032/IMG_6614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtBjc-1rQKwRXPwlC_vyFBTY33UL2gbQE_vinWkpZvgOiiYyCpIXjP_k-VA3w_s4jDh76fdIcXiE6-DhG5vdN3VsC-SP9VqlGCgSTctHO3lviv3CklrV86WGTYIjawi9RGwSSpP3gGfhZ_CZqytfrHZKUIhyaZWsLlJkGXUvV5bRCLSaIQJ6WBUSA25qj/w480-h640/IMG_6614.JPG" title="Birria Stand" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNG8icFqpzEsmlM2fzEJRk1cs74V_rR4iC_qlbdx2xTvfoUJRHCXMwBLkXQSDU1iLKz9lgiOXdLZoen_gsW7x-3qFQmgoAmQpDlv3rBR3KYjJOl_zqZOKxPQW9rDlE0xBshbp_fMI0C9-IZs_rignLfWK6btcHIc18_tNgGkxlWkOolkvl8ufX5-SAAx5/s3799/IMG_6615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2428" data-original-width="3799" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNG8icFqpzEsmlM2fzEJRk1cs74V_rR4iC_qlbdx2xTvfoUJRHCXMwBLkXQSDU1iLKz9lgiOXdLZoen_gsW7x-3qFQmgoAmQpDlv3rBR3KYjJOl_zqZOKxPQW9rDlE0xBshbp_fMI0C9-IZs_rignLfWK6btcHIc18_tNgGkxlWkOolkvl8ufX5-SAAx5/w640-h410/IMG_6615.JPG" title="Balta Birria" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We got to the place and there was a line up and we had to wait a bit for a table. She even came with me to help with the language. I ordered 3 quesabirria tacos and consommé. The broth was was drinkable it was <i>that</i> tasty. YUM.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPQTWXee05Uds9QwH5X0UEAcS1iFrdO76WP3n__VM9MaksGTS16MMoEGYyVJmGH0NP_UtWqIhWh4nAg2TDrMjNgt-GzfEB4vyOBQkdm6IOZdJndNAn2bumjw2V1y7UK0uflOg33iyLMHOYqoIjDuJkLsq6rEyXRwivaY0MHmF1ds_kj28PSgAFDuS5EeF/s3024/IMG_6616.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="3024" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPQTWXee05Uds9QwH5X0UEAcS1iFrdO76WP3n__VM9MaksGTS16MMoEGYyVJmGH0NP_UtWqIhWh4nAg2TDrMjNgt-GzfEB4vyOBQkdm6IOZdJndNAn2bumjw2V1y7UK0uflOg33iyLMHOYqoIjDuJkLsq6rEyXRwivaY0MHmF1ds_kj28PSgAFDuS5EeF/w640-h614/IMG_6616.JPG" title="Consommé" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfx489tNgxxLDBZmQ2DCWvF-Dbe2JeGNanoAeDwkCyf_UV4UM0DzzL6m-VIkT58D6rweZhCrhvSBHQofE0JTFVZEAR13qO8VI8r0QBwH-3RCTQKpcTIpjcHghSmVwttHXlnU2zVZKvcNwB-ForoFxYU2ywaMDfrQsVroP9w1J3flC7DURuL4fDNcnKy34-/s3749/IMG_6618.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="3749" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfx489tNgxxLDBZmQ2DCWvF-Dbe2JeGNanoAeDwkCyf_UV4UM0DzzL6m-VIkT58D6rweZhCrhvSBHQofE0JTFVZEAR13qO8VI8r0QBwH-3RCTQKpcTIpjcHghSmVwttHXlnU2zVZKvcNwB-ForoFxYU2ywaMDfrQsVroP9w1J3flC7DURuL4fDNcnKy34-/w640-h398/IMG_6618.JPG" title="Quesabirria" width="640" /></a></div><p>With a soda she ordered it came to $120 pesos ($10 CAD). And OMFG, it was soooo delicious! I got extra consommé because it was so good. She drove me back to my hotel and asked me if I wanted it for breakfast before I left tomorrow? I told her I'd never say no. She said she'd message me then and we exchanged info. As birria was the only thing I wanted to try in PV, fate worked in my favor today, for sure. This was the best part of my trip so far! I gave her $500 pesos for the outing ($39 CAD and worth every penny). P.S. I asked her why birria was a breakfast food there when it's heavy and seems like a dinner meal (beef dip on tortillas). She said it's perfect for hangovers, haha. 😜🥂</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqMBVMGvq1aGs5oxKYAvIHOTbXWcXKxhcI9668e0_xPRWUe-NB-xLRrIF9IKngHZPGrQ4UdttG_PuyU1bRZr4lei5w6vUccsWoU2YdxwdjdpkKF4ZTADA5nqhjgnGkgrc8yRhcwo-v1v2xGewE2bJgGYQUFPSfxMyu0SRn2goY99-HhUVOZRfi08j3fgs/s2057/IMG_6617.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2057" data-original-width="1367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqMBVMGvq1aGs5oxKYAvIHOTbXWcXKxhcI9668e0_xPRWUe-NB-xLRrIF9IKngHZPGrQ4UdttG_PuyU1bRZr4lei5w6vUccsWoU2YdxwdjdpkKF4ZTADA5nqhjgnGkgrc8yRhcwo-v1v2xGewE2bJgGYQUFPSfxMyu0SRn2goY99-HhUVOZRfi08j3fgs/w426-h640/IMG_6617.JPG" title="Quesabirria Heaven!" width="426" /></a></div><p>Back at the resort I ran into one of the ladies (BLT gal) I met the other night and sat at the beach with her for the day, gabbing and drinking a little. We had nibbles (veggies) at the Steakhouse which was also open for lunch and sits right on the beach. I never ended up eating dinner there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x7PigFI3BXL5U5nG6EWX7anDPQ_hdi2-WvqJUL7PMJ_zx15VCx1QnEQjGHiGxtiqEZcOTXngKEqOs_y3VxUp-r5GwhQ9t5NIrT5BupWpbjOnLNlLimqNna8qJ2SUkY2BqN-e1SwYMN7WY5j67UggK45jwfmdlU82A6dVfhvzmS6aSXWby1YeRMou-IsV/s4032/IMG_6624.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x7PigFI3BXL5U5nG6EWX7anDPQ_hdi2-WvqJUL7PMJ_zx15VCx1QnEQjGHiGxtiqEZcOTXngKEqOs_y3VxUp-r5GwhQ9t5NIrT5BupWpbjOnLNlLimqNna8qJ2SUkY2BqN-e1SwYMN7WY5j67UggK45jwfmdlU82A6dVfhvzmS6aSXWby1YeRMou-IsV/w640-h480/IMG_6624.JPG" title="Steakhouse" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy45DRC40Xwh6jcrYIDhlkDybyvy1bZLhBoATmIkWcauUSKrQOeuKx_H8ou1YJcPaPB_UMgAnwLRNRaYWg__c3dfAiSb7XFebSQEKCu2smII1JK7VVPXSMsuRKPfUTnNkO8vP6UsklrDX3xZjoqM6outy3LMwrobLnTEnvpfj2j-kAbM3K5do9XGBtCAmx/s3927/IMG_6570.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy45DRC40Xwh6jcrYIDhlkDybyvy1bZLhBoATmIkWcauUSKrQOeuKx_H8ou1YJcPaPB_UMgAnwLRNRaYWg__c3dfAiSb7XFebSQEKCu2smII1JK7VVPXSMsuRKPfUTnNkO8vP6UsklrDX3xZjoqM6outy3LMwrobLnTEnvpfj2j-kAbM3K5do9XGBtCAmx/w640-h480/IMG_6570.JPG" title="Steakhouse View" width="640" /></a></div><p>We agreed to meet that evening at the outdoor bar at my "old usual time - 6pm". She even said she had looked for me there but of course I was hiding for a couple days. She was also from Vancouver, the same age as me and on the same flight home though she was with her son and his girlfriend. Our stories were similar in that we drank a lot the first few days and now had reeled it in and were "behaving". She said the "White Party" had been like a mosh pit, they bussed people in from the other RIU hotels and said it was insanity. She said they removed all the seating and it was just stand and jump up and down to the music, lol. She said the outdoor bars were tumultuously busy and they added some portable ones as well, but zero seating anywhere. They stayed in their rooms too but had watched from afar for a bit...anyway, I'm glad I missed it. Below is the bar/stage area before it opens:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUF6LVh0fNQhz16vwlWeQ2rGEUHZ-ApdIu5zRWfgcjXTVXQWrOrZpi_QjcI67JiRJEA9a3hxMMYI12RrOiu7mP8o3djeujIYPkMhoDlUui2M2bej2_FUZjF7RLQyTnA9R5gJvpowbQ8plZ49ogr85WCul9RyiEtKv3OvJS-AdjwF2HYqOTc3X-PLGCTQyv/s3831/IMG_6621.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2518" data-original-width="3831" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUF6LVh0fNQhz16vwlWeQ2rGEUHZ-ApdIu5zRWfgcjXTVXQWrOrZpi_QjcI67JiRJEA9a3hxMMYI12RrOiu7mP8o3djeujIYPkMhoDlUui2M2bej2_FUZjF7RLQyTnA9R5gJvpowbQ8plZ49ogr85WCul9RyiEtKv3OvJS-AdjwF2HYqOTc3X-PLGCTQyv/w640-h420/IMG_6621.JPG" title="Outdoor Bar/Stage area" width="640" /></a></div><p>I freshened up and went to the bar about 6-ish. I went to the Italian place for salmon and she sat in the lounge bar. The salmon came with a dill cream sauce and was quite appetizing. No complaints at all.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DqNy1l9NssmaFbx9Zvb9fFZTBD_BFEnh90ZcH8yzTgvdOGmn_UTJmzrdVTBtyPMLxJeO73ifOlrKdbPwvNN6kyfjViZkADioz6yPw29wRz4NTtMjtFSGqdJffZ5l4woQxGLp-mn7pwOdYWOIUREnHqezXjf042DhJjzkpBe9GYUg2AVFQsh9NIfJ59Sq/s3024/IMG_6627.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2463" data-original-width="3024" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DqNy1l9NssmaFbx9Zvb9fFZTBD_BFEnh90ZcH8yzTgvdOGmn_UTJmzrdVTBtyPMLxJeO73ifOlrKdbPwvNN6kyfjViZkADioz6yPw29wRz4NTtMjtFSGqdJffZ5l4woQxGLp-mn7pwOdYWOIUREnHqezXjf042DhJjzkpBe9GYUg2AVFQsh9NIfJ59Sq/w640-h522/IMG_6627.JPG" title="Salmon with Cream Dill Sauce" width="640" /></a></div><p>I found my friend in the lounge after. We wandered all over but she wanted to find a cigarette, so we headed to the smoking area. No one was there but lo & behold, a pack was on the ground in front of us and it was half full. She said she didn't have a light. I told her to go to the front desk as they had matches. I guess I saw it before because I have no idea how I knew that??? We went outside so she could smoke and the sunset was beautiful!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk2Cm09JNMQGuBt7OuDafRwi8E1UQwsoQXU02yks0mXQHJbZo4m_Z8NjeqZB-QmkRrMN09s_p29EUWYYO_Z4n5lswRF-ggtzbj24qMV2zwSur0M8MH5GSObihnq3bmSg0KkIcdoIgxKY9C0Jm3DBuT7mXxo02DDmlusDDE_6bg5HGCROAf5wqQ6gMJqAB/s4028/IMG_6630.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="4028" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk2Cm09JNMQGuBt7OuDafRwi8E1UQwsoQXU02yks0mXQHJbZo4m_Z8NjeqZB-QmkRrMN09s_p29EUWYYO_Z4n5lswRF-ggtzbj24qMV2zwSur0M8MH5GSObihnq3bmSg0KkIcdoIgxKY9C0Jm3DBuT7mXxo02DDmlusDDE_6bg5HGCROAf5wqQ6gMJqAB/w640-h478/IMG_6630.JPG" title="Puerto Vallarta Sunset" width="640" /></a></div><p>Before she even finished her cigarette, I realized I was being eaten alive and I had no bug spray on! I suddenly started scratching EVERYWHERE and couldn't believe it. I had to go to my room and take an antihistamine and also buy cream for bug bites which costed $20 CAD at the hotel! My face welted up and I felt horrible. I couldn't go back out after that, so just retired in the room though she wanted me to go watch the "Mexican" show with her. </p><p><b><u>Sunday, June 18, 2023:</u></b></p>I woke early and showered, packed and was ready to go. The face welts had subsided but my legs and arms were covered in bites still. WOW! I have never had that happen before, I am still scratchy and itchy and feel as though I'm finding new bites a day later. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXsHiyKRQnmSo8KRJTl5FACcLjw3tjZbpC81Ueo_w0PI7HJiARAVB6XljqqXXKlAEmnVED8lHyuf3mTWDaREblvPbsFfy38oEteT2ld6Rx53Mzs91eL-koX5QZxt4E35u8DKuN7q8vCGGkds8i-eDqEpM0xtN9wZDoDUZYgF3hKchThxz8YnUj0sVZ86_/s4032/IMG_6612.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXsHiyKRQnmSo8KRJTl5FACcLjw3tjZbpC81Ueo_w0PI7HJiARAVB6XljqqXXKlAEmnVED8lHyuf3mTWDaREblvPbsFfy38oEteT2ld6Rx53Mzs91eL-koX5QZxt4E35u8DKuN7q8vCGGkds8i-eDqEpM0xtN9wZDoDUZYgF3hKchThxz8YnUj0sVZ86_/w640-h480/IMG_6612.JPG" title="Lounge View" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I sat in the lounge (above view from it) and drank a few waiting to get picked up by the airport shuttle. I also went around the resort and tipped all my favorite staff with the leftover pesos too. I stayed in the A/C sports bar until time to depart. My friend came in and we sat together and later spent time at Bubba Gump's drinking wine at the airport. I paid $80 for a bottle of cab sav but it was actually good and I had leftover pesos, so not a big deal. The airport was CRAZY EXPENSIVE and all in US Dollars. Did not like it at all. Our plane left and landed on time and I was home about 8:30 - 9pm. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>In summary</u></b>: I did pretty good socially, felt like I got my groove back for a few days there. I also still had a few days where I didn't, and talked to no one... I still have work to do on myself... I took the stairs the whole time and never used the elevator. I was happy with my steps/exercise which was easy to accomplish just by the size of the resort and the hike to my room back/forth each day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't love Puerto Vallarta...still... I'd come back if the price was right but this will never be a destination spot for me. PV feels like Cabo or an American city to me. Nothing really more to say about it or this trip other than below is a lovely bunch of coconuts. 🥥😊</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA4ro3RVnh1MY3NkjmSjBE9iyX7sbHcg8jn_hLRpNjX9NG7wppXCMdTW4sTJ5jh4CBrRmeZ1iPFex4sDlFgZwQTE8LKjH06M-x_NkxivSBqCkq-s-whXzP8NcyFvhUN8tch-HCaWgDEusDnLNTkDgNVFBc0NWhpTIH01T5W6iWDAPyQWgbZGpj8ts7tDi/s4032/IMG_6625.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA4ro3RVnh1MY3NkjmSjBE9iyX7sbHcg8jn_hLRpNjX9NG7wppXCMdTW4sTJ5jh4CBrRmeZ1iPFex4sDlFgZwQTE8LKjH06M-x_NkxivSBqCkq-s-whXzP8NcyFvhUN8tch-HCaWgDEusDnLNTkDgNVFBc0NWhpTIH01T5W6iWDAPyQWgbZGpj8ts7tDi/w480-h640/IMG_6625.JPG" title="Coconut Tree" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Paseo de los Cocoteros S/N Lote K Y K, Flamingos, 63732 Nuevo Vallarta, Nay., Mexico20.7339599 -105.3129849-7.5762739361788469 -140.4692349 49.04419373617884 -70.1567349tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-1936276307895910302023-05-13T23:15:00.066-07:002023-05-14T22:53:52.832-07:00Huatulco Trip Report - Apr. 3 - 10, 2023<p>This marks my first trip of 2023 and my fourth visit to Huatulco. I traveled with my friend who accompanied me on my first two trips. We scored direct return flights on WestJet for $494 CAD each and rented a 2 bedroom condo ($1100 total for the week) . It was close to playa Santa Cruz (3 blocks away) located at 137 Acatlán. Pic below is from booking.com which is where I reserved it.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfjADsLlT3i7DviwYMG_4_79PGNKsQ5RmL7eqJ5v5DGIUaWROKayga6HQErK2ts1Pjr_G86XUmLG6OS3woz4h_WB0ujKxSGhWRH7NROamASIKwW63EUcqHgQTXxAXLzXgRLJrMNYDs7GI2xKGhvR7Aui5yyijaOwIGvhcpD-uIdOffa4DdDMhGke0NQ/s1024/Condo%20Acatl%C3%A1n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfjADsLlT3i7DviwYMG_4_79PGNKsQ5RmL7eqJ5v5DGIUaWROKayga6HQErK2ts1Pjr_G86XUmLG6OS3woz4h_WB0ujKxSGhWRH7NROamASIKwW63EUcqHgQTXxAXLzXgRLJrMNYDs7GI2xKGhvR7Aui5yyijaOwIGvhcpD-uIdOffa4DdDMhGke0NQ/w640-h426/Condo%20Acatl%C3%A1n.jpg" title="Condo Acatlán" width="640" /></a></div><p>I knew we would be there Easter Sunday and all I thought about it was I wouldn't have to cook a big meal! BUT, a couple months prior to leaving I discovered the week we were visiting was called "Semana Santa" which translates to "Holy Week" in English. I also learned that this one of the busiest times in Huatulco and hotels/resorts are usually fully booked. 😨 I guessed that would mean the beaches were congested as well... While the thought stressed me out, I just reminded myself there was nothing we could do about it so we'd have to deal with it and figure it out while we were there but I can't lie; my Disney days with packed wall to wall hoards of people are over. I don't like crowds anymore (even more so since covid)...and our week also included two cruise ships as well 😩. There's a reason I always visit in November before the tourists pile in...</p><p><b><u>Monday, April 3, 2023:</u></b></p><p>Our flight was a decent 9 am departure time and my friend picked me up in a taxi on the way to the airport. Everything was painless even after departing a half hour late on WestJet. We arrived at the same time we were originally supposed to. The walk off the plane is usually a hot one but wasn't too bad this time other than being very humid. We were soon off to condo in a taxi ($580 pesos, pre tip). </p><p>Jorje was waiting for us upon arrival as I had messaged him from airport. The condo is gated so no entry without a key. We were on the second floor. The condo was quite lovely, huge with big tall ceilings. We tried to get a little unpacked and to get a taxi we walked over to the Castillo. We enjoyed a "Sangrita" drink to reminisce past memories there. Then off to Super Che grocery store which was extremely busy. There was a fairly substantial earthquake while we were standing in the check out line, everything rattled and trembled but no one even flinched an eye but us. I found the info about it on the Huatulco forum later that evening. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom61NlqsEOy404pnxNH6lXcOwMw4Jw7mfpJdA-vFlLIzCIOXX1sGZtv7c76ujDC8SRJ_NSuD2XKZ6G7Xrk2vZul4bBH0koVQhLjPfXJKCSN05vbU71ET_eVFHBZNmKHFePDuqksT11ITFMqTAVmpjDZv1ow2P7jqX1enCFE-7tS2EvyK_9hXP_pAegQ/s933/EQ.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="516" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom61NlqsEOy404pnxNH6lXcOwMw4Jw7mfpJdA-vFlLIzCIOXX1sGZtv7c76ujDC8SRJ_NSuD2XKZ6G7Xrk2vZul4bBH0koVQhLjPfXJKCSN05vbU71ET_eVFHBZNmKHFePDuqksT11ITFMqTAVmpjDZv1ow2P7jqX1enCFE-7tS2EvyK_9hXP_pAegQ/w354-h640/EQ.png" title="Earthquake in Huatulco" width="354" /></a></div><p>As we were so tired we did a minimal shop of water, wine, snacks and returned back to the condo to hike it all up 2 flights of stairs. (28 bottles of water almost killed me!) I also bought a sim card from TelCel with a plan which was a good deal ($20 or $30 CAD I think and would have lasted a month). It was a real chore to get it when you don't speak Spanish though but I managed. Anyway, it was a smart choice for the trip and I'd do it if I visit again, for sure. </p><p>We ended up heading out for a bite to eat about 9:00-ish and then found the restaurant by our condo was closed. It was dark and there were HUGE pot holes (some so deep you could fall in!), uneven broken pavement everywhere so it was a lesson to pay attention to the ground, not the surroundings. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMCFhhtt8a8Ud4lga7n3xFO_bU-mlSUkLctxkm1lMxvOIGZgYSGyqiC0peTvSnbjtOGIKQJClWW9fOcRpLL5u4MX10JM7t51oqposk5oo8pyk4Xmg1QdE-jf8GpwpN8GKq7qISmnx8JOfPwYWmLlJM7HEZzmickKe3_rDouA950tkEgpbtO_A7h5KIg/s3829/IMG_6354.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3829" data-original-width="2871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMCFhhtt8a8Ud4lga7n3xFO_bU-mlSUkLctxkm1lMxvOIGZgYSGyqiC0peTvSnbjtOGIKQJClWW9fOcRpLL5u4MX10JM7t51oqposk5oo8pyk4Xmg1QdE-jf8GpwpN8GKq7qISmnx8JOfPwYWmLlJM7HEZzmickKe3_rDouA950tkEgpbtO_A7h5KIg/w480-h640/IMG_6354.JPG" title="Taco Stand" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7K1hptnm5dOswqbwkVwxu9kg2ytDZWN7jQknQmGjA9Y7E93TS8Vzg6NJMJ4_pryO-xlYjL0C6p00q7OPYY4CgVpKbx9VF6dAS5V036JzfexWAGMW9N0DcFxhm2koIUX0FdT_ffFm5du1cP-09tw9E7oBaOdhlnxZX4VxC8bEiIYrUAUKi0ME6LKwsw/s4032/IMG_6359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7K1hptnm5dOswqbwkVwxu9kg2ytDZWN7jQknQmGjA9Y7E93TS8Vzg6NJMJ4_pryO-xlYjL0C6p00q7OPYY4CgVpKbx9VF6dAS5V036JzfexWAGMW9N0DcFxhm2koIUX0FdT_ffFm5du1cP-09tw9E7oBaOdhlnxZX4VxC8bEiIYrUAUKi0ME6LKwsw/w640-h480/IMG_6359.JPG" title="Taco Stand" width="640" /></a></div><p>We ended up seeing an outdoor taco stand that was busy and full with locals so we decided to stop there once we saw they had pozole which is a favorite of ours. The offered pork or chicken and we got pork. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD11KxIBjkKzJ3XI5_x1WDOVQ3eJF5yaOBeaYqJGLT_EAct0ifmadLDPDRzWpGnV2J_2lV7hGRjcngw1BHBN50_L5qGRehIAueLGPBatNRG3ZZCCK7-g1abJgqYRiqyI8knj3p15jLEoB_3elUhQgfQQEXBjucxTHhaDU7dCyPlOZI1Yy932VIlECMw/s3698/IMG_6358.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3698" data-original-width="2820" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD11KxIBjkKzJ3XI5_x1WDOVQ3eJF5yaOBeaYqJGLT_EAct0ifmadLDPDRzWpGnV2J_2lV7hGRjcngw1BHBN50_L5qGRehIAueLGPBatNRG3ZZCCK7-g1abJgqYRiqyI8knj3p15jLEoB_3elUhQgfQQEXBjucxTHhaDU7dCyPlOZI1Yy932VIlECMw/w488-h640/IMG_6358.JPG" title="Pork Pozole" width="488" /></a></div><p>It was really tasty and hit the spot. It was better when we found the garnishes hiding under the tostadas! With that we returned to the condo to retire for the evening. Below we discovered a banana tree that we were enamored with only to later find out it was fake, all the plants in the condo were. 😄</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZovH7mwSyMaOFIZfTykhsQOeR34-Ti2gbf5Lgkfaj9OtxJDwgZKGtnNn8kXOtmu_CnrxyNkdZUwWDc-NczXy1kpQajO9o94y2Uwd-1Pc6wMP86LD-11dCkxEG7v3gjJhbHR0pd37Uba1r7ssbWaROb9G-Ef2MCwUmO_gWmEFVdl9MNYor0310EeaBw/s4032/IMG_6360.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZovH7mwSyMaOFIZfTykhsQOeR34-Ti2gbf5Lgkfaj9OtxJDwgZKGtnNn8kXOtmu_CnrxyNkdZUwWDc-NczXy1kpQajO9o94y2Uwd-1Pc6wMP86LD-11dCkxEG7v3gjJhbHR0pd37Uba1r7ssbWaROb9G-Ef2MCwUmO_gWmEFVdl9MNYor0310EeaBw/w480-h640/IMG_6360.JPG" title="Fake Banana Plant" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Sd-1VurYX6SRM8DQh0MSJYVwx_ZP2OiZ4d5Jx_rFJLjd5ly2jJ-tTEHhKwIWMrmC8VbGMk1vEHQmQj3d8LXcVTpMnISyyeLPbCOq5yfwhMnCNUANLiz04bd7VXQ_oA3BWuTIKqpK8ibOikhK_KlDPIs6WQNaLMWX0aMrRxVbV8xKGHyGT8tPgcAEvg/s4032/IMG_6361.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Sd-1VurYX6SRM8DQh0MSJYVwx_ZP2OiZ4d5Jx_rFJLjd5ly2jJ-tTEHhKwIWMrmC8VbGMk1vEHQmQj3d8LXcVTpMnISyyeLPbCOq5yfwhMnCNUANLiz04bd7VXQ_oA3BWuTIKqpK8ibOikhK_KlDPIs6WQNaLMWX0aMrRxVbV8xKGHyGT8tPgcAEvg/w640-h480/IMG_6361.JPG" title="Condo Living Room" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><u>Tuesday, April 4, 2023:</u></b></p><p>We woke bright and early and Playa Maguey was on the agenda. <i>From here on in, the report will be less detailed than usual as I'm writing it a month later after we returned home. I've tried to forget most of our visit; I truly didn't want to write this report but I had to, well..., because I always do...</i> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nNzu29ubAROpIyno_OJr8hKcqtrCYK6RNY3TKCSqStKYTKWMsUxqGo2GrbnTP6P0FHLs1iVF-ZCl8q373LPqH841AnZZMFD6iyoyVHKoxIOWqRfP-0QrmilazMJ-K9ng9_Hsiz9LebWg42IjlnImOzQznFy21me4S3dAWsbRRozpAHBNYhWZcrWT8Q/s4032/IMG_6366.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nNzu29ubAROpIyno_OJr8hKcqtrCYK6RNY3TKCSqStKYTKWMsUxqGo2GrbnTP6P0FHLs1iVF-ZCl8q373LPqH841AnZZMFD6iyoyVHKoxIOWqRfP-0QrmilazMJ-K9ng9_Hsiz9LebWg42IjlnImOzQznFy21me4S3dAWsbRRozpAHBNYhWZcrWT8Q/w640-h480/IMG_6366.JPG" title="Playa Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is my favorite beach out of them all. Jose met us and escorted us to our table and loungers. I remembered his name but he didn't remember mine. (He gave me shit last time for forgetting his!) We always sit at "El Pescador". Below was "pico de gallo" which was good though lacking heat - zero chilies.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbV69a994-HI8Yg2b986BERihBZ2962BaGUMGuiWwsgF1_9j2Gn1mY1iLCrbm069wv_nJ2SWt2baCYmEXtEDLCNxuaxnE6IdlwYT-dSfAuC8iP6_Bvv9CYlXQKMPa2LUUd8Q5eDswlslHjVup_ERCuylrsmJcpZcWWNpi6VGtNO7Rx_gJ_-r-hqw_jw/s3291/IMG_6368.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3291" data-original-width="2748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbV69a994-HI8Yg2b986BERihBZ2962BaGUMGuiWwsgF1_9j2Gn1mY1iLCrbm069wv_nJ2SWt2baCYmEXtEDLCNxuaxnE6IdlwYT-dSfAuC8iP6_Bvv9CYlXQKMPa2LUUd8Q5eDswlslHjVup_ERCuylrsmJcpZcWWNpi6VGtNO7Rx_gJ_-r-hqw_jw/w534-h640/IMG_6368.JPG" title="Pico de Gallo" width="534" /></a></div><br /><div>I ordered the garlic shrimp (I enjoyed it!) and my friend ordered the tuna salad, forgetting that they serve it like "tuna salad", not like the sliced Ahi tuna she was expecting. She didn't like it swimming in the mayo either. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGa3sLjQiAwzsudorv1xt7VANTquqLEECObtDNdWx2F4UKGYslZTiZEwS3_JQFx920Z1wB5Yl6qn5PlE-b2Op2ObZnrnqnMt350L-hBimZm4-vLQvc1ZGZiUsVrhAzQC1KCXmawDNUEydo_J2r_CYgIHHpmWlkCS6FiCbW8v-FvlQ8ZVH7y6_chrebw/s2725/IMG_6372.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="2725" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGa3sLjQiAwzsudorv1xt7VANTquqLEECObtDNdWx2F4UKGYslZTiZEwS3_JQFx920Z1wB5Yl6qn5PlE-b2Op2ObZnrnqnMt350L-hBimZm4-vLQvc1ZGZiUsVrhAzQC1KCXmawDNUEydo_J2r_CYgIHHpmWlkCS6FiCbW8v-FvlQ8ZVH7y6_chrebw/w640-h538/IMG_6372.JPG" title="Tuna Salad" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw12fmrbnvNGQrD3hrae4cpI-019JlbJB6vh6LoXLjWZ2KCCGB_v3gLijeRzda2xnxXysKZWnUl4kyAylhMZTcxszSCWLM9ZzE36gTo3uJbhJSSMdCJ5Iflg_n-zw1xbwKMKI5PEXHrWrczn-ehkg_DZyjGaZ_QVqRWtmdZgh8kiGn9pEgVh5k6vNgQ/s2863/IMG_6374.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2658" data-original-width="2863" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw12fmrbnvNGQrD3hrae4cpI-019JlbJB6vh6LoXLjWZ2KCCGB_v3gLijeRzda2xnxXysKZWnUl4kyAylhMZTcxszSCWLM9ZzE36gTo3uJbhJSSMdCJ5Iflg_n-zw1xbwKMKI5PEXHrWrczn-ehkg_DZyjGaZ_QVqRWtmdZgh8kiGn9pEgVh5k6vNgQ/w640-h594/IMG_6374.JPG" title="Garlic Shrimp" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2krHutP39MBicQWW7erCRSntDnqWi1QVegxByfL4PzeXatjO9tGOVrISUGKb_LNKjmhPQ4aSL37KyrUQJlwVRjYEkR_vAqMDrOT5aldbMwq3eB77YVWOF0tgMtlV9cLJjzjBDQSuM8a2LREfl5q3VsaeeJO3STULSNsxs9K2qjfExH42JbtjEOUAQ/s4031/IMG_6370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2790" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2krHutP39MBicQWW7erCRSntDnqWi1QVegxByfL4PzeXatjO9tGOVrISUGKb_LNKjmhPQ4aSL37KyrUQJlwVRjYEkR_vAqMDrOT5aldbMwq3eB77YVWOF0tgMtlV9cLJjzjBDQSuM8a2LREfl5q3VsaeeJO3STULSNsxs9K2qjfExH42JbtjEOUAQ/w442-h640/IMG_6370.JPG" title="Margarita" width="442" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">When in Mexico...</div><br /><div>After a few more drinks my friend decided to go on a banana boat ride. I kept looking for her on it, but I never did find her, lol. She was gone for quite a while too, but eventually she came back saying it was fun.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJBHC1eGdpmFBVuaj-HEQZ5IJTvWyNkCmRswX_AM26qnq3XDQZpNOgpvDk-NnMZ-Ck_qiYRL6GwidW3GXvGwKjJtO-Pf1A5bxyIsf9IzuRRHg7zV_0Q970TwCNovVywgD9Pp6oIORlhvI2o17EB5P8BbcbOAywDgZdezoMUtFRODAvwyJE_tmEFSQzQ/s3024/IMG_6380.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="3024" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJBHC1eGdpmFBVuaj-HEQZ5IJTvWyNkCmRswX_AM26qnq3XDQZpNOgpvDk-NnMZ-Ck_qiYRL6GwidW3GXvGwKjJtO-Pf1A5bxyIsf9IzuRRHg7zV_0Q970TwCNovVywgD9Pp6oIORlhvI2o17EB5P8BbcbOAywDgZdezoMUtFRODAvwyJE_tmEFSQzQ/w640-h578/IMG_6380.JPG" title="Banana Boat" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We headed back to the condo to meet my son's girl friend he met last trip. He had a used iPhone in perfect condition which he purchased a new battery for. I brought it for her as she was in need of a new mobile. My friend gave her some clothing and I gave her some earrings and chocolate, etc. We were headed to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RocotoHux/" target="_blank">Rocoto</a></u></b> for dinner and my friend thought we should invite her so I did, though I really didn't want to. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_beLemtpb0HFUr0JigtvnHpdW_hAD1rUAkh_T2rx3VxnqPPo44CWwT46eTzqgdN-6_qPHOM_1DEJP5FNI4JEACkrO4qkQshkXNOEcnpfF-gyfnsaX-lBUJF0oTSPXvPqWGTPse2NsT4OvRYfvycgpgSGCPp6f3Jm5AfKZDU2JbDRD1q97z0WTvVArFA/s3475/IMG_6385.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3475" data-original-width="2874" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_beLemtpb0HFUr0JigtvnHpdW_hAD1rUAkh_T2rx3VxnqPPo44CWwT46eTzqgdN-6_qPHOM_1DEJP5FNI4JEACkrO4qkQshkXNOEcnpfF-gyfnsaX-lBUJF0oTSPXvPqWGTPse2NsT4OvRYfvycgpgSGCPp6f3Jm5AfKZDU2JbDRD1q97z0WTvVArFA/w530-h640/IMG_6385.JPG" title="Rocoto HUX" width="530" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway when we asked she said yes, so we had three for our meal. I always find three people awkward and the language barrier made it worse. She also ordered one of the most expensive entrees on the menu and did a good job of helping polish off our wine as well. She was almost chugging it. I was not inviting her to the next place we went!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE7HbG1GEypqivcjuFdbrxdnnGoBmVfCiHFu1owvNJ0iZl8KoGDYKoUlgBkWgmqPb_aI-R4IOS9XXJ-N_3VhrqVXaAf_R0keP8-4F94O0CVkmLwPbki-G0oWzJyGDPc89l3MQ3nH3KXegxspFDbL60rJp-WxoVHxzdLZSesz5uHsMwzupAj2RJNzQPA/s3627/IMG_6388.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3627" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE7HbG1GEypqivcjuFdbrxdnnGoBmVfCiHFu1owvNJ0iZl8KoGDYKoUlgBkWgmqPb_aI-R4IOS9XXJ-N_3VhrqVXaAf_R0keP8-4F94O0CVkmLwPbki-G0oWzJyGDPc89l3MQ3nH3KXegxspFDbL60rJp-WxoVHxzdLZSesz5uHsMwzupAj2RJNzQPA/w534-h640/IMG_6388.JPG" title="Tortilla Shrimp Soup" width="534" /></a></div><br /><div>My friend and I split the tortilla shrimp soup and they put it in two bowls which was very kind. Always delicious and I will always order it whenever I'm here. Chef Claudia was not in this evening so we did not get to say hello but her partner Barbara was just as fun and really lovely. Below is the filet steak my friend ordered:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3rZpO4va5Saa69AwFOmU2BhUvxKlPh22Arvje76hS2uT5getEeK48MvDTVFcnPXm79alw1WmUMOVg8GNn3zmC22GoIuv_KtHbCVMEASAXnW2To9KT-jRs2VQKbK36ra1R4AcDFwpi36wjjKc7RTYNIvjEF2eIWpVYozXZcxzQmocSm7p9ophaqk4cA/s2726/IMG_6391.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="2726" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3rZpO4va5Saa69AwFOmU2BhUvxKlPh22Arvje76hS2uT5getEeK48MvDTVFcnPXm79alw1WmUMOVg8GNn3zmC22GoIuv_KtHbCVMEASAXnW2To9KT-jRs2VQKbK36ra1R4AcDFwpi36wjjKc7RTYNIvjEF2eIWpVYozXZcxzQmocSm7p9ophaqk4cA/w640-h598/IMG_6391.JPG" title="Filet w/Bacon, Veggies & Mash Taters" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Below is what the girl ordered, the most expensive fish dish on the menu which I believe was "dorado"?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYl9OeqLK07kDleAC_3Wk7JiO2fCJGGZW_hsJvyDxdcZMELDmX5yai9KAJ56m3KaTeVTMgb9MbocOcnbtdc4BVMkMxsCmGdAJVthvTnKiLCjau4ed6etnanSgzzde6LxG07gSZFt8MjiptcUIRWwuSE1tQBwFzh24lVemnjbxZJ-hRBUeULK69VuDwzw/s3023/IMG_6392.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2833" data-original-width="3023" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYl9OeqLK07kDleAC_3Wk7JiO2fCJGGZW_hsJvyDxdcZMELDmX5yai9KAJ56m3KaTeVTMgb9MbocOcnbtdc4BVMkMxsCmGdAJVthvTnKiLCjau4ed6etnanSgzzde6LxG07gSZFt8MjiptcUIRWwuSE1tQBwFzh24lVemnjbxZJ-hRBUeULK69VuDwzw/w640-h600/IMG_6392.JPG" title="Dorado" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Lastly I had the Short Ribs Surf & Turf (Shrimp):</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNuzCFfKDJMkTfjF4la1rxXEyjxD9ajoEd4Ehplsgt4KkGhSuO3EeSYKMrV9PZz0VcTUnqo5_t7PAMH47Nmjn_F8KwuNAFC2kRclEAusDdKBPTK0TQ0emHP-g-ZU4e2jWtZfTQYG-MBQe-0TbIAJuRJ7DgMuo6HENuQdG9k3WIxYiUNaR-29SSFcCoA/s2855/IMG_6394.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="2855" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNuzCFfKDJMkTfjF4la1rxXEyjxD9ajoEd4Ehplsgt4KkGhSuO3EeSYKMrV9PZz0VcTUnqo5_t7PAMH47Nmjn_F8KwuNAFC2kRclEAusDdKBPTK0TQ0emHP-g-ZU4e2jWtZfTQYG-MBQe-0TbIAJuRJ7DgMuo6HENuQdG9k3WIxYiUNaR-29SSFcCoA/w640-h614/IMG_6394.JPG" title="Short Ribs" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Everything was terrific as it always is there. The girl did ask me if I wanted any money but I knew that was just a gesture, she knew she wasn't paying and we weren't expecting her to. As we walked over to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lartilleriacafe/" target="_blank">Lartilleria</a></u></b> for a drink down the block, I insisted she get a cab and we would wait with her. When she left we continued to the restaurant. We stayed for a margarita at the bar, waited for a cab and went back to the condo to sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Wednesday, April 5, 2023:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>We were up early and planned to go to <b><u><a href="https://niruhuatulco.com/" target="_blank">Niru Beach Club</a></u></b> for the day buying a pass. As food wasn't served till 1 pm, we walked over to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CafeHuatulco" target="_blank">Cafe Huatulco</a></u></b> and had breakfast first. The club didn't open till 10am anyway. This tufty beggar below sat at our table our whole breakfast, eyeing our food and waiting for some that we did not give...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLChnsUFzBPmO8aZTuBFmjMOdzhQd8cBBvFp7KYsKnzs4w9_soq3t37ZrHWoo2b0YhhYLPQsr5r4qURRZX4k6XT7hLbea1ECNEgbfIRLlGpARnzzcW6pxQJ5yAe1C4eEOapC-2uA7hzbG6wFJ7bkMyyX9uKOPCB05fIQF7uHnzKbTSRkX9yh4HiNvRPA/s4032/IMG_6403.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLChnsUFzBPmO8aZTuBFmjMOdzhQd8cBBvFp7KYsKnzs4w9_soq3t37ZrHWoo2b0YhhYLPQsr5r4qURRZX4k6XT7hLbea1ECNEgbfIRLlGpARnzzcW6pxQJ5yAe1C4eEOapC-2uA7hzbG6wFJ7bkMyyX9uKOPCB05fIQF7uHnzKbTSRkX9yh4HiNvRPA/w480-h640/IMG_6403.JPG" title="Bird eyeing our breakfast food" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Friend had Chicken Chilaquiles but I guess she didn't get the huevos as they seem to be missing in the picture below, lol! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXlrHL7s1xOEwz4-Ptl1CqiwEGZIOzLD_BvY3gQffDVPmqoMwW_21UhwoOJ6Qn0UFmLdg8QuNriX-ws9fS4Qt1ctCDFnLOV7BzapQyiMSbk2PvNt5vRfhlX-sVEOJcFI980zdDHTzLj1Dt2zm5y_eDrjjaNWa3y_RuRt1wGRNkBmAUg_hz3No4m_Ocg/s2941/IMG_6397.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="2941" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXlrHL7s1xOEwz4-Ptl1CqiwEGZIOzLD_BvY3gQffDVPmqoMwW_21UhwoOJ6Qn0UFmLdg8QuNriX-ws9fS4Qt1ctCDFnLOV7BzapQyiMSbk2PvNt5vRfhlX-sVEOJcFI980zdDHTzLj1Dt2zm5y_eDrjjaNWa3y_RuRt1wGRNkBmAUg_hz3No4m_Ocg/w640-h542/IMG_6397.JPG" title="Chilaquiles" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I got Huevos Rancheros with chorizo and we got a fruit plate as well that came with our breakfast.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_Nv7IBp8HTMeGfAklFrK9cU2YrVErTDgXO9vJDmQU2vEwJmojnw6E4sjQ3_ycMrySmMaP8EpmuvS1wN-9NCZXQ7SqyjaHwJeWhLPzuL3vPgTnDGFxGw3x6c1_pfzWSRHe42uB2d6ZCgWCLBhQnAuJbPt4lYXhLCkOEkADbYQTDfi6ArSVJGW6Jg1Jw/s2910/IMG_6401.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2309" data-original-width="2910" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_Nv7IBp8HTMeGfAklFrK9cU2YrVErTDgXO9vJDmQU2vEwJmojnw6E4sjQ3_ycMrySmMaP8EpmuvS1wN-9NCZXQ7SqyjaHwJeWhLPzuL3vPgTnDGFxGw3x6c1_pfzWSRHe42uB2d6ZCgWCLBhQnAuJbPt4lYXhLCkOEkADbYQTDfi6ArSVJGW6Jg1Jw/w640-h508/IMG_6401.JPG" title="Huevos Rancheros" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlLXkGC7t15X4wakGIHTdJWV2QhuVQrMCGdFB-eUAVHq4Vs4Dl8PP4DJyhVftU20wNkxZgjf2t-SioJ0djpAxOyNSGBm9zBcmu28CnmhRPWGOKjRoh1F2UxyWNyIcGrxuXQRmKoTwE_RcnZ8XBqghTcZj9wb3T_DEteOVI9PMHElxmJvWoqWygaFhWQ/s2740/IMG_6396.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2447" data-original-width="2740" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlLXkGC7t15X4wakGIHTdJWV2QhuVQrMCGdFB-eUAVHq4Vs4Dl8PP4DJyhVftU20wNkxZgjf2t-SioJ0djpAxOyNSGBm9zBcmu28CnmhRPWGOKjRoh1F2UxyWNyIcGrxuXQRmKoTwE_RcnZ8XBqghTcZj9wb3T_DEteOVI9PMHElxmJvWoqWygaFhWQ/w640-h572/IMG_6396.JPG" title="Fruit Plate" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was too much food to finish but everything tasted good and service was on point. We decided we should walk it off and head to the Binniguenda hotel. A couple of days before we arrived in Huatulco I was quoted $600 MXN in WhatsApp for the day pass. After arriving at the hotel, it was now $850 MXN or $65 CAD. We also learned that the club was back from where we just walked from so we waited in the hotel lobby for the shuttle back. I wasn't really thinking as I knew it was on Playa Santa Cruz... Anyway, we took the shuttle over and got dropped off at the club. We paid, got towels and wristband and headed to the pools. I realize I hardly took any pictures this trip too, other than my usual food shots there were barely any... Below was from the infinity pool looking left and the next one was looking right.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4wc2qIOfENO0iIocAZdPcH9SMVpqSh4sC0lrBL8sT69STFvVzigtAh_E4mOnsuWToZiz92rrowrc_54zCF2Q_N9Yifk4ug6G5LS1FEg8Ks5HisWqcbd6s4fVEdXnEQnMsKmObhyRGceGBB4tQzr0PwRni4rcGQmiwOLeewapYoXR_ZPVpEfWkxqHKw/s4032/IMG_6405.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4wc2qIOfENO0iIocAZdPcH9SMVpqSh4sC0lrBL8sT69STFvVzigtAh_E4mOnsuWToZiz92rrowrc_54zCF2Q_N9Yifk4ug6G5LS1FEg8Ks5HisWqcbd6s4fVEdXnEQnMsKmObhyRGceGBB4tQzr0PwRni4rcGQmiwOLeewapYoXR_ZPVpEfWkxqHKw/w480-h640/IMG_6405.JPG" title="Niru Infinity Pool" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKAIQ1Oy_7AUzzVCOFLnUde5woez4xsxgItfOVISfLp2X7MebWBUqcrXhtJejAMsDqxxUnRAsg4Jbzz_tz5eYjo49nuLo3aOEgZgeKEOh82JWTFXndGGuOlOJ9Wllvz7XU9YOHsiUSLomjmPEMck1yV3KVoKlazafdIvscCC3un0jiqh7PGM0Qb-koQ/s4032/IMG_6404.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKAIQ1Oy_7AUzzVCOFLnUde5woez4xsxgItfOVISfLp2X7MebWBUqcrXhtJejAMsDqxxUnRAsg4Jbzz_tz5eYjo49nuLo3aOEgZgeKEOh82JWTFXndGGuOlOJ9Wllvz7XU9YOHsiUSLomjmPEMck1yV3KVoKlazafdIvscCC3un0jiqh7PGM0Qb-koQ/w480-h640/IMG_6404.JPG" title="Niru Infinity Pool" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The bartender was great and made quick, excellent drinks and we had more than a few! My best laugh that day was that my friend's bathing shorts swelled like a puffer fish every time she got in the water. She was constantly trying to squeeze the air out of them. It made me howl endlessly. It felt good to laugh that much, in fact, I'm still laughing as I write this and see it in my head. She is a walking wardrobe malfunction. 🤣 We were really hungry by 1 and went to the buffet. I know I must have been drunk from what I chose. I see peas, and I detest them more than any other food item except maybe lima beans. Both make me gag! I never ate that salad but we both liked the potato salad. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-9GXOR_yr059XlLc3M7n0An5Rp0QlNSWfPWppetDoKEHnt_CvUUt8chGXLbtu6n-0q1uxNLEvk_gnztR3qepTTLxiaox1a8VF127A1grjbswbBc7M2I9qHKqnYIPSxK2NZrDyL0_43NkJBmerImmpIFPVOcLzCmmeAKTr75Gm8Uv674Vi9SxWE1R_g/s2778/IMG_6409.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2596" data-original-width="2778" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-9GXOR_yr059XlLc3M7n0An5Rp0QlNSWfPWppetDoKEHnt_CvUUt8chGXLbtu6n-0q1uxNLEvk_gnztR3qepTTLxiaox1a8VF127A1grjbswbBc7M2I9qHKqnYIPSxK2NZrDyL0_43NkJBmerImmpIFPVOcLzCmmeAKTr75Gm8Uv674Vi9SxWE1R_g/w640-h598/IMG_6409.JPG" title="Niru Buffet Plate" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Near closing time (5 pm) we left and walked (staggered?) back to our condo. We found a shop selling this liqueur and my friend bought some taster bottles and one to bring home. Very good, or at least it tasted good at that drunk moment in time...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVbLju9rdhMEdPaIx0FdYj64wW6ls8pjrKY1U0r0zLB8ufgf6BlRWDCz0ixgWVPvW-JNLwi4azr3Af0DsYK6RX7Ygatthf_m7c2vqlpZkUIpYeFP5IJ1eX9KdjndKSFqkD5gefRky74PDlueQy-ux4BWdaKh-aaU7t0TK0-i1wTV-dCBhvn0u1Iu1xA/s4032/IMG_6411.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVbLju9rdhMEdPaIx0FdYj64wW6ls8pjrKY1U0r0zLB8ufgf6BlRWDCz0ixgWVPvW-JNLwi4azr3Af0DsYK6RX7Ygatthf_m7c2vqlpZkUIpYeFP5IJ1eX9KdjndKSFqkD5gefRky74PDlueQy-ux4BWdaKh-aaU7t0TK0-i1wTV-dCBhvn0u1Iu1xA/w480-h640/IMG_6411.JPG" title="Cappuccino Liqueur" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>We showered and got ready for dinner at <b><u><a href="https://lechalote.com/" target="_blank">Lechalote</a></u></b>. We had a hard time flagging taxis so learned to go to the Holiday Inn and they always got us one right away. We dined here for our birthdays on our first trip back in 2017 and had fondue. Tonight the restaurant was DEAD. I mean only one other table occupied. I asked the waiter why as it used to be quite popular and busy and he said that a new owner from Texas had bought it and lost the clientele. I learned my camera was also dead with no battery life My friend took the pictures of our food and msg'd me later with them. Thankfully the <b><u><a href="https://lechalote.com/menu-pdf/comida.pdf" target="_blank">menu is online</a></u></b> so I can guess at what we ate. I just have to interject here and say that the steak tartar below looks absolutely dreadful, YUCK! She had: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXu8zSp8uyVWvCo-PyW6FFNo1BrESqJCM1JBSi-FZlTZojM7IBpMTphx3bk8xnwft1UNEd1ZNmb5jna2zcg4k9lI6wACZWI7efxCloVCSbWY4OR1PJYabY2WFEV0IKsjMFSy64AC1E-RzyawA5RNFiqM36iM1Sc1I-RL7v3paFNLTdjwZghQVFqMLIlQ/s1945/0217_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="1945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXu8zSp8uyVWvCo-PyW6FFNo1BrESqJCM1JBSi-FZlTZojM7IBpMTphx3bk8xnwft1UNEd1ZNmb5jna2zcg4k9lI6wACZWI7efxCloVCSbWY4OR1PJYabY2WFEV0IKsjMFSy64AC1E-RzyawA5RNFiqM36iM1Sc1I-RL7v3paFNLTdjwZghQVFqMLIlQ/w640-h480/0217_n.jpg" title="Steak Tartar" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Steak Tartar: ( Beefsteak with shallot seasoning, with onion, capers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">cornichons, Dijon mustard and parsley, roast garlic sauce,</div><div style="text-align: center;">chili powder and crispy rice)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49B6LYqNes0g-82k_5jj3D454p0xKv71ytmyTL6ugd0F6V4G640bWJwI-v6YKjWE2Va0eBkl3KHyAEnMptkFSyz5dYmwnYpGipNdWaFPHYc91nml5StZP1dFg02v_78IvFS1kirWV93IEWENHZSZHLBUScEnPlGedxzQseIM0swfDyGq0XOZZLqwJ1Q/s1735/9636_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1735" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49B6LYqNes0g-82k_5jj3D454p0xKv71ytmyTL6ugd0F6V4G640bWJwI-v6YKjWE2Va0eBkl3KHyAEnMptkFSyz5dYmwnYpGipNdWaFPHYc91nml5StZP1dFg02v_78IvFS1kirWV93IEWENHZSZHLBUScEnPlGedxzQseIM0swfDyGq0XOZZLqwJ1Q/w640-h508/9636_n.jpg" title="Goat Cheese with Figs Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Goat Cheese with Figs Salad: (Lettuce mix seasoned with fig vinaigrette , Serrano ham, green seed and balsamic)</div><div><br /></div><div>I had:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-CuZkPrpUOUzXVdhGXlXfn33ezMMsX4h-ZjCMo8yIc8luwP3s4-YASiW3q8M4T6LwGnGE2Ee4z-iuD4kaT_IuhJ1_RRaeMhykcGXHeDuIztKhXe9UgkaDOODRxV7v93JVjxlBTOMaM6021SEeIZF_ZqpSm87eSiSnIyf_XiIzYTCR1j66Z8tPdX98w/s2030/6025_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="2030" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-CuZkPrpUOUzXVdhGXlXfn33ezMMsX4h-ZjCMo8yIc8luwP3s4-YASiW3q8M4T6LwGnGE2Ee4z-iuD4kaT_IuhJ1_RRaeMhykcGXHeDuIztKhXe9UgkaDOODRxV7v93JVjxlBTOMaM6021SEeIZF_ZqpSm87eSiSnIyf_XiIzYTCR1j66Z8tPdX98w/w640-h408/6025_n.jpg" title="Nicoise Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nicoise Salad: Lettuce mix, eureka lemon vinaigrette seasoning and seared tuna fish </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnBvZ2fVXbwpifDo5tmVM4lCsIIpkW1vb8aJDbYNvcDd_bVOMx5CnNAvZ75qKFohrPLXufbsR8BsTZFWpYhbCfTLiTFwt1QQ05Bbf9jU9CPudBG5SxrnySxNPABBzWlRmHQNSG1zIsvMllxNQaXhlRjIMZDWEyVcPNHYjVxS1vtBHWyYTi_Lhipt6FA/s1883/1058_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="1883" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnBvZ2fVXbwpifDo5tmVM4lCsIIpkW1vb8aJDbYNvcDd_bVOMx5CnNAvZ75qKFohrPLXufbsR8BsTZFWpYhbCfTLiTFwt1QQ05Bbf9jU9CPudBG5SxrnySxNPABBzWlRmHQNSG1zIsvMllxNQaXhlRjIMZDWEyVcPNHYjVxS1vtBHWyYTi_Lhipt6FA/w640-h480/1058_n.jpg" title="Lasagna Bolognese" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lasagna Bolognese: ( Pasta served with tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, mix of cheese and filled to choice (meat or seafood))</div><div><br /></div><div>With that we were done! Stuffed with dinner, drunk, too much sun and skin crispy we headed back to the condo. You'd hope that would be the end of the evening but NO...about 3 am, we both fought for the bathroom spewing from both ends until nothing more would come out! Nothing would stay down either, water went out as fast as it went in! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Thursday, April 6, 2023:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>By 8 am that morning I scrounged up some expired "<b><u><a href="https://gravol.ca/en/" target="_blank">Gravol</a></u></b>" pills from my travel medical kit. That worked for us both on the nausea. I at least stopped vomiting, so one port closed at least...UGH. Horrible food poisoning we had. The only thing we ate in common was the potato salad from the beach club buffet... I've had a rough time in Huatulco the last couple of trips with Montezuma's Revenge...so thankfully I still had "<b><u><a href="https://www.ospharma.com/treda-20-tablets.html" target="_blank">Treda</a></u></b>" so I used that till we left. When my friend went to buy some the pharmacy by our condo said they had none, had sold 10 packages the day before! Our itinerary had plans to get a day pass at the Quinta Bella pool but that was not going to happen!</div><div><br /></div><div>We slept until I had to go see a condo in La Crucecita I was maybe going to rent for the month of November. Our appointment was 6 pm.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt1-up60Yj7JBYlwh2fh2OxiiHej8BYxIIgHaQ-cD6qMRbxPvO5AE1RUw1MI80ngoDt-t86KVyRK_g-f2Rtmkaz2xBqXVrWdYzUE9n8XlR9C9xezxaUdlso6llyOBoOQS-gdUXXlhfe5qTDhASeMHO8Q1jeGe5CyqyRm4JoOnEZHMPGA0acUuRW_RNw/s3831/IMG_6414.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="3831" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt1-up60Yj7JBYlwh2fh2OxiiHej8BYxIIgHaQ-cD6qMRbxPvO5AE1RUw1MI80ngoDt-t86KVyRK_g-f2Rtmkaz2xBqXVrWdYzUE9n8XlR9C9xezxaUdlso6llyOBoOQS-gdUXXlhfe5qTDhASeMHO8Q1jeGe5CyqyRm4JoOnEZHMPGA0acUuRW_RNw/w640-h480/IMG_6414.JPG" title="Miramar Condos" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We were early so we decided to attempt some food at <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/romagna.mia.7" target="_blank">Serenas</a></u></b> which was right beside the condo we were going to view. We both needed to try and eat something as we were like zombies now. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKP4Kdqib6zPCoGmubM57MDWYZ7Dt8KmLWix8evs8GBBayYuKPyssMH8gdHzla1-M-odGD0T06JXbsyCS9XfeLffrDklVmYuZ1j9j1gE8arp0hJJnhGzCsgATx-wPHhfUT5NcGDoHrYtBDE3WAmQovUtDNkdP6l3pCrlL8LuWbkytrViFpSr60ZdPBA/s3941/IMG_6417.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKP4Kdqib6zPCoGmubM57MDWYZ7Dt8KmLWix8evs8GBBayYuKPyssMH8gdHzla1-M-odGD0T06JXbsyCS9XfeLffrDklVmYuZ1j9j1gE8arp0hJJnhGzCsgATx-wPHhfUT5NcGDoHrYtBDE3WAmQovUtDNkdP6l3pCrlL8LuWbkytrViFpSr60ZdPBA/w640-h480/IMG_6417.JPG" title="Serena's" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I had a Fanta orange and it was so good! I ordered Spaghetti Bolognese which was also delicious though hard to get down in the tummy. I could taste the passion in their food though. My stomach was not as happy as my taste buds were. Anyway a few bites was better than none. I never even tried the bread they brought us.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0zh-SMeGjf1UHNtLWpesYdaJYacHIht4ObEyvDbiNpypIidb_NgBaqoZd2s4yweUeC7xZpEoLtYk9Iw3-c_2cwYPNDb8DU4isiquyVJUvF3sKbJtqLyhNeaOFy6C-6m1Ige6HkzoB-SLX8LzuyX0LD0CVayRXa1HLUj_EkHQy1gwm-3g4dZPEU2tig/s2769/IMG_6413.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2509" data-original-width="2769" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0zh-SMeGjf1UHNtLWpesYdaJYacHIht4ObEyvDbiNpypIidb_NgBaqoZd2s4yweUeC7xZpEoLtYk9Iw3-c_2cwYPNDb8DU4isiquyVJUvF3sKbJtqLyhNeaOFy6C-6m1Ige6HkzoB-SLX8LzuyX0LD0CVayRXa1HLUj_EkHQy1gwm-3g4dZPEU2tig/w640-h580/IMG_6413.JPG" title="Complimentary Bread" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ0tSI6xlfKjlXUrWCJVzARSHxCANUp7StPiaaUJup28hrsF92zzyTSL3XoVW5isdRy-E5sBRcdo5SXphvqkIdh6xd-EnAnOPrN_7MR73Ru3LvGUAWHn5YIqgNsmi9LrQTr6PRMf09Lb5iZebs8sftOVEN5Mrpie74PdR-EEV2SCh01r_v1iNrkmGbA/s4032/IMG_6418.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ0tSI6xlfKjlXUrWCJVzARSHxCANUp7StPiaaUJup28hrsF92zzyTSL3XoVW5isdRy-E5sBRcdo5SXphvqkIdh6xd-EnAnOPrN_7MR73Ru3LvGUAWHn5YIqgNsmi9LrQTr6PRMf09Lb5iZebs8sftOVEN5Mrpie74PdR-EEV2SCh01r_v1iNrkmGbA/w480-h640/IMG_6418.JPG" title="Spaghetti" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Below, I don't remember what my friend ate but obviously some sort of fettucine...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgbDrXTR8FvPwHQXW2K6OCC2ACd0_nrtxH5Eb1YUfklP2-T2z2kPYcbhQxjChmfxr990M8CP4tM-cKX0lzGaNJ6RIJLHuVpmvI5DJKssBTszo2cGkW8ibU5RmreynLUbFV0BY73SpCuxVS-hxfMRsDGmL-MAimrYnpuuOpFWmIt5ceOM5kGqux0LkEA/s3432/IMG_6421.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3432" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgbDrXTR8FvPwHQXW2K6OCC2ACd0_nrtxH5Eb1YUfklP2-T2z2kPYcbhQxjChmfxr990M8CP4tM-cKX0lzGaNJ6RIJLHuVpmvI5DJKssBTszo2cGkW8ibU5RmreynLUbFV0BY73SpCuxVS-hxfMRsDGmL-MAimrYnpuuOpFWmIt5ceOM5kGqux0LkEA/w564-h640/IMG_6421.JPG" title="Fettucine" width="564" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We viewed the condo. It was totally remodelled and full of amenities but it was small. For the same price as the condo we were currently in, I couldn't see paying that price for it - $135 CAD a night and utilities. We paid no utilities at our condo in Santa Cruz. Anyway, we started to walk through the town but abandoned the idea pretty quickly and just got a cab back to our condo and went back to bed. <div><br /></div><div><b><u>Friday, April 7, 2023:</u></b><br /><div><div><br /></div></div></div><div>Today we were going to take the bus to San Agustin from "Habanero Loko" restaurant but we never pre-bought the tickets so didn't go. My friend was feeling better and was back at the Tito's vodka but I couldn't drink still. We went for breakfast at "<b><u><a href="https://www.nikoscafe.com.mx/" target="_blank">Niko's</a></u></b>" coffee bar which was right by our condo. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLqBBjq2NnCflRyfM46K5chYYMlSyAYLq7OWdSlX4jQi0AYJVQST68M7L2XWR_ICtBSCdJoIiHIiy1BGjXljKIgqYI4ABa2VSTADcVJwjgk3EBoDevLsdenH8dZrJYWctnrPOIepRUWtKnWN36Bp1cZQWUidIURxdcbKmYOrQYAmpICwUbjNz2kke2w/s3799/IMG_6423.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLqBBjq2NnCflRyfM46K5chYYMlSyAYLq7OWdSlX4jQi0AYJVQST68M7L2XWR_ICtBSCdJoIiHIiy1BGjXljKIgqYI4ABa2VSTADcVJwjgk3EBoDevLsdenH8dZrJYWctnrPOIepRUWtKnWN36Bp1cZQWUidIURxdcbKmYOrQYAmpICwUbjNz2kke2w/w480-h640/IMG_6423.JPG" title="Niko's" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>The café con leche was very good so I bought some coffee for my son to take home for him. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtcnrvUkVrfe8gV29U2uJ_1H09cvn9zk6KmZ-OVtCsR5zvxX6Xyuh8VocHU93IKQ219z1CZxDDEBCYqWqBnNJintFUQfdkkkVyg2s897r7QhMzy0EXOv1elcmjR2QduSo31icxQh8Brd2UZ9m2pf3AKjpouWMLK_FtHVjNt8HmvZ42WxWhYWh96Loeg/s4032/IMG_6424.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtcnrvUkVrfe8gV29U2uJ_1H09cvn9zk6KmZ-OVtCsR5zvxX6Xyuh8VocHU93IKQ219z1CZxDDEBCYqWqBnNJintFUQfdkkkVyg2s897r7QhMzy0EXOv1elcmjR2QduSo31icxQh8Brd2UZ9m2pf3AKjpouWMLK_FtHVjNt8HmvZ42WxWhYWh96Loeg/w480-h640/IMG_6424.JPG" title="Café con leche" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>My friend had a mango smoothie, I think? If she ate breakfast I have no pictures of it...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4Urbf85sIi87qMD-EFnz_6Mp7sPkDhALD9v5GzXpNKqfu9-_QZZeiIbhoInrkjvRTHiFxaU8t3C0wbuLVTAmDsIVjhcSNIO69oGjCO6jY9I5BShwccG9gVEdnJOeSyH8l54Eqfc-jByPRzdly07Paxt9toIryxPQe8wqsWfqfAKQ_STpwGY_ljfSPw/s2126/IMG_6425.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2057" data-original-width="2126" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4Urbf85sIi87qMD-EFnz_6Mp7sPkDhALD9v5GzXpNKqfu9-_QZZeiIbhoInrkjvRTHiFxaU8t3C0wbuLVTAmDsIVjhcSNIO69oGjCO6jY9I5BShwccG9gVEdnJOeSyH8l54Eqfc-jByPRzdly07Paxt9toIryxPQe8wqsWfqfAKQ_STpwGY_ljfSPw/w640-h620/IMG_6425.JPG" title="Mango Smoothie?" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I ordered "NIKO´S SLAM" : Chilaquiles, sausage, waffle and eggs. Unfortunately I often forget that "sausage" means wiener there. 🤨</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRag2lWzCbW0-AVq9ofwGvBMTwrEZhuySjDJeuGoJRIbVUdgkQ4MtDIV_t7iI9zso6vwuIljLR5tvYwZscHdmJmP9N9h-NTpjUbw8ZaZcwqxJLqAr84HG8jJ6_vQQ8JZBrwg9PTzAx8M3RUZSolBEhl2c6x0WKnIkerms3sg4WD6dN8QKOSm_Db1Pkg/s2917/IMG_6427.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2272" data-original-width="2917" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRag2lWzCbW0-AVq9ofwGvBMTwrEZhuySjDJeuGoJRIbVUdgkQ4MtDIV_t7iI9zso6vwuIljLR5tvYwZscHdmJmP9N9h-NTpjUbw8ZaZcwqxJLqAr84HG8jJ6_vQQ8JZBrwg9PTzAx8M3RUZSolBEhl2c6x0WKnIkerms3sg4WD6dN8QKOSm_Db1Pkg/w640-h498/IMG_6427.JPG" title="Niko's Slam Breakfast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We got a taxi and went back to Playa Maguey. It was quiet being early and while I was feeling okay, I wasn't 100% and was grumpy and irritable. I went for a walk along the beach all the way to each end.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_mynmDPa0GwG6-S9rqCqx45U9VtWquaBfOt3iUGXwoJ4BqTd1cIIpMOyGGXHUPvN1qkRgZZCU3-SyIRA61mznxcNPPdfq8OZfsIZrdagYEuBzS5bxXO7NbeXU_ubBLwd5kxD_NqdTfj_9P6n-xUa8DUkd_wfy7ACa0NgZsGTOFXXk1fYc7hUvKShTQ/s3941/IMG_6428.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_mynmDPa0GwG6-S9rqCqx45U9VtWquaBfOt3iUGXwoJ4BqTd1cIIpMOyGGXHUPvN1qkRgZZCU3-SyIRA61mznxcNPPdfq8OZfsIZrdagYEuBzS5bxXO7NbeXU_ubBLwd5kxD_NqdTfj_9P6n-xUa8DUkd_wfy7ACa0NgZsGTOFXXk1fYc7hUvKShTQ/w640-h480/IMG_6428.JPG" title="Playa Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCsBw1xgokNv8eB7kt7Axs6vF3beVfzaUsXDZHp-Y6_ISU6PKEUdlPGof0Wo-NQQVUzLZUYAOuoauja0gAwB6Of2VJm7Qdm4kpgOIISEQc7iwiX769D2PUpP_VG6qRHuMYjessztZeHHsHq1SYgJ0U3JSd3w9fZwwLi86eZ59RZUBYmhdUFtvKlFGGw/s3927/IMG_6429.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCsBw1xgokNv8eB7kt7Axs6vF3beVfzaUsXDZHp-Y6_ISU6PKEUdlPGof0Wo-NQQVUzLZUYAOuoauja0gAwB6Of2VJm7Qdm4kpgOIISEQc7iwiX769D2PUpP_VG6qRHuMYjessztZeHHsHq1SYgJ0U3JSd3w9fZwwLi86eZ59RZUBYmhdUFtvKlFGGw/w640-h480/IMG_6429.JPG" title="Playa Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIaA24kcecbRFFF6eSAXOnTi2z6jSrULpAyGS_t40CxoK5cxfsVOTvV5Y0JN7kQEyNS9H3IjM0aObYOPIHj48-KpnO_RgYIJkMut5PCzqHsoWDGSlYcjbHFCkaYvw2YZhNJ0QWkLhGXkPfFCsLyPZnYA--2YY1mkAX4xs0puliYfKEjqg6CW0tC0tvA/s3737/IMG_6430.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2803" data-original-width="3737" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIaA24kcecbRFFF6eSAXOnTi2z6jSrULpAyGS_t40CxoK5cxfsVOTvV5Y0JN7kQEyNS9H3IjM0aObYOPIHj48-KpnO_RgYIJkMut5PCzqHsoWDGSlYcjbHFCkaYvw2YZhNJ0QWkLhGXkPfFCsLyPZnYA--2YY1mkAX4xs0puliYfKEjqg6CW0tC0tvA/w640-h480/IMG_6430.JPG" title="Playa Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Jose came by but we weren't chatty so he disappeared. We decided to try <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/maguey.hamacas17/?locale=es_LA" target="_blank">another place</a></u></b> for a while so got the bill and left. Plus there was a table with a boom box at full volume and it was irritating beyond belief.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7NRNlA49aIjSVmAWXqmNCxKnoTxC_Yjj36YwKq4YXYdvJcLUoHBNvxOEAZB0-u2_KWEtcGtqnNcoziaXp3-YGleeswtRrBCKLz5cshVFEzM8gFs0t0TmEQ2u4NdH7R2fiFr0vEXe8vNYkaswDuJIHP3ohzmjivN3YOGM7p-TNrKYozJEuRsYE3WI4g/s3797/IMG_6432.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3797" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7NRNlA49aIjSVmAWXqmNCxKnoTxC_Yjj36YwKq4YXYdvJcLUoHBNvxOEAZB0-u2_KWEtcGtqnNcoziaXp3-YGleeswtRrBCKLz5cshVFEzM8gFs0t0TmEQ2u4NdH7R2fiFr0vEXe8vNYkaswDuJIHP3ohzmjivN3YOGM7p-TNrKYozJEuRsYE3WI4g/w480-h640/IMG_6432.JPG" title="Las Hamacas" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>We had lunch but it was underwhelming. I had tacos and she had quesadillas, I think.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4dk7BnNzTCCQdLtmFoSTYBxCb3C8i4EEdxzBrQbn1oRg4SZpFW4D-gW2Z9BNO9bWtLGNRVN537oXlUTE1JY4l8BXHW89tqwX8aLbeRSl8tFZmQO5JyQy2XTzQRvivHuO3bgFzBRKLQpaETowIRUXs7VU9To4dQdYuUhyhe7DCZgiZ3B__RSSpqhgmg/s3260/IMG_6433.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="2826" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4dk7BnNzTCCQdLtmFoSTYBxCb3C8i4EEdxzBrQbn1oRg4SZpFW4D-gW2Z9BNO9bWtLGNRVN537oXlUTE1JY4l8BXHW89tqwX8aLbeRSl8tFZmQO5JyQy2XTzQRvivHuO3bgFzBRKLQpaETowIRUXs7VU9To4dQdYuUhyhe7DCZgiZ3B__RSSpqhgmg/w554-h640/IMG_6433.JPG" title="Tacos" width="554" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf1PEMLfjNEMoESAKz9qInv2wrnjksjvuhsQou6uPitgxcWJHvQmE4BgnCIfMOfdZzZBymwYjVYKmaI2BLuFs8vLnXPP3MXyUtH2wQVLD2kE_tGOG6Zvx9UWJcrTj5QgwjQCwXTrHVw2vjzuYtFEFRGKFcwfYUIBUegCdutDzqSFAGz339QFJn6ecOg/s2495/IMG_6435.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2005" data-original-width="2495" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf1PEMLfjNEMoESAKz9qInv2wrnjksjvuhsQou6uPitgxcWJHvQmE4BgnCIfMOfdZzZBymwYjVYKmaI2BLuFs8vLnXPP3MXyUtH2wQVLD2kE_tGOG6Zvx9UWJcrTj5QgwjQCwXTrHVw2vjzuYtFEFRGKFcwfYUIBUegCdutDzqSFAGz339QFJn6ecOg/w640-h514/IMG_6435.JPG" title="Quesadillas" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7k39gyEsDrGl01Gr9bElemmo4UYTxC7eISZIg1CKdn_mZTm8_TfftQfVJfU6Q_l2q143qo0m8UR929YrFf98BTXTB03aJ_8Qh2LSEJ7GW13r8RzmXcWLaq7hkq3B8PdLtQpwTdw2fzDf5tOsHBAmJRwN6X81sZADd3Q_2KwyVeezxWRwJ5uqqJiT75A/s3268/IMG_6437.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3268" data-original-width="2517" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7k39gyEsDrGl01Gr9bElemmo4UYTxC7eISZIg1CKdn_mZTm8_TfftQfVJfU6Q_l2q143qo0m8UR929YrFf98BTXTB03aJ_8Qh2LSEJ7GW13r8RzmXcWLaq7hkq3B8PdLtQpwTdw2fzDf5tOsHBAmJRwN6X81sZADd3Q_2KwyVeezxWRwJ5uqqJiT75A/w492-h640/IMG_6437.JPG" title="Parrot" width="492" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Saw a parrot there as we departed early afternoon. We returned to the condo. That evening I thought I had made reservations at <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/restaurantdonporfirio/?locale=es_LA" target="_blank">Don Porfirio Lobster and Steak House</a></u></b> in Tangolunda. But actually I had made the reservation at <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Doncrudelio/" target="_blank">Don Crudelio</a></u></b> in La Crucecita. We flagged a taxi by our condo and I tried to show him my itinerary which had the address and restaurant name. However, I don't think he could read. He spoke zero English so eventually we had to have him pull over and get out of the taxi. He dropped us at some hotel in Crucecita but taxi's were not easy to come by as it was super busy in town with Easter weekend. The hotel said they couldn't even call us one because it was too busy. We walked and got lucky at someone exiting a cab at a restaurant so he took us to Don Crudelio which was only a few blocks away. Of course I was surprised as I was expecting to go to Tangolunda! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwyuYS9lJBwxxa88OJx2t3pblUFm3NIEvQVDsPb_TkAVogKx9aBpHe9KPS7g5TGXMLkIvNFH9Eb6jYkhqqFOQn1jjIkCDoHZVGiXCqcczXjSMJ9Wj4N-Pz4FPY-Hg1Iwe0F4ftlIa3_F_k91DMiACuXAo8w7ZSHB3wLGWH7OA2qFcse7GA6CFv7odpA/s3829/IMG_6438.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3829" data-original-width="2871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwyuYS9lJBwxxa88OJx2t3pblUFm3NIEvQVDsPb_TkAVogKx9aBpHe9KPS7g5TGXMLkIvNFH9Eb6jYkhqqFOQn1jjIkCDoHZVGiXCqcczXjSMJ9Wj4N-Pz4FPY-Hg1Iwe0F4ftlIa3_F_k91DMiACuXAo8w7ZSHB3wLGWH7OA2qFcse7GA6CFv7odpA/w480-h640/IMG_6438.JPG" title="Don Crudelio" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We were seated and there was a duo playing. I asked for the fan to be put on but our server said she couldn't because of the band playing. That made me absolutely miserable when I already didn't want to be there. My friend was happy and merrily drinking but I couldn't even stand the sip of whatever drink I ordered. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCi6gzECFQCfbnm-xGQuMq6SGMvN2QVCTceXOXchoXBJ5nReK5CTPBf8as2VKrpdri5KnuNNBjeAnjej7IJNAAEQFNiNG_YAe80QGw9fEmLFONUO_8-WXeET9q3Eg2DTHmBQ8nO-jjYw-j5Af-gvmwZI_2GUXA_oYhAs5CJIk8eaOzdQx5_UrqWvhkg/s3927/IMG_6439.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCi6gzECFQCfbnm-xGQuMq6SGMvN2QVCTceXOXchoXBJ5nReK5CTPBf8as2VKrpdri5KnuNNBjeAnjej7IJNAAEQFNiNG_YAe80QGw9fEmLFONUO_8-WXeET9q3Eg2DTHmBQ8nO-jjYw-j5Af-gvmwZI_2GUXA_oYhAs5CJIk8eaOzdQx5_UrqWvhkg/w480-h640/IMG_6439.JPG" title="Hand Painted Mural" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I did enjoy the soup, below which was "Shrimp & Fish broth with cucumber, red onion and coriander. I could only drink the broth though and not eat the tasty bits in the cup:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BZi1fKxfKTHiUAcfxpfSDOe__cPJzmP3KDK945ZU7gbxicWAmxDz-ui1TSL8CpfrPylGAdT_LMF0V2UYz4gGiRdIQkl0nM0_G7YGkmBtk0m0tqAFWAjWBDi23tBNt1cLMow34M7YWayQCU2QsgJhwaTWakuD36yWqO6Y0wpEmtPldCDgbbumqt-0Ew/s3104/IMG_6440.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="2803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BZi1fKxfKTHiUAcfxpfSDOe__cPJzmP3KDK945ZU7gbxicWAmxDz-ui1TSL8CpfrPylGAdT_LMF0V2UYz4gGiRdIQkl0nM0_G7YGkmBtk0m0tqAFWAjWBDi23tBNt1cLMow34M7YWayQCU2QsgJhwaTWakuD36yWqO6Y0wpEmtPldCDgbbumqt-0Ew/w578-h640/IMG_6440.JPG" title="Crudelio Broth" width="578" /></a></div><br /><div>My entrée only had one bite taken out of it, it was packed to go but it never got touched again. I'm sure it was lovely. What a waste of money!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPccpit9_WKhig53uLCiRCfxuZHVs82a5qQQBdXEbdKQhYtjhQEXorO_FmPsck9JC47pQdHNd-jlMPEhAbVqlLcyya62YQTcgRqumYDoelnBTuhyxHjy8V1A9jXfHBZeXfIoiufkPdT4cpzxOLGDTTq1Vw9v3vyS_JiXKSzOTWR2q0dK3lb4V7tPVYg/s2847/IMG_6444.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2615" data-original-width="2847" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPccpit9_WKhig53uLCiRCfxuZHVs82a5qQQBdXEbdKQhYtjhQEXorO_FmPsck9JC47pQdHNd-jlMPEhAbVqlLcyya62YQTcgRqumYDoelnBTuhyxHjy8V1A9jXfHBZeXfIoiufkPdT4cpzxOLGDTTq1Vw9v3vyS_JiXKSzOTWR2q0dK3lb4V7tPVYg/w640-h588/IMG_6444.JPG" title="BBQ Ribs" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">16 hour slow cooked BBQ Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Sweet Corn</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My friend had a salad. I don't see any on the menu and didn't take a picture so don't know what it was. Below was the live muzak. She was bopping, I was DONE. Kindly she agreed to depart.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG0jw8wDBGx4u7mgpGRF0XkcH_jPF_Id9v3FXSYcm3cEDXgNEa7WLtd0moBJxU4TUodL9rC09QGckj7CKSJfZlTcnDmOjL8Tkqguwz1CKpQZ-vf0_ncn_j4xBPb2bXM5av6rWcRYo8PORPe4bc1gqpguatonPTNm2oFbWu3PALt2RGNrvs8mqDqc3Ug/s4032/IMG_6445.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2128" data-original-width="4032" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG0jw8wDBGx4u7mgpGRF0XkcH_jPF_Id9v3FXSYcm3cEDXgNEa7WLtd0moBJxU4TUodL9rC09QGckj7CKSJfZlTcnDmOjL8Tkqguwz1CKpQZ-vf0_ncn_j4xBPb2bXM5av6rWcRYo8PORPe4bc1gqpguatonPTNm2oFbWu3PALt2RGNrvs8mqDqc3Ug/w640-h338/IMG_6445.JPG" title="Live Muzak" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">That night I heard my friend make several trips to the toilet ralphing her lungs out. I warned her not to eat the salad! I'm sure the drinks didn't help matters either...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Saturday, April 8, 2023:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I felt better today and pretty much back to my usual self. My friend on the other hand was not going to be doing anything. I went for a walk down to the marina and bought us <b><u><a href="https://electrolit.com/" target="_blank">electrolyte drinks</a></u></b>, a 4-pack of them! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3i5rZMUS75dvWl-E3dBHE1zUCwZp0QqYYGGNIPFysOpSbJcBqfrwhfKTCSFBIWv7sEEth3hgEdShdZHpLDPzQA6Yt9WamIg457KxCIrmv8P71X5BJZ_asXwminT4RSNxDytifPZoRdHbpZ80Q9ugA5Bt3K04cHg6h8-q2Qk8jpUkESZMD_DeOXxJGw/s3831/IMG_6452.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="3831" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3i5rZMUS75dvWl-E3dBHE1zUCwZp0QqYYGGNIPFysOpSbJcBqfrwhfKTCSFBIWv7sEEth3hgEdShdZHpLDPzQA6Yt9WamIg457KxCIrmv8P71X5BJZ_asXwminT4RSNxDytifPZoRdHbpZ80Q9ugA5Bt3K04cHg6h8-q2Qk8jpUkESZMD_DeOXxJGw/w640-h480/IMG_6452.JPG" title="Santa Cruz Marina" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoNpCaZgeW062dd9NxSTHchhDL0h5UxqQgIgJtBCj3Wvk-XYkh96XeqgK5g39TngUBFxP3x187k83zXdo_0jBdd8v-JJCHo-egjlWF8Dvi9XAomEYShSLYIzbJf9qGny9bxf5nJS9VcOZzqcEX85psOVPV1iZXG29WfZKcNtpEiNkH6_D4o8RuXqlFg/s3829/IMG_6453.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="3829" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoNpCaZgeW062dd9NxSTHchhDL0h5UxqQgIgJtBCj3Wvk-XYkh96XeqgK5g39TngUBFxP3x187k83zXdo_0jBdd8v-JJCHo-egjlWF8Dvi9XAomEYShSLYIzbJf9qGny9bxf5nJS9VcOZzqcEX85psOVPV1iZXG29WfZKcNtpEiNkH6_D4o8RuXqlFg/w640-h480/IMG_6453.JPG" title="Santa Cruz Marina" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I went through the organic market as well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUoi9USt9YXiV7hr74IsBXoA5l4CqufY5na4FlGQkBdx5Ikz_o-PlfSfKAtVAufLKqtJz9g9ahMk4BoX-QBVLDKKzCPc-JRHZsTBH1ef3c_hp1pa2TJze5WuYTU7tqApQXLBQruMiKLbQCGLNOtN9VkLQIaP5uGBFi4jUvt-7gBv9vuexMvYw3zZfNQ/s3774/IMG_6454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2830" data-original-width="3774" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUoi9USt9YXiV7hr74IsBXoA5l4CqufY5na4FlGQkBdx5Ikz_o-PlfSfKAtVAufLKqtJz9g9ahMk4BoX-QBVLDKKzCPc-JRHZsTBH1ef3c_hp1pa2TJze5WuYTU7tqApQXLBQruMiKLbQCGLNOtN9VkLQIaP5uGBFi4jUvt-7gBv9vuexMvYw3zZfNQ/w640-h480/IMG_6454.JPG" title="Santa Cruz Organic Market" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I went to get us breakfast. We always walked by this cute busy brunch place called "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063497084357" target="_blank">Itoó</a></u></b>" so that's where I went. It was very close to our condo. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvisZ1E1BTFiwLn2zkZZBn3BhyUNVTawtGBNBFewzkZn4o1xmJ6_u1D8_eCThUEnuI_J_kbXskbZAKUerjHqhzzCRlJSohds6XTydbzBfn2reT1RDIB-x9O4Iu9ewUbTYcPXF5Vgre9XtekubOnz8xCXXPNe2NCfjXZrMxJjg9SNWALJkCmhPblvGaA/s3767/IMG_6448.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="3767" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvisZ1E1BTFiwLn2zkZZBn3BhyUNVTawtGBNBFewzkZn4o1xmJ6_u1D8_eCThUEnuI_J_kbXskbZAKUerjHqhzzCRlJSohds6XTydbzBfn2reT1RDIB-x9O4Iu9ewUbTYcPXF5Vgre9XtekubOnz8xCXXPNe2NCfjXZrMxJjg9SNWALJkCmhPblvGaA/w640-h480/IMG_6448.JPG" title="Itoo Cafe" width="640" /></a></div><br />I sat down and ate there, I was starving! I had barely eaten in a couple days now. When I was done, I ordered hers to go. She had been craving pancakes but they only had waffles so that's what I got her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbB1mQsawjgTD1FomdIQ4tU32NwOdH7JEt42yQBZRRNmoPsW-q5tXxe1a8_7ZxxgmmjRh1236xfYXQIjUHBj7C-6_uSNZuOgz6snFNWO2Ii9FRee-GQ_0_7uOnj78ZIqT7ghQQC1Bf8n0M6juwvfbnGRaTpBreAfuAhdYprUufusts_V5X3mq8FHX22A/s3023/IMG_6446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2687" data-original-width="3023" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbB1mQsawjgTD1FomdIQ4tU32NwOdH7JEt42yQBZRRNmoPsW-q5tXxe1a8_7ZxxgmmjRh1236xfYXQIjUHBj7C-6_uSNZuOgz6snFNWO2Ii9FRee-GQ_0_7uOnj78ZIqT7ghQQC1Bf8n0M6juwvfbnGRaTpBreAfuAhdYprUufusts_V5X3mq8FHX22A/w640-h568/IMG_6446.JPG" title="Fruit Bowl" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-WU_ShfB02hrJcUlWsznycPTWe5Z4WaYvIECfrXBl9XohbG41lvfdoRY67ZWJx5S413hFuC021uBOQjWserSPbKIlT77Ca_unjuDG6ScqhBQJzJ5fw74b9_wXlSJZUPiQqABJpWGlD7-4-Lpw09RsGpe8q-UCA6W1MKt0vw8kx7RxGau5nJTYDDnsw/s2918/IMG_6447.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2581" data-original-width="2918" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-WU_ShfB02hrJcUlWsznycPTWe5Z4WaYvIECfrXBl9XohbG41lvfdoRY67ZWJx5S413hFuC021uBOQjWserSPbKIlT77Ca_unjuDG6ScqhBQJzJ5fw74b9_wXlSJZUPiQqABJpWGlD7-4-Lpw09RsGpe8q-UCA6W1MKt0vw8kx7RxGau5nJTYDDnsw/w640-h566/IMG_6447.JPG" title="Omelette" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I devoured my omelette and toast. It was perfect and just what my body needed. When I got back to the condo I finally went and took a gander at the pool. To me, it was very uninviting looking...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXuvs_GetVYccHKgOFZcOOhA209CKtihRfOumCrMshlJWuyEVQIez2cGRMvGBr7P5XM3UjKIkA_CL2wu2XkwGtMQanO-eWkfV7mqawxyUV4ER-yRzhp5Z0MsUcf-nfdaodGjTXl3ufKLRoXAMf07RJvMbZhil_sB3XuRPTJZGzXTgnX87Xo4vKZGwSg/s4032/IMG_6456.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXuvs_GetVYccHKgOFZcOOhA209CKtihRfOumCrMshlJWuyEVQIez2cGRMvGBr7P5XM3UjKIkA_CL2wu2XkwGtMQanO-eWkfV7mqawxyUV4ER-yRzhp5Z0MsUcf-nfdaodGjTXl3ufKLRoXAMf07RJvMbZhil_sB3XuRPTJZGzXTgnX87Xo4vKZGwSg/w640-h480/IMG_6456.JPG" title="Condo Pool" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Back inside we both guzzled down an electrolyte drink. We should have had them when we first got sick! My friend seemed comfy watching bad movies on the one English channel so I went to have lunch at my son's girl friends restaurant, Santa Clara. I had been meaning to try the "Chiles en nogada" since last trip so it was time. It is the specialty of the restaurant.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWHJZP0nqcyqx8PRIncxiow1Ie029RA-2DwhAabs5vTx78PCihnQtzXAjdVSBLcLmKz9b140Evrfw6HzOJTfbDK70gnjxDMlOHvhqNAvtA1IZ1j9-VmLL5xlVQ65wBfwAc4cozgsh8Hmw9pl7-8Su_QTdwOHqCkZC-gE9khee3IdUVCtKwUhSVm4ydg/s4031/IMG_6457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWHJZP0nqcyqx8PRIncxiow1Ie029RA-2DwhAabs5vTx78PCihnQtzXAjdVSBLcLmKz9b140Evrfw6HzOJTfbDK70gnjxDMlOHvhqNAvtA1IZ1j9-VmLL5xlVQ65wBfwAc4cozgsh8Hmw9pl7-8Su_QTdwOHqCkZC-gE9khee3IdUVCtKwUhSVm4ydg/w480-h640/IMG_6457.JPG" title="Santa Clara Restaurant" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAg4OOIeANxO_YpZbKUQK5fU5g24k9F_FpO9-SSOzH1EJhPfD-HZ_lWLn4_6HDTPpNc6GaDJSkjZIMzWjmFSyl-WX9i2VximMAcDQACXR_Xok8kQLiHMuqwgT6MNFJoAuGLjqior8RYtj7qPtYyh3uom3Rik2qASm-ZF3SjclJWctUU4JONWN2al42w/s3381/IMG_6458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3381" data-original-width="2903" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAg4OOIeANxO_YpZbKUQK5fU5g24k9F_FpO9-SSOzH1EJhPfD-HZ_lWLn4_6HDTPpNc6GaDJSkjZIMzWjmFSyl-WX9i2VximMAcDQACXR_Xok8kQLiHMuqwgT6MNFJoAuGLjqior8RYtj7qPtYyh3uom3Rik2qASm-ZF3SjclJWctUU4JONWN2al42w/w550-h640/IMG_6458.JPG" title="Chiles en nogada" width="550" /></a></div><br /><div>Well, this was arguably the best bite of food I've eaten in Huatulco over all 4 visits there. I swooned at how freaking delicious it was. I love picadillo anyway, but the walnut sauce and the crispy caramelized poblano ends were just out of this world. This whole trip report was worth writing if only to remember this one dish...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQXiYEvCAVptk5iYF_fdCTf4n2E3HnpbpIlbVDBk-NVGj5a88-XRg1jSUSy0rJUHGgP8FwCSjgnZJQwYrAG2VoGFab1VYcIl8TN7CPSfi_oltCQ-3h2Ps58S_nNDfixwnfNkOCSRhBMUHNI1XQVH94yYeyxkElXZNC3LCZ7EHJLECRKRzvm_CgU7Klg/s4032/IMG_6460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQXiYEvCAVptk5iYF_fdCTf4n2E3HnpbpIlbVDBk-NVGj5a88-XRg1jSUSy0rJUHGgP8FwCSjgnZJQwYrAG2VoGFab1VYcIl8TN7CPSfi_oltCQ-3h2Ps58S_nNDfixwnfNkOCSRhBMUHNI1XQVH94yYeyxkElXZNC3LCZ7EHJLECRKRzvm_CgU7Klg/w640-h480/IMG_6460.JPG" title="Chiles en nogada" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately I could only manage to eat half and didn't take it with me as I knew it would never get touched. When I got back my friend said she didn't want to go to dinner at "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RestauranteLaChicatana/?locale=es_LA" target="_blank">La Chicatana</a></u></b>" that I had made reservations at. I really wanted to go as I love this restaurant. So I told her I'd invite the girl friend then as it would give us a chance to talk about my son and any questions she was stewing over... I messaged her and she agreed to meet me there. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then my friend said she'd come so that was fine though it was back to the awkward trio I don't like again. We were seated and below is the view from our table:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6yoj8eeOdCHqgi39CFYZi47bv8H2akv8bjvmpNxiwrx33XWoYBAxr86Pt4XqtwVdEIvgTlup8N_ykCPO1rBC4loO3NfdtFQ1x2NMOi5KbkidvX2FF-U5PY-_quIwlqhzLg8tXtmI9Nk9Xa_jwm1XMqacOSNIKneJepwiNWzx-VnQUAn7hD3bTaaemw/s3829/IMG_6465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="3829" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6yoj8eeOdCHqgi39CFYZi47bv8H2akv8bjvmpNxiwrx33XWoYBAxr86Pt4XqtwVdEIvgTlup8N_ykCPO1rBC4loO3NfdtFQ1x2NMOi5KbkidvX2FF-U5PY-_quIwlqhzLg8tXtmI9Nk9Xa_jwm1XMqacOSNIKneJepwiNWzx-VnQUAn7hD3bTaaemw/w640-h480/IMG_6465.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Things were fine, we all ordered a drink. My friend only ordered an appetizer of mushrooms and I ordered a beef dip (which I ended up taking to go). The girl had come wearing a dress my friend had given her and the earrings I gave her. She looked fabulous. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, after she ordered, I asked what she was having. And AGAIN, she ordered the most expensive item on the menu which was ribeye steak ($40 CAD). I told her in the translator that I wasn't rich and felt like she was taking advantage of me. She laughed in my face and translated back that she would pay her own way (I'm paraphrasing). Anyway, when she did pay, she was short on cash. What she gave me only covered her steak, not her drink or tip and I knew she wasn't expecting to pay again. Anyway, this made the whole evening uncomfortable. In hindsight I should have stated before we ate that she was on her own for her meal, but the truth is, I was going to pay for it, if she had been reasonable. I was pissed off and DONE with her. </div><div><br /></div><div>She got a taxi and my friend and I walked over to Alfredo's. My friend wasn't too happy as I struggled to get us there with google maps on that humid evening, but we made it. As soon as we were seated, her friend from work called us over. My friend had given her our itinerary and Alfredo's was where we were going to watch live music tonight originally. Anyway, she was there with her daughter and mom, and the mood lightened and I felt a LOT better. We had a drink and went back to the condo.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Sunday, April 9, 2023:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>We went for breakfast at Santa Clara. I wanted my friend to try the Chiles en nogada which we split in half. Unfortunately she did NOT love them as I did which made me sad. The girl served us and this time I tipped her the normal 20% I usually do, not the 50% I've been giving her. Frankly, she hurt my feelings and I was disappointed in her. We said good-bye and got a taxi to Playa Arrocito. I think we paid $200 MXN for our front row table? It was busy there, lots of local families.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnRFKNzk6T21qBukvMx1BGqW6_KgZe-9Nom4Ej9ndG9qCp8O4aMwu-hobzRuuHr-YzkkE_KJO25ZfpAg3WvWMb77S660SsQeftuQVrbbOzYE8LQd-BxbFVSUJ3XMP2uyEsWTRB_p3Jm72cqB2BseCIiRrUkI-uFgzK8Rcot0O9KOyayQEApJSzp3nxQ/s3927/IMG_6468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnRFKNzk6T21qBukvMx1BGqW6_KgZe-9Nom4Ej9ndG9qCp8O4aMwu-hobzRuuHr-YzkkE_KJO25ZfpAg3WvWMb77S660SsQeftuQVrbbOzYE8LQd-BxbFVSUJ3XMP2uyEsWTRB_p3Jm72cqB2BseCIiRrUkI-uFgzK8Rcot0O9KOyayQEApJSzp3nxQ/w640-h480/IMG_6468.JPG" title="Playa Arrocito" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>One family sitting beside us (the daughter) asked if she could interview my friend in English for school. Her mom recorded it. She did fantastic in English! Very cute. On the other side a family sat down and started blaring their boom box. We both rolled our eyes at each other. We found that so odd as every beach had the same thing. It seemed so impolite to us but fine in their culture, I guess. Anyway, it was extremely annoying and enough to make us get up and leave a few times...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IhshwgveNv9jMiEKRa1qXRb_hIjBv_fi9zNAJgYiRCR3Nxz6P7csAjhZhPOspnHFB9FyGvzTSc60BjQS_cp4iw0YaRoVordJQXpZwhxkkNwdNY00UaxeIhgr8jxddTa8Kluhsg_BhPzxUjmYvfpl3g7jSfK-EP01ZR9NFG-g7ihULe7B0cCzWFV0qg/s3024/IMG_6469.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3024" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IhshwgveNv9jMiEKRa1qXRb_hIjBv_fi9zNAJgYiRCR3Nxz6P7csAjhZhPOspnHFB9FyGvzTSc60BjQS_cp4iw0YaRoVordJQXpZwhxkkNwdNY00UaxeIhgr8jxddTa8Kluhsg_BhPzxUjmYvfpl3g7jSfK-EP01ZR9NFG-g7ihULe7B0cCzWFV0qg/w640-h616/IMG_6469.JPG" title="Menu" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We basically just drank a couple of beers though I did order some pico de gallo but that went mostly untouched. It came with all these weird mayonnaise type dips and neither of us were going to touch it. The waves were crashing up to our feet and eventually the water was so rough and forceful it was overturning tables and items in the waves. We had enough sun anyway and hailed a taxi home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our last dinner was booked at "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ottoquintabella/" target="_blank">Otto</a></u></b>" at the Quinta Bella hotel. This was my son and I's favorite meal last trip. Below is what we ate:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3-jDPjaXYN7Zc9C9_dnEPzL1Eky_OFwRwOW-jAhUXCqR_lv-69_kpgWkAX8WEp-dDXjW9WZs1YRyci2Je6riVPPfxeiuWUEY3NnIWJx7hLpfttXZRWOR647paGmEI1AvBXSAHz_y9KvlnaSIF4_IIg3vl2VKzKdebTfR8H1xrg9bITGvrBU8g6M_9g/s3943/IMG_6471.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2644" data-original-width="3943" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3-jDPjaXYN7Zc9C9_dnEPzL1Eky_OFwRwOW-jAhUXCqR_lv-69_kpgWkAX8WEp-dDXjW9WZs1YRyci2Je6riVPPfxeiuWUEY3NnIWJx7hLpfttXZRWOR647paGmEI1AvBXSAHz_y9KvlnaSIF4_IIg3vl2VKzKdebTfR8H1xrg9bITGvrBU8g6M_9g/w640-h430/IMG_6471.JPG" title="Beef Wellington" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><div>WELLINGTON STEAK AND ASPARAGUS</div><div>Served with cheese foam, sautéed asparagus and beef reduction.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgP28pzUyWRrFBjiahTCGlTKhXDpN5sXBfbCa3C84wkQgl3Wf48m3WOgk74WiWYyaeDGdO3NyYmDGRlFzdhwODK-Twk5cyDRcymqxa-uede4SS6Kd3O4_Ob4pSYAJpjY4uOkBp0jtjnEtl4JWAwfdWxgC34ClcZNFcAg5gaF52IINZ64MW-REbK-3bA/s3665/IMG_6472.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3665" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgP28pzUyWRrFBjiahTCGlTKhXDpN5sXBfbCa3C84wkQgl3Wf48m3WOgk74WiWYyaeDGdO3NyYmDGRlFzdhwODK-Twk5cyDRcymqxa-uede4SS6Kd3O4_Ob4pSYAJpjY4uOkBp0jtjnEtl4JWAwfdWxgC34ClcZNFcAg5gaF52IINZ64MW-REbK-3bA/w640-h452/IMG_6472.JPG" title="Steak Au Poivre" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>STEAK AU POIVRE AND PAPAS BRAVAS (SPICY POTATOES)</div><div>Beef fillet (180 gr.) with pepper sauce and parsley served with potatoes bravas (fries).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zE6JyaYdRLE4Y2UxAxwBhSpFNAZcWVNXmNHCyfJu86nX1iQbgnHTTHOOoD3PMrii-FGRwsKcPeOrCq0rCxqnRgHFHkrjdZnDlNXOKV5iS2IBHVJX7t72s1JMoDKThOhTiwFaWcGLPMdeOSHinScJfQRirK_Kukdbhoiu6HGXk4Nf0d8JMh9vcWEdYw/s2529/IMG_6473.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="2529" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zE6JyaYdRLE4Y2UxAxwBhSpFNAZcWVNXmNHCyfJu86nX1iQbgnHTTHOOoD3PMrii-FGRwsKcPeOrCq0rCxqnRgHFHkrjdZnDlNXOKV5iS2IBHVJX7t72s1JMoDKThOhTiwFaWcGLPMdeOSHinScJfQRirK_Kukdbhoiu6HGXk4Nf0d8JMh9vcWEdYw/w640-h550/IMG_6473.JPG" title="Fries" width="640" /></a></div>Fries</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZW7fnwo9TbUYip8DpkDSWyUhKcMZ7mNG8cYuOQZYZzjJKxMZ7h9EQJgiNT556qlfBn9TUsC61v6qcnKBHK7DcJoWUPxE3FTojCO68U29_TCNVeYKdTLXpnXNv3DH8IyqOjTag6cRFlrnTbcBPAJNJejlb6yxU_3YCnDM29VnyoEVzode9JGHlwRy6hA/s2519/IMG_6474.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2519" data-original-width="1922" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZW7fnwo9TbUYip8DpkDSWyUhKcMZ7mNG8cYuOQZYZzjJKxMZ7h9EQJgiNT556qlfBn9TUsC61v6qcnKBHK7DcJoWUPxE3FTojCO68U29_TCNVeYKdTLXpnXNv3DH8IyqOjTag6cRFlrnTbcBPAJNJejlb6yxU_3YCnDM29VnyoEVzode9JGHlwRy6hA/w488-h640/IMG_6474.JPG" title="Fideo" width="488" /></a></div><div>DRY FIDEO</div><div>Served with avocado, cotija, serrano, and cilantro.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8tTX1zN4iLiARmVZjBmC-bR7KhiPfk6V4rEViA8pLHObgYSQU0m2kbViggTRp4a_PccbehYTfrxz-SVbA8I6DfeC73sD-5w7ge-X5vq5SWxYDl7N_hRDKJNuXa0EAVwkOpd_YR51xLaDVXxvWR8KCkcAtIjURQZaeU5JIagwJsT1dXToKsOXMZv-Zw/s3651/IMG_6476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3651" data-original-width="2826" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8tTX1zN4iLiARmVZjBmC-bR7KhiPfk6V4rEViA8pLHObgYSQU0m2kbViggTRp4a_PccbehYTfrxz-SVbA8I6DfeC73sD-5w7ge-X5vq5SWxYDl7N_hRDKJNuXa0EAVwkOpd_YR51xLaDVXxvWR8KCkcAtIjURQZaeU5JIagwJsT1dXToKsOXMZv-Zw/w496-h640/IMG_6476.JPG" title="Strawberries & Cream" width="496" /></a></div>Strawberries & Cream (Sorry but this was a DUD!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Dinner was good... not as exceptional as the last time, but overall enjoyable. That ended our evening.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Monday, April 10, 2023:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Jorje had kindly let us check out at 2:30 pm as he had no one booked. That was great so we could just leave directly from the condo to the airport. We went to Playa La Bocana for brunch first. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpHdPk0qDSqNzarKQZurCdnYKeu10uNFRxhXLRCYUsv5ec6BXxall1paY0KlsSNFwBizdMnBgIgMySSK2ZnQSJna07hGe1sHQSnBRdMDK_Fy2bl66UP5Z4x4qS_0mf3BpYbPIxVUBvlj_YEyw8FG5-OSnKkp6Eqj7hhKhE2lWzZAmCI_RIP6yQAv9hg/s3799/IMG_6482.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpHdPk0qDSqNzarKQZurCdnYKeu10uNFRxhXLRCYUsv5ec6BXxall1paY0KlsSNFwBizdMnBgIgMySSK2ZnQSJna07hGe1sHQSnBRdMDK_Fy2bl66UP5Z4x4qS_0mf3BpYbPIxVUBvlj_YEyw8FG5-OSnKkp6Eqj7hhKhE2lWzZAmCI_RIP6yQAv9hg/w640-h480/IMG_6482.JPG" title="Playa La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6VUe8jFbl1K7J1hIQThsmBK5-fZvwI90h1_ri2QVXA1_ecxpdRnoXU9Zk7-8hed_yvwHr29xcU00DndXDEk2b023otwCFbYKA_OCTX0rDrBx2aZoXRIt5DKyb8uCwd_uL_pH2POdmxNO0Ri42ZAeG_7gHIis1XqAtv4Hvkdvj5cK5F3Ljuy7qQuPQw/s3861/IMG_6483.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2895" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6VUe8jFbl1K7J1hIQThsmBK5-fZvwI90h1_ri2QVXA1_ecxpdRnoXU9Zk7-8hed_yvwHr29xcU00DndXDEk2b023otwCFbYKA_OCTX0rDrBx2aZoXRIt5DKyb8uCwd_uL_pH2POdmxNO0Ri42ZAeG_7gHIis1XqAtv4Hvkdvj5cK5F3Ljuy7qQuPQw/w640-h480/IMG_6483.JPG" title="Playa La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwymcWwMxFfQWgtg---spzKKR25f7_d9aNZJkmsUHpiQEjlGCUQYc6blz1HNXWthrDVOc7tPy1IJzauKUR_P10epHiFoX_IHMOebK6A6HSFgrx_XHOnzhu2Na-T9uGD68zCH1Rtb6K54zh6M6Bcc7YNbhokodvSXjLMX3eaukCLeksG20KxZbZu7NQ0A/s4032/IMG_6484.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwymcWwMxFfQWgtg---spzKKR25f7_d9aNZJkmsUHpiQEjlGCUQYc6blz1HNXWthrDVOc7tPy1IJzauKUR_P10epHiFoX_IHMOebK6A6HSFgrx_XHOnzhu2Na-T9uGD68zCH1Rtb6K54zh6M6Bcc7YNbhokodvSXjLMX3eaukCLeksG20KxZbZu7NQ0A/w640-h480/IMG_6484.JPG" title="Playa La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We ate at Restaurante Casa Bocana. I was wanting lunch but they were only serving a brunch menu so I ordered this ($12.50 CAD). I can honestly say I remember nothing at all about the taste of the dish:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20wpuE-rNbzMmYTbwF7iCNKswiRQP3XHHuu4QIRem_0C3XfFDWmcdtH7vh17b91_ilZgkvnemqI2F7TS6OQHvj5mWO8jwICodP4pWEUQWmVts1UISkZsrSWQimnfGp5ndcTEwjldpeHENCanLPGXIm_U8l1u2FP5Sb1U1GTl7BCWZKKLYV9VqtPIDRA/s2880/IMG_6477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2057" data-original-width="2880" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20wpuE-rNbzMmYTbwF7iCNKswiRQP3XHHuu4QIRem_0C3XfFDWmcdtH7vh17b91_ilZgkvnemqI2F7TS6OQHvj5mWO8jwICodP4pWEUQWmVts1UISkZsrSWQimnfGp5ndcTEwjldpeHENCanLPGXIm_U8l1u2FP5Sb1U1GTl7BCWZKKLYV9VqtPIDRA/w640-h458/IMG_6477.JPG" title="Menu" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrziiVvpdExqeeiAIk9KZcLiA5q7c6BQVNJAacOumtGtGmj72Duv6yobxRmw-Abwccg4D5yGeQjHYPfY959SqFBsk_N2QRgbaZXMjHHn3I8Rhqty-8ArN5VxQdn7BD9DKJLOzjU8oy4HN0q3Dv_ZhDorVNVJGpFHn4dvSmZgByJsK8az7uzE0NXpkCg/s3024/IMG_6480.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2809" data-original-width="3024" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrziiVvpdExqeeiAIk9KZcLiA5q7c6BQVNJAacOumtGtGmj72Duv6yobxRmw-Abwccg4D5yGeQjHYPfY959SqFBsk_N2QRgbaZXMjHHn3I8Rhqty-8ArN5VxQdn7BD9DKJLOzjU8oy4HN0q3Dv_ZhDorVNVJGpFHn4dvSmZgByJsK8az7uzE0NXpkCg/w640-h594/IMG_6480.JPG" title="Enfrijoladas" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>She had something that looked like a beautiful salad on a bubble waffle but I have no idea what it was now:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7taJDhVbLrWw7Iyxkco486cOiWAJ1sC_RA3C55B_Jeb_p2gJk2lvmPee7l-58xSWQ3FK5Wh8ETBr1p97nJJF6HLhQZtzQC_ay4m3lbQEcZ6Svnmq1i4OGQwJzvOCFIv92L7bVBTJ8tpPoh8IABRP8lga7-U16PkF5-g4OJqUpnr5p266ojNK8N1fZA/s2928/IMG_6481.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2357" data-original-width="2928" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7taJDhVbLrWw7Iyxkco486cOiWAJ1sC_RA3C55B_Jeb_p2gJk2lvmPee7l-58xSWQ3FK5Wh8ETBr1p97nJJF6HLhQZtzQC_ay4m3lbQEcZ6Svnmq1i4OGQwJzvOCFIv92L7bVBTJ8tpPoh8IABRP8lga7-U16PkF5-g4OJqUpnr5p266ojNK8N1fZA/w640-h516/IMG_6481.JPG" title="Bubble Waffle?" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>After, we went for a drink on the beachfront but the people there were loud (we could hear and understand every word they said) and we didn't want to listen to them. Also they were playing music from their cell (tourists like us), so we just went back to the condo. It was clear we both just wanted to go home and end this trip. 😥</div><div><br /></div><div>Jorje met us at 2:30. We had cleaned the place up pretty well and he seemed happy enough. He was a nice guy and I liked him. He called us a taxi and we departed. The driver undercharged us - only $200 pesos, and I'm not sure why so I just tipped him the difference. I only have one picture left. It's of my airport meal which I thought was an appetizer. It was described much like a crostini. I was shocked when I saw what arrived, lol. My friend had tortilla soup and she said it was pretty good.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiVky03EylgrbScKiGSzKLAG6ErQ00uHdOtcDojVEOfbiTP_NW6nEANo6g8qAmgnROHapADJyMZuSsJ66hkkLJU4_hXjdLDqhCaCijkw1jdJi8YLQdG5vD6diqJMn6Q-UTmrrGI-lzXS0hmW5U27tSUVawdWSSZFkWev8SjOC-dyK3EOCQALApkuqtg/s3799/IMG_6487.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiVky03EylgrbScKiGSzKLAG6ErQ00uHdOtcDojVEOfbiTP_NW6nEANo6g8qAmgnROHapADJyMZuSsJ66hkkLJU4_hXjdLDqhCaCijkw1jdJi8YLQdG5vD6diqJMn6Q-UTmrrGI-lzXS0hmW5U27tSUVawdWSSZFkWev8SjOC-dyK3EOCQALApkuqtg/w480-h640/IMG_6487.JPG" title="Airport Food" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Before our flight departed, some seemingly intoxicated LOUD man began acting very rude to the flight attendants. Belligerent and belittling them, demanding water and such. Not too long after the National Guard came on and removed him with him yelling out, "Only in Mexico!". I fully expected everyone to clap but they didn't. Flight was uneventful except I would find out two days later that I most likely caught covid on it. It was my first time, my worst fear came true but fortunately for me I was eligible for the anti-viral and that cured it up very, very quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wow...what a shitty vacation, literally and figuratively! 💩 🤮 It was so bad that I'm not going back in November. I need a break from it. My son goes with me on an annual trip and we were going to go to Huatulco but he asked if we could go to Vegas instead? I didn't really want to. I tried to talk him into Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA splitting our time between the two places, but he wasn't going for it. So...Vegas it is; my last trip there was 2019 and I also said I needed a break from Sin City after that time... Anyway, we're booked! Now, I have to hope our lousy Canadian dollar can improve against the US greenback! Until next trip, I bid this awful vacation memory a non-fond adieu...🤬 One good thing was that I lost 4 lbs on this vacation, that's a first! </div>Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Santa Cruz Huatulco, Crucecita, Oax., Mexico15.7539154 -96.1321553-11.790266897422448 -131.2884053 43.298097697422449 -60.975905299999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-76298116097158516922022-11-16T23:46:00.019-08:002022-12-16T21:18:50.621-08:00Huatulco Trip Report - Oct. 30 - Nov. 12, 2022 <p>First real vacay since 2019! I hope I don't have to mention "covid" again throughout this report, other than my travel insurance covered it. 🤞 Normally we book Huatulco flights nine/ten months ahead but this year was different. I couldn't even find direct flights until mid-August and then the prices were four times as much as usual. I got lucky and saw a fare sale from AeroMexico which prompted WestJet to drop some fares too. It took some time to play around get the cheap flights, but eventually through Expedia, I was able to nab 1-stop getting there (AeroMexico) and direct flight home (WestJet) staying at <b><u><a href="https://www.princessmayev.com/en/" target="_blank">Princess Mayev</a></u></b>, ocean view - 2 beds for $2600 CAD for two total, ALL IN for 12 nights. I did have to chop two days off our trip to get that price though. My son kindly paid to get "exit row" seats for us on our return flight home. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VFc-eJ8Aczl1SNAWETH554lwijGWjyHlWS1GuoX0lS-LeUi7skgSpG6YE5BU_1nWf4aCPVwH4ANsESwY8-X-cNTVG_AeoDU9HHKUiLSj_2de3sDE-loEvYw8E2odocAFEooHu669-C2rskJD2O1-sOeaOhzSZxE3gh8SH5o2VihYBX_ZyYd1qRqk3Q/s604/Screenshot%202022-08-19%20143511.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="604" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VFc-eJ8Aczl1SNAWETH554lwijGWjyHlWS1GuoX0lS-LeUi7skgSpG6YE5BU_1nWf4aCPVwH4ANsESwY8-X-cNTVG_AeoDU9HHKUiLSj_2de3sDE-loEvYw8E2odocAFEooHu669-C2rskJD2O1-sOeaOhzSZxE3gh8SH5o2VihYBX_ZyYd1qRqk3Q/w640-h216/Screenshot%202022-08-19%20143511.png" title="Huatulco Price 2022" width="640" /></a></div><p>We were sure happy with $1300 each and I was happy getting almost 2 weeks there instead of the week only I've done so far... I've been to Huatulco twice before, once at the <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2017/11/huatulco-trip-report-november-7-14-2017.html" target="_blank">Castillo</a></u></b> and last time at <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2019/11/huatulco-trip-report-november-10-17-2019.html" target="_blank">Villa Blanca</a></u></b>. My son (32) has never been here and accompanied me this time. We usually do an annual trip together and this was it after skipping the last 2 years. Anyway, I really wanted to return to Villa Blanca for the location, but decided to try something different in the end. I would have stayed at <b><u><a href="http://misiondelosarcos.website/?lang=en" target="_blank">Mision de los Arcos</a></u></b> in La Crucecita if I had my way but son wanted a pool and I couldn't argue. He reasoned that we may want some lazy days at the hotel...a lazy day for him might be lounging by the pool but for me it's probably just sleeping it off in bed...😉 </p><p><b><u>Sunday, October 30, 2022:</u></b></p><p>Flight departure was 11:15 pm this evening. We were supposed to arrive at 6 am in Mexico city and depart at 11:25 am for Huatulco. We summoned a taxi for the airport about 7:30 pm. We learned we would not have to pick up our luggage in Mexico city so that was a bonus. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfgWHSn7cvQ1IHj8a3o1cQQdc4PwAj20s67_xx0G_6GSjrdeIzm_k6Qa-2UjDy2fWmpbRgPAp1KtrY1Ko_g7DwDVPQ-MD7V6IwqArL6ge2BwsO9dEJU7bJ_Scb3p-5bTs81mlGeNS1LRanU0pj5FsnQKmARp9HigQofE1J6v-ZVz4qX01dUAlUrjmpw/s4032/IMG_5793.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfgWHSn7cvQ1IHj8a3o1cQQdc4PwAj20s67_xx0G_6GSjrdeIzm_k6Qa-2UjDy2fWmpbRgPAp1KtrY1Ko_g7DwDVPQ-MD7V6IwqArL6ge2BwsO9dEJU7bJ_Scb3p-5bTs81mlGeNS1LRanU0pj5FsnQKmARp9HigQofE1J6v-ZVz4qX01dUAlUrjmpw/w480-h640/IMG_5793.JPG" title="YVR Airport" width="480" /></a></div><p>The flight was fine, they even served a HOT meal (ham & cheese sandwiches with salad) and free alcohol beverages! I have not seen this in years of travel now... The flight was full and neither of us was able to sleep so were both pretty tired and irritable upon arrival...</p><p><i><b><u>Note</u></b>: Before this report goes on I wanted to mention that there is a LOT of food in it - oodles of "tasting and trying"... We wanted to experience it all so just let 'er rip; however I unfortunately admit that soooo much was wasted as there was no possible way to eat it all. I dislike wasting food so was bothered by this...</i></p><p><b><u>Monday, October 31, 2022:</u></b></p><p>Well, all I can say about arrival was that it was an utter shit show! I don't know how many different planes all landed at the same time, but it was a literal zoo with a cacophony of NOISE (shouting, coughing, sneezing, hushed chatter, laughter, etc. etc). We were steered like cattle and not speaking Spanish made it near impossible to understand what was going on. I said I wouldn't talk about covid but having not had it yet; for true fear of it, today was <i>it</i>...</p><p>After an hour or so, they opened up a new line which we were standing at for US and Canadians so we got to cut the queue and our wait time. Immigration no longer gave out the yellow tourist cards. I learned later that they stamp your passport now with how many days you can stay. Ours said 180. I had forgotten a printed itinerary and had no Wi-Fi on my phone so I was stressing but the agent was very nice and just waved us through saying it wasn't a problem after asking our trip details. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYuGy4zQgAdYrMntGjejJrqnKTWTdK39gi_rJlQj19efcS-lNgffeT23HLIV2N5gIx4TcGpWlfch7cRpMLNAOnDQvge0mlNiTryPtVsOrfviH6CoBrIg9NuaUG6gF6akNaff70LvN6h65njaCk4Bgx4I8OvW412676WJaIybJ4_42FK1DPPpmnmIP6g/s4006/IMG_5796.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4006" data-original-width="2565" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYuGy4zQgAdYrMntGjejJrqnKTWTdK39gi_rJlQj19efcS-lNgffeT23HLIV2N5gIx4TcGpWlfch7cRpMLNAOnDQvge0mlNiTryPtVsOrfviH6CoBrIg9NuaUG6gF6akNaff70LvN6h65njaCk4Bgx4I8OvW412676WJaIybJ4_42FK1DPPpmnmIP6g/w410-h640/IMG_5796.JPG" title="In the restaurant" width="410" /></a></div><p>We found a restaurant for breakfast so we could catch our bearings. Most of the staff were dressed for "Day of the Dead" or "Día de Muertos". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW4UeIZKCAfwXTLDGRUGNFuAG8aueXbetfLPAjaoxaDi0Hpy1kDPBx7kxfNYy7qkRgDwMN68PadE9YhJOvlyHvD5WlEkO1QSNT33lYp0CgIqK80EiwiXSzydOIwnL0of09Wp19qUCN0EIGgXOGyUk3zp8ZlU40U2nC6jUkbDMlO7FJ8leo2cpovKyrg/s2727/IMG_5795.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="2727" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW4UeIZKCAfwXTLDGRUGNFuAG8aueXbetfLPAjaoxaDi0Hpy1kDPBx7kxfNYy7qkRgDwMN68PadE9YhJOvlyHvD5WlEkO1QSNT33lYp0CgIqK80EiwiXSzydOIwnL0of09Wp19qUCN0EIGgXOGyUk3zp8ZlU40U2nC6jUkbDMlO7FJ8leo2cpovKyrg/w640-h586/IMG_5795.JPG" title="Día de Muertos" width="640" /></a></div><p>Breakfast was very overpriced ($91 CAD), not very good food and there was no way we could sit there for 4 hours. Below was their version of a "Croque Madame". I was hoping to start my next food journey on a more positive note but I realize we were in an airport...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi488DVLvyrBkHgRtM8FUFayrr3PfdQEhFYgsrgDIOjHRk0-NFoR6bYIGNHSZX6-N08CHurLZfUAkYxkeGAmeMHySjUPQtreT5S9Pazz96ZetIwyMlfbCKOwpZ73xKDYFaKzjyteOUwFzXgVBbheHNwQk8_1XKNjsZvtYqct8Xgeik48mADpiQSNz-bKw/s3538/IMG_5799.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3538" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi488DVLvyrBkHgRtM8FUFayrr3PfdQEhFYgsrgDIOjHRk0-NFoR6bYIGNHSZX6-N08CHurLZfUAkYxkeGAmeMHySjUPQtreT5S9Pazz96ZetIwyMlfbCKOwpZ73xKDYFaKzjyteOUwFzXgVBbheHNwQk8_1XKNjsZvtYqct8Xgeik48mADpiQSNz-bKw/w546-h640/IMG_5799.JPG" title="Croque Madame" width="546" /></a></div><p>The next hurdle was trying to figure out how to get to our gate. I won't drone on about it, but towards the end I nearly broke down in tears and had a melt down. We finally found it and just as I was nodding off, my head literally nodding up and down, we were called to queue to board. It literally felt like an eternity but I know it wasn't. Everyone around us looked rested and chipper and I looked and felt 100 years old...</p><p>An hour later we were in Huatulco with all our winter clothes on. It was 31°C the pilot announced to us and it was HOT. Our luggage showed up and I had hired a local guy to pick us up. He was there holding a sign. Price was 550 pesos, I gave him 650 ($44.20 CAD). We arrived at our hotel...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaENpo23WZwNfJc0NlYP4ltGXVqoDtR4RRWZswhARbAmaK3qqT_Kx5wvsD5sqtAtTQGTpQRg9TGn8FcaHjpcOxUbS6Tyoavsy-sTRIkIu9U9vTGFeh4G9aN8SLwltAEOSL5W-tYQr7qQYjv2MGFpFipm9ifqGMvVueLPZXv3tzM6vdXXYNK7-rv-x2g/s4032/IMG_5821.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaENpo23WZwNfJc0NlYP4ltGXVqoDtR4RRWZswhARbAmaK3qqT_Kx5wvsD5sqtAtTQGTpQRg9TGn8FcaHjpcOxUbS6Tyoavsy-sTRIkIu9U9vTGFeh4G9aN8SLwltAEOSL5W-tYQr7qQYjv2MGFpFipm9ifqGMvVueLPZXv3tzM6vdXXYNK7-rv-x2g/w640-h480/IMG_5821.JPG" title="Princess Mayev" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It is all uphill from the entrance. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kToKQK5fUEynXmxjcrwRNDmD7wv8aK9vxdgBPbagLS9gjSvzBBrT0EGvThgyP1RfHls7LZ-zM2Yogn0sP1cQzYEDFgoMeIszyR7NYOCpWzf0dvMq4tNmdChxQvt-9fMfcbf2Ljm-0cLPOto10G70kegb-uWX90thoBFODhNocOWlj7bLEapEseNbjQ/s4032/IMG_5971.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kToKQK5fUEynXmxjcrwRNDmD7wv8aK9vxdgBPbagLS9gjSvzBBrT0EGvThgyP1RfHls7LZ-zM2Yogn0sP1cQzYEDFgoMeIszyR7NYOCpWzf0dvMq4tNmdChxQvt-9fMfcbf2Ljm-0cLPOto10G70kegb-uWX90thoBFODhNocOWlj7bLEapEseNbjQ/w480-h640/IMG_5971.JPG" title="Entrance to Princess Mayev" width="480" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>All stairs, no elevators. Check in was okay and we did the usual charades with no one speaking much English. We managed to sort it out and someone carried our luggage up and got us a fridge. There were no towels in the room and no one answered the front desk on the phone. My son trudged back down the stairs and came back with beach towels. He went back down again and they said they'd send the maid. We got the towels and then noticed the safe was locked and didn't work. So back down again. The front desk came up and fixed it. I'll show two shots below, the first is what we liked about the room best, the 2nd is the reason we'd never return. It grossed me out so much that I couldn't get over it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQcyvo5B52apSPtUiLfiatbSCMvAZyB2bKW7gK-MvqaEj2_Yr2FSzWCKgctvGHq0gEmRFTzYOaFMkBeffiAsmNjcVJsfh79g5c4VEsGsX9tarqnmUr-K2dkzm41P7QTO3oNXQ0mM6CcuvvK7p1ubnli1H-WE7IYIL9uEL67mMMam-uCqjFDbFliuUDg/s3781/IMG_6017.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2956" data-original-width="3781" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQcyvo5B52apSPtUiLfiatbSCMvAZyB2bKW7gK-MvqaEj2_Yr2FSzWCKgctvGHq0gEmRFTzYOaFMkBeffiAsmNjcVJsfh79g5c4VEsGsX9tarqnmUr-K2dkzm41P7QTO3oNXQ0mM6CcuvvK7p1ubnli1H-WE7IYIL9uEL67mMMam-uCqjFDbFliuUDg/w640-h500/IMG_6017.JPG" title="Room with a View" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Room with a View!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggh_Al45Cn-TldxWiTduFWn0GpRcBuuHu6mFTBKDVYJXGGvbK3IvrG5oS7tLBnX8XNLgRwHARn3M_dPdeMvILajh91HbeSj8dziETHGaGvRF9uYEaU0ukquISpp1Phw1ZZcp51Brvw7kdzOll7IyRQdHY4HqNi2xheyvwmDA28NuD0pgiKRThsqCvcYg/s4032/IMG_6052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggh_Al45Cn-TldxWiTduFWn0GpRcBuuHu6mFTBKDVYJXGGvbK3IvrG5oS7tLBnX8XNLgRwHARn3M_dPdeMvILajh91HbeSj8dziETHGaGvRF9uYEaU0ukquISpp1Phw1ZZcp51Brvw7kdzOll7IyRQdHY4HqNi2xheyvwmDA28NuD0pgiKRThsqCvcYg/w640-h480/IMG_6052.JPG" title="Black Mold?" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was looking above in the shower! It was worse to look at in person and I guessed it was black mold!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We unpacked a little and showered. We were really hungry so went to the restaurant to eat lunch, but it was 2:30 now. We decided to splurge and have a nice meal as defeated as we were feeling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbJSmij2mE72whx53XJPt0pzwEYS8Owq0Mx4qXVjuT-hVlFwirS3h9Jqk_JOwg9Jho-O9tp7JGvvLXQlMr9JEovIpsAByC1TrQ-tmLK9h3ga8gudTL0uzT2B0wEJdX8Nkf3f7wIH7YeVtCIEvKZEaws3JGyNJoBMF6Fmc2jVbOLelW-8Qqn8c_WNWkg/s3739/IMG_5800.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3739" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbJSmij2mE72whx53XJPt0pzwEYS8Owq0Mx4qXVjuT-hVlFwirS3h9Jqk_JOwg9Jho-O9tp7JGvvLXQlMr9JEovIpsAByC1TrQ-tmLK9h3ga8gudTL0uzT2B0wEJdX8Nkf3f7wIH7YeVtCIEvKZEaws3JGyNJoBMF6Fmc2jVbOLelW-8Qqn8c_WNWkg/w518-h640/IMG_5800.JPG" title="Xima Lounge" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The restaurant has a beautiful view and we sat overlooking it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z1QTvvIJ1TnX3wg-kXZe39lRNbkf_PKiMaAwFmo6rS9FMN1viBg2vFFzNqJFxQPok5-ziSL15WAVGjJkkxszDK5yQ4GosObpHZa8fMEjDBxwJrlXR6Id_ON7wHMwR8hE8s6CAcrlIC2EmRSFkBAWcB4JZLbg7adc2WcJeEKAC-CJGgmlge1PbM3a6A/s4032/IMG_5801.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z1QTvvIJ1TnX3wg-kXZe39lRNbkf_PKiMaAwFmo6rS9FMN1viBg2vFFzNqJFxQPok5-ziSL15WAVGjJkkxszDK5yQ4GosObpHZa8fMEjDBxwJrlXR6Id_ON7wHMwR8hE8s6CAcrlIC2EmRSFkBAWcB4JZLbg7adc2WcJeEKAC-CJGgmlge1PbM3a6A/w480-h640/IMG_5801.JPG" title="Xima View" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first call of order below was: Margarita Mayev - Sandia with 8 years old Mezcal, Frosty with Worm Salt. $ 180 pesos ($12.25 CAD). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyBOPOcTCmxDdEkS-B8ESeMSiaQPjidGb1ZXkUhpQHAne7Cxqt_m88dZa3u3O-2yTi1-Y2qx9CqCd-rEFNRl5mmd5DS10XZahT19dGU85HQgbPchhMbh-m0o0BvIz94FtYtYsCcJKTdqRpUu2i6TJhcbumvdlG-s7hYwHukJhWsEioHA3iXSYZX1jlA/s4032/IMG_5802.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyBOPOcTCmxDdEkS-B8ESeMSiaQPjidGb1ZXkUhpQHAne7Cxqt_m88dZa3u3O-2yTi1-Y2qx9CqCd-rEFNRl5mmd5DS10XZahT19dGU85HQgbPchhMbh-m0o0BvIz94FtYtYsCcJKTdqRpUu2i6TJhcbumvdlG-s7hYwHukJhWsEioHA3iXSYZX1jlA/w480-h640/IMG_5802.JPG" title="Margarita Mayev" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNgrxT6RpF-uwJEwRVrCqGk-bCB0ZEBggQvGMUOcJuSJTxTcd-gLB9ujq3h2Jo-uYCdHwhlNgXaiEk2meZBZXkOdq2ZXItT2qh279vGJs0d42f6Xhk7ydTJwZBNY288rOjPAIjDz9Ct450rO7TmJlBRU8-KBpsLzKfgKDnXPXoNspZ3Ykk3ESeRaShQ/s3252/IMG_5805.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3252" data-original-width="2729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNgrxT6RpF-uwJEwRVrCqGk-bCB0ZEBggQvGMUOcJuSJTxTcd-gLB9ujq3h2Jo-uYCdHwhlNgXaiEk2meZBZXkOdq2ZXItT2qh279vGJs0d42f6Xhk7ydTJwZBNY288rOjPAIjDz9Ct450rO7TmJlBRU8-KBpsLzKfgKDnXPXoNspZ3Ykk3ESeRaShQ/w538-h640/IMG_5805.JPG" title="Beef Nachos" width="538" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>Nachos Xima w/ Melted Manchego Cheese, Guacamole & Arrachera Beef (100 grs) $200 pesos ($13.62 CAD). These were very good!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Rb78skExkO_x9t8nzWa0APRh13lmRj5zZmBM1ZAWMJ_i0dA8mf_Jh63kvl2NqBvVfxXwfIDJzlPzXhh_Jsz9KbFNlrZvuDpHF6FhUl6D7TD6W2eyl-uHAElpbb1lwS1v_EJ0FzQX3Raw_j4Vv6GjvEJlufBYUXRx0KBab4n54aGQrLMXhJ9rLbmU5g/s3059/IMG_5807.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3059" data-original-width="2429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Rb78skExkO_x9t8nzWa0APRh13lmRj5zZmBM1ZAWMJ_i0dA8mf_Jh63kvl2NqBvVfxXwfIDJzlPzXhh_Jsz9KbFNlrZvuDpHF6FhUl6D7TD6W2eyl-uHAElpbb1lwS1v_EJ0FzQX3Raw_j4Vv6GjvEJlufBYUXRx0KBab4n54aGQrLMXhJ9rLbmU5g/w508-h640/IMG_5807.JPG" title="Shrimp 4X4" width="508" /></a></div>Shrimps 4 x 4 (16 Shrimps) - Delicious Sampling of Shrimp (Hand Breaded,<div>Savoury Garlic, Garlic Grilled and in Devil´s Sauce $450 pesos ($30.65 CAD)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I learned that I should have ordered these at a beach setting and not here once I saw someone order them at Playa Santa Cruz. These were just okay and I wouldn't recommend. Service here was always pretty good and servers all genuinely nice. We went and crashed both falling immediately asleep! I think we slept till 8 or 9 pm and then decided to just eat in the restaurant for dinner and then call it an evening as we still hadn't had a good sleep yet. </div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D6Cgx0x-qqCJOBhvC0K4_3NF7n6AtOdLFYOvJCZSteQAyrggYGIU1ew8_zaqHjZ4C4PGlG0kkABg2y3_rfBr-LVqECi4ihER0ArxSFq0M8Gscx1RHJP-lNZj1ysOyhjgvj8RkXdH9FDcQtO8glOCrKw3il4f5Ag9SbQj-kYSzUYe9yTeRZc-tEJoEQ/s2586/IMG_5812.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1972" data-original-width="2586" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5D6Cgx0x-qqCJOBhvC0K4_3NF7n6AtOdLFYOvJCZSteQAyrggYGIU1ew8_zaqHjZ4C4PGlG0kkABg2y3_rfBr-LVqECi4ihER0ArxSFq0M8Gscx1RHJP-lNZj1ysOyhjgvj8RkXdH9FDcQtO8glOCrKw3il4f5Ag9SbQj-kYSzUYe9yTeRZc-tEJoEQ/w640-h488/IMG_5812.JPG" title="Baked Potato" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Son had this: Mexican Sausage Stuffed Potato (All potatoes are cut into squares w/Cream,Cream Cheese, Butter, Gouda Cheese & Parsley $100 pesos ($6.80 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuZdT5dLbCnyGDhVC4eJaT8Y675CZnsABa7bc9ly4ykXUF3vBZ2GhDsapz0gAn8JgRKZRroKh2uihSItgbEBZVelXugp9KJfYhB3gXSZWN40s91byqXHJt9mRnRCrdTT1aF_OsK8hHE5wsGFj14WriEwE_hBp-ZjqNAmr7q649WET4PmOexw2AORwpg/s2768/IMG_5815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1911" data-original-width="2768" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuZdT5dLbCnyGDhVC4eJaT8Y675CZnsABa7bc9ly4ykXUF3vBZ2GhDsapz0gAn8JgRKZRroKh2uihSItgbEBZVelXugp9KJfYhB3gXSZWN40s91byqXHJt9mRnRCrdTT1aF_OsK8hHE5wsGFj14WriEwE_hBp-ZjqNAmr7q649WET4PmOexw2AORwpg/w640-h442/IMG_5815.JPG" title="Wings" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cheese Wings $130 pesos ($8.85 CAD) We ordered these because we were curious what cheese wings meant? It meant blue cheese. These were good. We did not enjoy the Mexican "Buffalo" wings we tried here...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSIP7Ij01SZRJOK-JPW5FfQyQQeQUzQLWkBvrR4xq0eEol7Zz9hC9GQFcSQ_1chbXJ3EQxafHLcjX-0lAmXtvntOvwsDaDpXfN_G2ONuDA_swLqCcTpAxTTlzANespWXgk8UAlYLr7ja7zVR0T1QTkEej9XVPBofRIw_LCXLocCFN-MmB8syTGT8UGA/s3025/IMG_5817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3025" data-original-width="2643" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSIP7Ij01SZRJOK-JPW5FfQyQQeQUzQLWkBvrR4xq0eEol7Zz9hC9GQFcSQ_1chbXJ3EQxafHLcjX-0lAmXtvntOvwsDaDpXfN_G2ONuDA_swLqCcTpAxTTlzANespWXgk8UAlYLr7ja7zVR0T1QTkEej9XVPBofRIw_LCXLocCFN-MmB8syTGT8UGA/w560-h640/IMG_5817.JPG" title="Mixed Tlayuda" width="560" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>Mixed Tlayuda $130 pesos ($8.85 CAD)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZyTdvGLyP1LuPtyh3d0Z9eO94Bh19EfD04KKUaTP7orI-rI3NjuSE5C_2gSq7GMoQC00Njth1Vds1LKftoYYrUas3OgBQ6w-NaM0ZkVP5FqOLbylkM6gUuIHxDtM26qzemn931IsWTz1JXHsSqN9JT0cYTGqt8xkCeEcHwq7OXr8TblAvkCQyRUDMw/s3080/IMG_5818.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3080" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZyTdvGLyP1LuPtyh3d0Z9eO94Bh19EfD04KKUaTP7orI-rI3NjuSE5C_2gSq7GMoQC00Njth1Vds1LKftoYYrUas3OgBQ6w-NaM0ZkVP5FqOLbylkM6gUuIHxDtM26qzemn931IsWTz1JXHsSqN9JT0cYTGqt8xkCeEcHwq7OXr8TblAvkCQyRUDMw/w628-h640/IMG_5818.JPG" title="Mixed Tlayuda insides" width="628" /></a></div><div>Mixed Tlayuda Insides - refried beans & Mexican sausage???</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I could barely try more than a bite or two and we took it to the fridge though it never got eaten. It was the last time I brought food to the fridge. Lastly my son had chocolate cake which he said was very good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMCcAIOcjwDYyS6jiq04FOqYSZk9r_cE5BPpIdCPZ94n2lHUPknq2zMnFdZ7TyYH9gqfinnvo71vznenzPQNg-o7Ev2lkAxyF8j8ScDsXX1VyDyVdOVpq_xMpe4xqU48UZL8KmqADrDKrcT_ZhvHJCLIhmLEbuvqJbiwNhBUW1nCDUXa3maXyo0VTKg/s2267/IMG_5820.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="2267" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMCcAIOcjwDYyS6jiq04FOqYSZk9r_cE5BPpIdCPZ94n2lHUPknq2zMnFdZ7TyYH9gqfinnvo71vznenzPQNg-o7Ev2lkAxyF8j8ScDsXX1VyDyVdOVpq_xMpe4xqU48UZL8KmqADrDKrcT_ZhvHJCLIhmLEbuvqJbiwNhBUW1nCDUXa3maXyo0VTKg/w640-h352/IMG_5820.JPG" title="Chocolate Cake" width="640" /></a></div>Chocolate Cake $65 pesos ($4.42 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Son mentioned he saw small bugs on the bathroom counter. He really didn't like that so I said we'd report it tomorrow...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Tuesday, November 1, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We awoke early feeling well rested and made the short walk to "Super Che". I wasn't able to purchase anything from Duty Free at either airport coming here (long story I won't bother relaying) and we wanted to stock up on some wine, water, etc. etc. We taxied back to the hotel $232.00 CAD later. A young local lady dressed in a "Tommy's Spa" outfit offered to help us trek up the 3 flights with our heavy goods. We said no as she was just a petite young lady and then I ended up booking a massage for my son who lugged it all on his own in a couple of trips. Swedish Massage 50 minutes was $800 pesos or $54.40 CAD pre tip. We set it up for Monday in the room. Off we went to downtown La Crucecita. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9itUkvlzYZNJWxG0qJcQrlCnjAX_YJf5THZ1BUCvUQMoIqOH4zqntszQ6XU3PLK9q1vtDRXQs-AI1eqepyTNvFw-JUQi0b4keLPsGk31097CMZrJxs9ikMKmhzRZ_kMvHAr6dj0ZuJ0v40CztZCGnDzM0g3BCtljP8wVgIdLATdqHvZFVplyZM3VEVA/s4032/IMG_5824.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9itUkvlzYZNJWxG0qJcQrlCnjAX_YJf5THZ1BUCvUQMoIqOH4zqntszQ6XU3PLK9q1vtDRXQs-AI1eqepyTNvFw-JUQi0b4keLPsGk31097CMZrJxs9ikMKmhzRZ_kMvHAr6dj0ZuJ0v40CztZCGnDzM0g3BCtljP8wVgIdLATdqHvZFVplyZM3VEVA/w640-h480/IMG_5824.JPG" title="Town Centre" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Locals were busy making their displays for the "Day of the Dead" festivities that would go on in the evening. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJiomj7iAjyEtv_ffjMoUGJB-YTiPe2ZC0Ov00fbfw8Ifo8ibWX5bqVirJSnwFkeXR4-eh5q3O0SgshFPnGAG-bAtHhWN3nJVEcf63qTau2g92jCIGmSrohy1rKiVB9BA-aIlanRZqOJLYVZTKvux9nKQ9julZXRSSPzS1gYpbZkgcLeFthwSUPrrnw/s4032/IMG_5836.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJiomj7iAjyEtv_ffjMoUGJB-YTiPe2ZC0Ov00fbfw8Ifo8ibWX5bqVirJSnwFkeXR4-eh5q3O0SgshFPnGAG-bAtHhWN3nJVEcf63qTau2g92jCIGmSrohy1rKiVB9BA-aIlanRZqOJLYVZTKvux9nKQ9julZXRSSPzS1gYpbZkgcLeFthwSUPrrnw/w480-h640/IMG_5836.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Celebrations" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2n1W-Vl3JS0hJ5wL4JYcHvIPhQOEcwqJdyEBOpd6uyL0OxKpN7jfxjTN5opYwa-3GFBjk1CU7xEFB6GpU_FWTb54qtIBno8fBYVxc4n7C_GxSZ5UG69KX0_BNlpsW-85KjrNW3V6SWv7HMfzchaDIHl4YoSaN14lleiJf2gwasxo30V9vOW8urtscw/s4032/IMG_5094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2n1W-Vl3JS0hJ5wL4JYcHvIPhQOEcwqJdyEBOpd6uyL0OxKpN7jfxjTN5opYwa-3GFBjk1CU7xEFB6GpU_FWTb54qtIBno8fBYVxc4n7C_GxSZ5UG69KX0_BNlpsW-85KjrNW3V6SWv7HMfzchaDIHl4YoSaN14lleiJf2gwasxo30V9vOW8urtscw/w480-h640/IMG_5094.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iKDG4fewBuDBpG3RK8HmFCLmE1htamfPw-la_acnAvPoQgeUZIXIlUSgMAAqjSFhpyFAjpsyk58tbzWBFzXMHTPiWPAh2BcvkCO9QXux23zZ8pbnBLDXD2ie6avtIxIRcL3teVG5gjFhzDM2Y5Vf6oy5jHkC6r3I8HSevMe2XsMsmtMp3l-I_Ldvsg/s3355/IMG_5097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3355" data-original-width="2979" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iKDG4fewBuDBpG3RK8HmFCLmE1htamfPw-la_acnAvPoQgeUZIXIlUSgMAAqjSFhpyFAjpsyk58tbzWBFzXMHTPiWPAh2BcvkCO9QXux23zZ8pbnBLDXD2ie6avtIxIRcL3teVG5gjFhzDM2Y5Vf6oy5jHkC6r3I8HSevMe2XsMsmtMp3l-I_Ldvsg/w568-h640/IMG_5097.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvB73A_3B843O8aV4sV_0We3XipsC0Tsv8i_lwrhJjmAW88c3su4wfwxJFkU_CLls0BCmwpNlgZ7rv4_L4UBmZi5aW-YgIXFZepsIG3lhWD8cK7tTYrhXGaIZIdbFqxEUZ5gTMH4ZG1-egDX09rTVDHbKzmjHpY2SzbbwgnmP_yqDW20HG-nmd4WPEg/s3009/IMG_5828.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="3009" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvB73A_3B843O8aV4sV_0We3XipsC0Tsv8i_lwrhJjmAW88c3su4wfwxJFkU_CLls0BCmwpNlgZ7rv4_L4UBmZi5aW-YgIXFZepsIG3lhWD8cK7tTYrhXGaIZIdbFqxEUZ5gTMH4ZG1-egDX09rTVDHbKzmjHpY2SzbbwgnmP_yqDW20HG-nmd4WPEg/w640-h588/IMG_5828.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEIP8vb6bNdDXOyP8cFaVtfZR7As1u6FE2KlWv0mXkh8rzh1wdkzJXDVE18Sw5k1LEOSB4IAJHfcvK2_rd5KKX5xJMvu8FjqCAN5RW_aE0LxOxEJ8o5XcEhrCcb4BabUDmncz86HTit6J7PUeHAcFsaewNWXAm0C34_aOFcsEMXvkg-R6h1XwhxFbvQ/s2735/IMG_5829.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2269" data-original-width="2735" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEIP8vb6bNdDXOyP8cFaVtfZR7As1u6FE2KlWv0mXkh8rzh1wdkzJXDVE18Sw5k1LEOSB4IAJHfcvK2_rd5KKX5xJMvu8FjqCAN5RW_aE0LxOxEJ8o5XcEhrCcb4BabUDmncz86HTit6J7PUeHAcFsaewNWXAm0C34_aOFcsEMXvkg-R6h1XwhxFbvQ/w640-h530/IMG_5829.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DLtksy1oK6JOkfKgXWL8sIXvYB2wPIe8QDHViMAkyKfytQeWcgbAvaIELMoPp8cBWkaxvw7y3AJwbG_NNK-tONe4acH8WEYz50oCHbiw7V_cPwbfsn256HHxaRZNiPR8g51W2j3CCzR35fbur0AKy1S5fE_QmQqhi4jPhPhwxV3tl4feRfLE_0SArg/s3941/IMG_5837.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DLtksy1oK6JOkfKgXWL8sIXvYB2wPIe8QDHViMAkyKfytQeWcgbAvaIELMoPp8cBWkaxvw7y3AJwbG_NNK-tONe4acH8WEYz50oCHbiw7V_cPwbfsn256HHxaRZNiPR8g51W2j3CCzR35fbur0AKy1S5fE_QmQqhi4jPhPhwxV3tl4feRfLE_0SArg/w640-h480/IMG_5837.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK4hislOAKIdlTO5CGOY8xerNcrokbbpQwQUfgasFHoTEvdNTv40k2VA124Ys3CeuUDFcDJCLA58G_39cpDzF_KB9FNIEmFTkBnUjwOju9ezjQ0eJO6FkyhGGPfRst03z2OaG7ldX8NuvPFzMi27-A4QFBvZLCKa3cIRV8Ym6fIqc_81hM41aH6nK2A/s3113/IMG_5096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3113" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK4hislOAKIdlTO5CGOY8xerNcrokbbpQwQUfgasFHoTEvdNTv40k2VA124Ys3CeuUDFcDJCLA58G_39cpDzF_KB9FNIEmFTkBnUjwOju9ezjQ0eJO6FkyhGGPfRst03z2OaG7ldX8NuvPFzMi27-A4QFBvZLCKa3cIRV8Ym6fIqc_81hM41aH6nK2A/w622-h640/IMG_5096.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="622" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We decided we'd go for brunch at Los Portales.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk763IW72S7U-6WO0kspMbs_tgr0GN5W42DOy4_k2OHjI2PjW1exq_UgplHLBxe7YlgdcrGJodRxFju1YaQO5iSYcl7cRxkxUmk3OdFPxQM2ohD2L6_OR9zN0rWEQkSyP7anqwQsZA2tQRQS2ecqug8nxFJkKdfsS3K3nqoVq20V3FCLkvXLZlfTUQMg/s3222/IMG_5840.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3222" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk763IW72S7U-6WO0kspMbs_tgr0GN5W42DOy4_k2OHjI2PjW1exq_UgplHLBxe7YlgdcrGJodRxFju1YaQO5iSYcl7cRxkxUmk3OdFPxQM2ohD2L6_OR9zN0rWEQkSyP7anqwQsZA2tQRQS2ecqug8nxFJkKdfsS3K3nqoVq20V3FCLkvXLZlfTUQMg/w580-h640/IMG_5840.JPG" title="Los Portales" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div>Son had breakfast which was made to order and I tried a Tlayuda again to compare with last nights. I decided this dish is just not for me, but I have tried 3 times now. I actually thought last nights was better and just picked at this one today.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWMiJt_CEf33TrKkCLI4u2CmJbJXHdlZCf-WlVrRjT7cGqWsdzD4I0LMz0MrbRAYsl61rauz4is9KW0qLWRxHJjp-JjnL0DkWmYeBdsMVxOrlxct9T6gv1EtyKYu8aKwDXGf5hZGs0n4h0XylD9n-SvrF-36QYWyzAI0gRe8cJkvbiR4fDwEpRdyDMQ/s3437/IMG_5098.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2488" data-original-width="3437" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWMiJt_CEf33TrKkCLI4u2CmJbJXHdlZCf-WlVrRjT7cGqWsdzD4I0LMz0MrbRAYsl61rauz4is9KW0qLWRxHJjp-JjnL0DkWmYeBdsMVxOrlxct9T6gv1EtyKYu8aKwDXGf5hZGs0n4h0XylD9n-SvrF-36QYWyzAI0gRe8cJkvbiR4fDwEpRdyDMQ/w640-h464/IMG_5098.JPG" title="Mexican Breakfast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAELmBZ4V3NbNR2aYjnysSg-miBPP8IzMec2Pn_09Vn3TGS1PxKdsXuAwB9GO-n-OrXiVBgwkdsKFf85lJQwCQfCzedykZOi_VRlvrWAz8t2WMUwbyNRcFsnhaEvRn4KpXIdLeujAoPOHrI0deWNh2S4bxrjDm1wkGGKHJ2DWCyJvPRXGLlgwX0gztAw/s3495/IMG_5838.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2042" data-original-width="3495" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAELmBZ4V3NbNR2aYjnysSg-miBPP8IzMec2Pn_09Vn3TGS1PxKdsXuAwB9GO-n-OrXiVBgwkdsKFf85lJQwCQfCzedykZOi_VRlvrWAz8t2WMUwbyNRcFsnhaEvRn4KpXIdLeujAoPOHrI0deWNh2S4bxrjDm1wkGGKHJ2DWCyJvPRXGLlgwX0gztAw/w640-h374/IMG_5838.JPG" title="Tlayuda" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>When we were done the waiter put our plates to one counter but I watched him carry the salsa and Pico de Gallo to another counter where food was stored. He scraped both bowls back into the containers!!! OMG, I was appalled at what I was watching. And sure enough, the next table seated got their salsa and Pico from the containers he scraped ours back into! I wouldn't eat here again. In fact, I couldn't eat salsa and chips from many other restaurants we dined at because of what I saw...</div><div><br /></div><div>It was pretty hot out so we made our way back to our hotel to try out the pool. It was always as warm as bath water our entire stay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSVTXrwoJj0PwEAJl3W187kRoLIX9tF_8iS3FTNFajeRX6SyQf54eBTOVcXQUVSWv2UcBQlyozwqigMvg4APgHV1Q2zT31LJdCeFiaBTdIV_bW3vo8szkNzRVGDWqUQDlnU3yDaK98ahFTyoW8tkvcJlRznogncjxd5Hy-4jG5bHxccBrux3YVkg5AQ/s3861/IMG_5842.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSVTXrwoJj0PwEAJl3W187kRoLIX9tF_8iS3FTNFajeRX6SyQf54eBTOVcXQUVSWv2UcBQlyozwqigMvg4APgHV1Q2zT31LJdCeFiaBTdIV_bW3vo8szkNzRVGDWqUQDlnU3yDaK98ahFTyoW8tkvcJlRznogncjxd5Hy-4jG5bHxccBrux3YVkg5AQ/w640-h480/IMG_5842.JPG" title="Princess Mayev Pool" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQGqZbIBIT2JHod2rgFuoAg6Hc7mCoN4mWQXbKiwKdYOoGoXvo8PKPnQIRfDO-gf_wkP-Cuz2IeTHvrbzf_ervq8MsHKKt_RRqUVOdMrrckQlSUQ9mqWPYUJ5hNTm24zFFJzE9xQkm6tMPoZTD73TTHEbU2t-5dwP_SYH9Uspo00mwcaDD-B9qtV4gg/s3941/IMG_5844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3941" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQGqZbIBIT2JHod2rgFuoAg6Hc7mCoN4mWQXbKiwKdYOoGoXvo8PKPnQIRfDO-gf_wkP-Cuz2IeTHvrbzf_ervq8MsHKKt_RRqUVOdMrrckQlSUQ9mqWPYUJ5hNTm24zFFJzE9xQkm6tMPoZTD73TTHEbU2t-5dwP_SYH9Uspo00mwcaDD-B9qtV4gg/w480-h640/IMG_5844.JPG" title="My kid in the pool" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>In the evening we went back to town to check out the festivities. I had read about a hamburger place called Bonanza on Cocotillo. We decided to check it out for dinner. Below, it's on the left and the next picture is the view from our table where the burgers are made to order:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvwGffExpCe6bTQmAS70bWNc866h02x5pnU5c__aaLsC2ivAx1PjIuIMwqt1fMbwkibqAhSS72rBxxIYgLkvYOb5tuuKpD9kEuE58wL1YE7k4zcFEbD6RFdXr7yVl3jHp5QGV5a1U4_IJEKJja9MUA7WHqdk-O9iKYzNFkf1ban3zcsfKSSW5tQStyg/s3676/IMG_5856.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="3676" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvwGffExpCe6bTQmAS70bWNc866h02x5pnU5c__aaLsC2ivAx1PjIuIMwqt1fMbwkibqAhSS72rBxxIYgLkvYOb5tuuKpD9kEuE58wL1YE7k4zcFEbD6RFdXr7yVl3jHp5QGV5a1U4_IJEKJja9MUA7WHqdk-O9iKYzNFkf1ban3zcsfKSSW5tQStyg/w640-h524/IMG_5856.JPG" title="Bonanza Restaurant" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppiAY7LMKA-klBXEP-vs9VPnmXRswklVZoeCtlLx5PTuonZxW2ywrj3Pnri4waUs7DcghcLZY6016newq9j9i0A_2Ob5Tg_xcr6NlTESZKMsDKcslLCP5OU1nlbCi9cFVckQpJhzhWlpGVCEZ9MJMvuopJVu2CKJBPu5nwgXakK1arVbktEHwUtYh9Q/s3861/IMG_5849.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2895" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppiAY7LMKA-klBXEP-vs9VPnmXRswklVZoeCtlLx5PTuonZxW2ywrj3Pnri4waUs7DcghcLZY6016newq9j9i0A_2Ob5Tg_xcr6NlTESZKMsDKcslLCP5OU1nlbCi9cFVckQpJhzhWlpGVCEZ9MJMvuopJVu2CKJBPu5nwgXakK1arVbktEHwUtYh9Q/w640-h480/IMG_5849.JPG" title="Bonanza on Cocotillo" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The owner was very nice and spoke good English. Son ordered the Bonanza burger which was huge, about a half pound and had an egg on it. I got the surf & turf which had shrimp on it. My son polished his off, and I ate it bunless to attempt to finish. I liked "Mama Elsa's" burgers better but I never got to taking my son there to compare...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyWVDLB8T0obkkMp_bjYDKsd641FXDRfmKpOMmTmHEYnNrFU4xi0CsT6qV-juDemL-J8176uZc_eAjNRH9OQF9gUC_DkdrLqw_YzllmOSLJCb22_hX84fRRyz28mWp2Tqq7vNe_jMdE3MrdYnSYtro_rIa4fnKCS2LoT7FF7S-yNWejue5a1-D7-avw/s3307/IMG_5852.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3307" data-original-width="2963" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyWVDLB8T0obkkMp_bjYDKsd641FXDRfmKpOMmTmHEYnNrFU4xi0CsT6qV-juDemL-J8176uZc_eAjNRH9OQF9gUC_DkdrLqw_YzllmOSLJCb22_hX84fRRyz28mWp2Tqq7vNe_jMdE3MrdYnSYtro_rIa4fnKCS2LoT7FF7S-yNWejue5a1-D7-avw/w574-h640/IMG_5852.JPG" title="Bonanza Burger with Egg" width="574" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPktBsKEYWX5c3AYSlo_j_QwMW65JODt3rqnXi7JhF4icpxJaoZqyvz_a-vY2vGXuwUeR2WM1uBBfnuxTMOvYzsR-Yvpkmu18SEUHSoubyaa-QXEJPSmw0D6NpqXr6F-jUnoOO5CNo2AXgVGPEeqBGJYK-Jm4BLgt472YtaoCuzrEYnADyNjz8UpCTVA/s3680/IMG_5853.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3680" data-original-width="2761" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPktBsKEYWX5c3AYSlo_j_QwMW65JODt3rqnXi7JhF4icpxJaoZqyvz_a-vY2vGXuwUeR2WM1uBBfnuxTMOvYzsR-Yvpkmu18SEUHSoubyaa-QXEJPSmw0D6NpqXr6F-jUnoOO5CNo2AXgVGPEeqBGJYK-Jm4BLgt472YtaoCuzrEYnADyNjz8UpCTVA/w480-h640/IMG_5853.JPG" title="Surf & Turf Burger" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>There was a Día de los Muertos concert going on in the park and it was packed with people. Mostly the children were dressed up, much like Halloween at home and were collecting treats at the shops. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuYUOe8MlR137r9S4nDXHyX_vkXckM7nYSSpNs1uhvZZk8r3kqShb5HUzzWmSR7Wqg1R4-3N9mhA8iQ5gTjIh6FQ5ZzJGwfXU6GUwP1_NTn8xAhw64SPFCJu5_Ot4viEV4GpF3cn4C0h7OL7CU4NAwdMHvwodsfZ7O4zNI9KasJSB9tsRZU6DjyNmDw/s4032/IMG_5857.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuYUOe8MlR137r9S4nDXHyX_vkXckM7nYSSpNs1uhvZZk8r3kqShb5HUzzWmSR7Wqg1R4-3N9mhA8iQ5gTjIh6FQ5ZzJGwfXU6GUwP1_NTn8xAhw64SPFCJu5_Ot4viEV4GpF3cn4C0h7OL7CU4NAwdMHvwodsfZ7O4zNI9KasJSB9tsRZU6DjyNmDw/w480-h640/IMG_5857.JPG" title="Día de los Muertos in the Park" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhlH5r9e21vxAUnZwFisVBesXBiaSR06RQdelkaQtdaacoQOcO7JGeeRfvrLhM4jIai2E97ky7bZ44-IvhQD-xFCJcs3IFZOSAZCnmcM8cVK268ByqM-S6Hd1bqjeueaHB8Ztz0m60j8Og01wnb13tDTJLphT0Mj6cWcwHCz-eURiUwQSJ6ygExZPJQ/s4032/IMG_5861.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhlH5r9e21vxAUnZwFisVBesXBiaSR06RQdelkaQtdaacoQOcO7JGeeRfvrLhM4jIai2E97ky7bZ44-IvhQD-xFCJcs3IFZOSAZCnmcM8cVK268ByqM-S6Hd1bqjeueaHB8Ztz0m60j8Og01wnb13tDTJLphT0Mj6cWcwHCz-eURiUwQSJ6ygExZPJQ/w480-h640/IMG_5861.JPG" title="Día de los Muertos" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Below are the current taxi fares. We caught one and thought we'd go check out El Cajun at Marina Park Plaza for a drink.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhrC5maXZ--2W9R31KE-hlMK-4oYyhrY8IsC4YHlWDwmSnFqkyFI35FtX3G5uJWjuZFRjJM7D0nsGWCN09Z7IIUbX1EvNNiHtQ5YQOSVoGQZM9kL9fVbMGVHtWVGhqckRnCWByzfgUOJxJ4KwyfAWNCQQlclhU0KW1ZevNSrm8sqyTAy4pYrwQYF-sQ/s4032/IMG_5102.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhrC5maXZ--2W9R31KE-hlMK-4oYyhrY8IsC4YHlWDwmSnFqkyFI35FtX3G5uJWjuZFRjJM7D0nsGWCN09Z7IIUbX1EvNNiHtQ5YQOSVoGQZM9kL9fVbMGVHtWVGhqckRnCWByzfgUOJxJ4KwyfAWNCQQlclhU0KW1ZevNSrm8sqyTAy4pYrwQYF-sQ/w480-h640/IMG_5102.JPG" title="Taxi Fares from Centro" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I realize now that we never actually ate or drank at El Cajun as there are two restaurants and we sat at the other one both times we went. I also learned it's pronounced Cahoon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEnyQk05FCWO2r7cFo1uHCHobOVNExAOFObvmlWX9DFREN68Axw4fj3CthOVWoZ3bN7g_zjR_gG-VTWq8qFpA4cpQI4lRSGOZ1rCOy0rLLp6rQ6LhRawuxCbT1O0OfvwN6QIgJF9wp-cRqYm22BBqyDBZbgbrefCd6FOKbfJ4ku_EY6CQVAp7TADuIQ/s3861/IMG_5865.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3861" data-original-width="2896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEnyQk05FCWO2r7cFo1uHCHobOVNExAOFObvmlWX9DFREN68Axw4fj3CthOVWoZ3bN7g_zjR_gG-VTWq8qFpA4cpQI4lRSGOZ1rCOy0rLLp6rQ6LhRawuxCbT1O0OfvwN6QIgJF9wp-cRqYm22BBqyDBZbgbrefCd6FOKbfJ4ku_EY6CQVAp7TADuIQ/w480-h640/IMG_5865.JPG" title="El Cajun" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Anyway, my son had a very pretty chocolate lava cake dessert and it is in a lovely setting. Our server Daniel told me the condos located there are Canadian though I'm not sure exactly what that meant...my son said he thought Daniel said the restaurant was owned by Canadians?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlb0nNPblOWhsl_K8NIioR5X0a-tnt0EXPbt6KEg4ZKZxeKpGU3n6GrOtWkUj9FL5TnkjDPB5CgjkngmQd5bHFcJoNHJZaYdbktGKEa_THRboizlhZqgifNe1sAcq7Hq6XZxtXqvlXPBtxb6XJ3A6N29z-TnBbGHH48ZrnF7JgXL9hcJf_8KiBbrLQQ/s3023/IMG_5103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="3023" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlb0nNPblOWhsl_K8NIioR5X0a-tnt0EXPbt6KEg4ZKZxeKpGU3n6GrOtWkUj9FL5TnkjDPB5CgjkngmQd5bHFcJoNHJZaYdbktGKEa_THRboizlhZqgifNe1sAcq7Hq6XZxtXqvlXPBtxb6XJ3A6N29z-TnBbGHH48ZrnF7JgXL9hcJf_8KiBbrLQQ/w640-h570/IMG_5103.JPG" title="Chocolate Lava Cake" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4V9txL1wV6VMhb70Crj4y1zCds7wCdh6kWWGsiFKolC2yb65SIe-hEcAYuSiVXs1Fk-4aq1orS6KaQSUoKTolzGS0bXFMUCUvt-pBReYqlolrPXJqsSEAtMhIRgdMW50MLxa_Pcv2xj9RV0ZIzPNddbnp9VzAgoQRmUrF0z--KaFKfiJ7lFaFpDbYw/s3799/IMG_5866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4V9txL1wV6VMhb70Crj4y1zCds7wCdh6kWWGsiFKolC2yb65SIe-hEcAYuSiVXs1Fk-4aq1orS6KaQSUoKTolzGS0bXFMUCUvt-pBReYqlolrPXJqsSEAtMhIRgdMW50MLxa_Pcv2xj9RV0ZIzPNddbnp9VzAgoQRmUrF0z--KaFKfiJ7lFaFpDbYw/w640-h480/IMG_5866.JPG" title="Marina Park Plaza" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Above was the view from our table. We took another taxi to the hotel though it was very walkable. We retired for the evening.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><b><u>Wednesday, November 2, 2022:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Today we were off to spend the day at my favorite beach, Maguey. Son had some French toast before we left the hotel and it was very beautifully plated and picture worthy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwML-SfHoDaBuTOFG4r1MkxbzYyIsfkKtWGHn8Kj2AI7vDvqkE9qnI-OX5IZ4fObapmsLHlVuwWCVdZWn3QcQpwyr35nYEQrsTuaB4HKjA8vpG-SO2UDM2lVWad9yfBrv0VXApPPFNlR91sjM1n4xfb4VmaGi8CU9Oohz5MkPAISsTtIPVOjUJsYaXUA/s2475/IMG_5870.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1697" data-original-width="2475" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwML-SfHoDaBuTOFG4r1MkxbzYyIsfkKtWGHn8Kj2AI7vDvqkE9qnI-OX5IZ4fObapmsLHlVuwWCVdZWn3QcQpwyr35nYEQrsTuaB4HKjA8vpG-SO2UDM2lVWad9yfBrv0VXApPPFNlR91sjM1n4xfb4VmaGi8CU9Oohz5MkPAISsTtIPVOjUJsYaXUA/w640-h438/IMG_5870.JPG" title="French Toast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>At Maguey we were greeted by Jose who luckily worked at where I wanted to go which was El Pescador. It's where we sat last time and enjoyed it very much. They've doubled in size now as they took over the place next door. Bahia Maguey was as scenic as I remember...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS12hrbufoQ2jNoxscCwazzqPum7nc3X6FFGotfmfOjbWhpUCztqf_pT-RKyNzSqq6oeMtj9bVQbe__6GO0XB8UHq1t6VAjUhgqMDF7fJyErPjRW2x8p9gQHzDCL8WqxTJynMgrh9JMs9tbN-PNwITLzBoqDEt-r-BYqhprZ-2eIyqS6eTeEucLPO7Yw/s4032/IMG_5873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS12hrbufoQ2jNoxscCwazzqPum7nc3X6FFGotfmfOjbWhpUCztqf_pT-RKyNzSqq6oeMtj9bVQbe__6GO0XB8UHq1t6VAjUhgqMDF7fJyErPjRW2x8p9gQHzDCL8WqxTJynMgrh9JMs9tbN-PNwITLzBoqDEt-r-BYqhprZ-2eIyqS6eTeEucLPO7Yw/w640-h480/IMG_5873.JPG" title="Bahia Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqfWZv4AV1k7TKWtNaSOCMBxgYqVY5Tz8fBndWhxBpVAOTzKiD7LzvfrsmtXdngwGtyandu5m4BpxxxUuxcYCqTrOmamMChDculFpgNBhaGhF5etYYjb5ATKDvfb0DAu2ODs0CiYkOUl7vHVPYLA8IZhY_7DDveSA2Pjgjlr-DVgTg3PE21SXNAfVIg/s4032/IMG_5887.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqfWZv4AV1k7TKWtNaSOCMBxgYqVY5Tz8fBndWhxBpVAOTzKiD7LzvfrsmtXdngwGtyandu5m4BpxxxUuxcYCqTrOmamMChDculFpgNBhaGhF5etYYjb5ATKDvfb0DAu2ODs0CiYkOUl7vHVPYLA8IZhY_7DDveSA2Pjgjlr-DVgTg3PE21SXNAfVIg/w640-h480/IMG_5887.JPG" title="Bahia Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent all day paddling around in the water and when Jose brought today's catch to the table, I decided to try the red snapper. He said how good it was in their wood fired oven and suggested garlic butter sauce on one half and non-spicy guajillo sauce on the other. How could I refuse? I asked him for the smallest one.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXblJHxHsSSpYSF39enzxF2HvGrcZlrBqrCy7lJ21uaqDP0kbuMYTQwwiugKIJ6W17QOP6wA-cbpyJzy3SkKRJ0aCJfolCvs8BQ6AuWktbC9MudQZ2Yv2Y09VdA3PWCNXvcy3QfRaheskppEYIMagJL6Z0GUKkyTwkxqDz8Lu2ohkKao0a0KY9DnDaQ/s3037/IMG_5877.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3037" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXblJHxHsSSpYSF39enzxF2HvGrcZlrBqrCy7lJ21uaqDP0kbuMYTQwwiugKIJ6W17QOP6wA-cbpyJzy3SkKRJ0aCJfolCvs8BQ6AuWktbC9MudQZ2Yv2Y09VdA3PWCNXvcy3QfRaheskppEYIMagJL6Z0GUKkyTwkxqDz8Lu2ohkKao0a0KY9DnDaQ/w638-h640/IMG_5877.JPG" title="Today's Catch" width="638" /></a></div><br /><div>It turns out, that was $1350 pesos or a whopping $93.00 CAD! Presentation was nice when it arrived but we barely dented this. We tried to eat as much fish as possible but I wouldn't be surprised if it went into their soup the next day, ewwww! 😆</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdU9HKyZi-Cx2NrtrHioka5P5QHThHko6nbthraoC_84i-4K4vXp7lOHCKZyLckJQd01yJPhc_sRRO0ADNzazz-AHzVmM_8vldHabARkg4mI_-rvsKr-QiflOie9WqkhpvI8I6x6a16qu0Yz1DrQM5x7XRdjq0XG8r9A_XwIrPy3jRTavAMOkMrvCytw/s2897/IMG_5879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2169" data-original-width="2897" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdU9HKyZi-Cx2NrtrHioka5P5QHThHko6nbthraoC_84i-4K4vXp7lOHCKZyLckJQd01yJPhc_sRRO0ADNzazz-AHzVmM_8vldHabARkg4mI_-rvsKr-QiflOie9WqkhpvI8I6x6a16qu0Yz1DrQM5x7XRdjq0XG8r9A_XwIrPy3jRTavAMOkMrvCytw/w640-h480/IMG_5879.JPG" title="Tostadas, Lime & Spicy Salsa" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tostadas, Lime & Spicy Salsa</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FMFokev8RX4w1Hm3mwthjN_4MAwXpHrkxS6VOvvc_tffFRvIF0Z3Q-oUl2RurYQtGVYCxIkUFGeiWfEa96ONB2KWxXTcjb2fORVXXrvC56vWN8UXixbuRkgmwyFm5GVtdl3PBnt3Z9umzpVc6HGBE875pVQvfsPtCCkzO3oHODfXySwSjKH0p4o3EQ/s3023/IMG_5883.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="2714" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FMFokev8RX4w1Hm3mwthjN_4MAwXpHrkxS6VOvvc_tffFRvIF0Z3Q-oUl2RurYQtGVYCxIkUFGeiWfEa96ONB2KWxXTcjb2fORVXXrvC56vWN8UXixbuRkgmwyFm5GVtdl3PBnt3Z9umzpVc6HGBE875pVQvfsPtCCkzO3oHODfXySwSjKH0p4o3EQ/w574-h640/IMG_5883.JPG" title="Red Snapper Two Ways" width="574" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNiWR0tzxhevtN0ssoDxDO4BsQb_4g5uST3OOyoo8t092kiscE3XjQZGQip6F-W6TIatxxDhkohvntpQmH8dsoXfGayyHnRQRZAbJu6jLz-Up8t_ngXV40I84a5BGe2Opz-j25qUOfSj7K7JjSkjWQ1mukObJOuxAnJqicxdowzw9FikKpZ5VSn4Nkw/s2593/IMG_5878.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2593" data-original-width="2527" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNiWR0tzxhevtN0ssoDxDO4BsQb_4g5uST3OOyoo8t092kiscE3XjQZGQip6F-W6TIatxxDhkohvntpQmH8dsoXfGayyHnRQRZAbJu6jLz-Up8t_ngXV40I84a5BGe2Opz-j25qUOfSj7K7JjSkjWQ1mukObJOuxAnJqicxdowzw9FikKpZ5VSn4Nkw/w624-h640/IMG_5878.JPG" title="Flan" width="624" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Son tried the flan from a beach vendor.</div><div><br /></div>Needless to say, all our cash disappeared here, $165 CAD and we only had enough money to taxi back. Jose did remind us I could use a credit card, haha - thanks. We spent the entire day here so had enough time and got back to the hotel around dinner time. By the time we showered and were ready it was about 9 pm. We went to the Quinta Bella (pronounced Beya) hotel to check out "Otto" restaurant. When I was last here Quinta Bella didn't have any restaurants that I know of, now they have 5!!!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH77AffJSOaKJYAdjZQDw5f0yxxzYGmiBSqnPPQGbSAgVLn8YZ8o1_-DC3juR1liPwrfyKFWSfDgpEBCAGGWXtL4-z0oo69yViD6Hmo_Sw-30rEJ1dRqW0SHjE2qJJIUnoAjQ5sNot6Ov5ix5WAa2eQwVb-DbbKe6QYxhFbWs-JiU_nJpPMmzBriEpuQ/s3895/IMG_5916.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3895" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH77AffJSOaKJYAdjZQDw5f0yxxzYGmiBSqnPPQGbSAgVLn8YZ8o1_-DC3juR1liPwrfyKFWSfDgpEBCAGGWXtL4-z0oo69yViD6Hmo_Sw-30rEJ1dRqW0SHjE2qJJIUnoAjQ5sNot6Ov5ix5WAa2eQwVb-DbbKe6QYxhFbWs-JiU_nJpPMmzBriEpuQ/w480-h640/IMG_5916.JPG" title="Otto Restaurant" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>English was spoken very well here by our waiter so ordering and asking questions was not a problem. Service was 100% and actually so was the food. This might be my favorite meal I had in Huatulco this visit. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPmCtWU7OatGsZhXTytZMqmK25wA4_Dpan0yDCnCK3_8jip59mzqthTWTEKegzBa70pIQiG_ykhN4jHq_-uDL2nwd9KX8e_CuELfFBRBajMPFXzo_4CxXIvABOMtvE1S_VYEz-Ns1kE3uAEFK_1zBukccbfi4DJXKrYqFh05DmM3YjRgwwp2uEe3ZZA/s3903/IMG_5889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2536" data-original-width="3903" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPmCtWU7OatGsZhXTytZMqmK25wA4_Dpan0yDCnCK3_8jip59mzqthTWTEKegzBa70pIQiG_ykhN4jHq_-uDL2nwd9KX8e_CuELfFBRBajMPFXzo_4CxXIvABOMtvE1S_VYEz-Ns1kE3uAEFK_1zBukccbfi4DJXKrYqFh05DmM3YjRgwwp2uEe3ZZA/w640-h416/IMG_5889.JPG" title="Sourdough Bread Starter" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The sourdough bread above was one of the best I ever tasted though my picture is lacking. I can't remember any of the accompaniments except for the one on the top right which was butter with cheese. It was one of the most addictive tastes I've tried. Just YUM. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS_sl1L26HuqQs4uUhbE68eEwnyIJ4jJAZVqelHAhb8IQvUzU0D6rn3bxPp4KVan-s5dJR-7MOYwXHNXBlmYn3HTUGFXmQWp342NOyC7111WSPmQ0F8IZGSdYPpgfAsbi6N1Sln5gJXJf2PZZ2yzGvXBZXc1r5X87Gp_iakpU5IS2j11A2TisKBOScQ/s2542/IMG_5896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2425" data-original-width="2542" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS_sl1L26HuqQs4uUhbE68eEwnyIJ4jJAZVqelHAhb8IQvUzU0D6rn3bxPp4KVan-s5dJR-7MOYwXHNXBlmYn3HTUGFXmQWp342NOyC7111WSPmQ0F8IZGSdYPpgfAsbi6N1Sln5gJXJf2PZZ2yzGvXBZXc1r5X87Gp_iakpU5IS2j11A2TisKBOScQ/w640-h610/IMG_5896.JPG" title="Panela Cheese" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUK43C9ncET3B_8dzVnH8pwCen1ifH02NZDM6nUnh3e2D9Lui9VsgVOI6hVHfdoeFc4mBvb2_PfEZ6icAfldQ60YvcklC-07zCsYQoEmvsI0r4GYChsvsGr6WKobByjxkGIjImQkyqxz5iiNZato2867q9Xgxw0uCRNVySTHtMQ3ZCPqZw5tpLM3Vhw/s1064/IMG_5890%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="1064" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUK43C9ncET3B_8dzVnH8pwCen1ifH02NZDM6nUnh3e2D9Lui9VsgVOI6hVHfdoeFc4mBvb2_PfEZ6icAfldQ60YvcklC-07zCsYQoEmvsI0r4GYChsvsGr6WKobByjxkGIjImQkyqxz5iiNZato2867q9Xgxw0uCRNVySTHtMQ3ZCPqZw5tpLM3Vhw/s320/IMG_5890%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a>$9.65 CAD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQNImnFlqwFHuogYkbJgnQwwmTNEfddu3TU64Da3EyepyxRwruh6kXREg37Wrap-JJLNSSR2pyyp71eMCm7K2RG2zmvvUQUICdK1RK6fTflGEuWn-9FbR2tPg1tJHq1cJwCGjGljwUN48bF4Qf7poUJkKk0Sz7QToj_wchS50SHxM4zm4NMAWrCH2SQ/s2652/IMG_5898.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="2652" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQNImnFlqwFHuogYkbJgnQwwmTNEfddu3TU64Da3EyepyxRwruh6kXREg37Wrap-JJLNSSR2pyyp71eMCm7K2RG2zmvvUQUICdK1RK6fTflGEuWn-9FbR2tPg1tJHq1cJwCGjGljwUN48bF4Qf7poUJkKk0Sz7QToj_wchS50SHxM4zm4NMAWrCH2SQ/w640-h616/IMG_5898.JPG" title="Mussels Appetizer" width="640" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRkjLemNFwWKLX8wvwdj9ovC75D0a5q87QQIgFip8xhbGbSiT1ieEh3ULEiwRqQsp2sGE5NQeDqZpWlR4n6LD0jwsQtNsapEaW1ysK_iipYcx1CCt3XAld8opgz0HA6uXrjrC_XRLjgDYctbX9XlUPVxZcs9QtetPOKdv482M-AXgb9_F3Vg77uLHXg/s1792/IMG_5890%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="1792" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRkjLemNFwWKLX8wvwdj9ovC75D0a5q87QQIgFip8xhbGbSiT1ieEh3ULEiwRqQsp2sGE5NQeDqZpWlR4n6LD0jwsQtNsapEaW1ysK_iipYcx1CCt3XAld8opgz0HA6uXrjrC_XRLjgDYctbX9XlUPVxZcs9QtetPOKdv482M-AXgb9_F3Vg77uLHXg/w400-h54/IMG_5890%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a>$11.00 CAD</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqtzR77S8yoO29p504B3dg6iluXkycEwdGTgI8Ifah9XITxRG3gx9hSlzcGJHi7lw0xlJhZusIM4kWefdYFwKEglL_D5o7NivG014ceHMKCeXsU3s9O3JU1-keUb0bL38qNqmIc2jAo2onzcsIGc3dn3X-ObA8WfttaOCQowc9zD2EYQBFqn69Xc3sA/s3023/IMG_5902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2058" data-original-width="3023" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqtzR77S8yoO29p504B3dg6iluXkycEwdGTgI8Ifah9XITxRG3gx9hSlzcGJHi7lw0xlJhZusIM4kWefdYFwKEglL_D5o7NivG014ceHMKCeXsU3s9O3JU1-keUb0bL38qNqmIc2jAo2onzcsIGc3dn3X-ObA8WfttaOCQowc9zD2EYQBFqn69Xc3sA/w640-h436/IMG_5902.JPG" title="Steak Au Poivre" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vyun7Kx_uP3l1RLVhdZkZQU70REdHy0wYrcpk9s5jVmEbC_YFzRdKns6mIASPYXtjexptc78sM1cB1eJZVD7Iu9hPE2V3NIY7RMs04_H75zjriKXwBCyBgr9yhi5MlZ6L_xwZ9jccyBecoKMxdJewUHBvzmwanJOAeOihVnsOleakLhxZkqCKL0yjQ/s2088/IMG_5903.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1985" data-original-width="2088" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vyun7Kx_uP3l1RLVhdZkZQU70REdHy0wYrcpk9s5jVmEbC_YFzRdKns6mIASPYXtjexptc78sM1cB1eJZVD7Iu9hPE2V3NIY7RMs04_H75zjriKXwBCyBgr9yhi5MlZ6L_xwZ9jccyBecoKMxdJewUHBvzmwanJOAeOihVnsOleakLhxZkqCKL0yjQ/w640-h608/IMG_5903.JPG" title="Spicy Fries" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lRFadGyXKnkP8RhsNKTy5dZtxG8FmnXsTkXSYcmZ97mig2i4jar4kD-YvRp_yK3GsoKs2LEu57d_gpDPiUFX_rHNi8vl5FEdn2K8Oihc2OpBr-i6h-7MheHe7BXOItX2s_hcrkavYpECyALFCg6dk1eFUMMb2LZap-7MFxHfU2qFKhcUmieH8qEayQ/s1191/IMG_5891%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="1191" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lRFadGyXKnkP8RhsNKTy5dZtxG8FmnXsTkXSYcmZ97mig2i4jar4kD-YvRp_yK3GsoKs2LEu57d_gpDPiUFX_rHNi8vl5FEdn2K8Oihc2OpBr-i6h-7MheHe7BXOItX2s_hcrkavYpECyALFCg6dk1eFUMMb2LZap-7MFxHfU2qFKhcUmieH8qEayQ/s320/IMG_5891%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a>$21.30 CAD</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8iDVwSE-VmamQjiQTcCej52gVnEny8tY6ShIzWhSoSgUcIJMZ42ZZxCvvm0pYFuYcrhQzCzGZHZVJAclLHGoDkgJ5m_Zf2Hmgtzbk51btbqSVBszEclzkmF9pS-0i2B59ODmTTvVJz1gHBH_cUo26dHp-4GZtZZ3wRP_KuvjyX_hLMCIwIXkxGFumA/s3447/IMG_5906.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3447" data-original-width="2680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8iDVwSE-VmamQjiQTcCej52gVnEny8tY6ShIzWhSoSgUcIJMZ42ZZxCvvm0pYFuYcrhQzCzGZHZVJAclLHGoDkgJ5m_Zf2Hmgtzbk51btbqSVBszEclzkmF9pS-0i2B59ODmTTvVJz1gHBH_cUo26dHp-4GZtZZ3wRP_KuvjyX_hLMCIwIXkxGFumA/w498-h640/IMG_5906.JPG" title="Short Ribs" width="498" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemfb200zBnAmludBGaV7oz3dKTIskoJMQCQmIedfNNJ_PKRXgkis0FCiACVSXaR5rWTb3NqY9NyF7PWwLQu1PVa9A-Rgb1qsTmaVNbQbkggEI0UMF1vI6TxP3lkyzmwcnHCGynSd1R9VFYEo_oeiQzx1BHR9FlQNWgBu3CAflXNqr5TElhb4s1ONUMQ/s1548/IMG_5891%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="1548" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemfb200zBnAmludBGaV7oz3dKTIskoJMQCQmIedfNNJ_PKRXgkis0FCiACVSXaR5rWTb3NqY9NyF7PWwLQu1PVa9A-Rgb1qsTmaVNbQbkggEI0UMF1vI6TxP3lkyzmwcnHCGynSd1R9VFYEo_oeiQzx1BHR9FlQNWgBu3CAflXNqr5TElhb4s1ONUMQ/w400-h38/IMG_5891%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a>$17.55 CAD</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, the portions were perfect but yet we were stuffed. It was because everything was so rich and decadent. Below they brought us a granita to palette cleanse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSy5xhTZsyp_-TYixssk5xOR-ZdS0rfRGZv6GdqD95npH6Tt9Ahc4PA3zzFnew-hPK61GtkD07J2rPOdqR9iWDtGuEHkRKbep3zYNHoIJiptQ9QN1fPSsMJzQekqZXOzhO9qHQlYWxKUV3CaFa6cLnml5Us3fEc5Z7gTKq_9kVOekEQ6VFZd5Mdmuaw/s2005/IMG_5908.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="2005" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSy5xhTZsyp_-TYixssk5xOR-ZdS0rfRGZv6GdqD95npH6Tt9Ahc4PA3zzFnew-hPK61GtkD07J2rPOdqR9iWDtGuEHkRKbep3zYNHoIJiptQ9QN1fPSsMJzQekqZXOzhO9qHQlYWxKUV3CaFa6cLnml5Us3fEc5Z7gTKq_9kVOekEQ6VFZd5Mdmuaw/w640-h584/IMG_5908.JPG" title="Granita" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Son managed to devour a dessert and it also lived up to all expectations.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4qdmqsEwjIDnQEMLZthar8GkWfdSfzlVWnEsZl_CvJoAyo7NFwAqgomp25f0n01WsnVkYGBYwybiRIk1oKJHmgM6k-TiRea6f7VPURAR74pX_hSUtoYHMOFVJqkM7yQhKZC-mpuo7KN1TThYURcgd-fTF-q0kSAJ4i3C8vi9dDgYstf7ljYzFOQK8g/s2916/IMG_5911.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1879" data-original-width="2916" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4qdmqsEwjIDnQEMLZthar8GkWfdSfzlVWnEsZl_CvJoAyo7NFwAqgomp25f0n01WsnVkYGBYwybiRIk1oKJHmgM6k-TiRea6f7VPURAR74pX_hSUtoYHMOFVJqkM7yQhKZC-mpuo7KN1TThYURcgd-fTF-q0kSAJ4i3C8vi9dDgYstf7ljYzFOQK8g/w640-h412/IMG_5911.JPG" title="Basque Cheesecake" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6NDHoUAe2McO-4SbefTUF4up5oMH6lgKu-Ze-yF7c2zIMAY3VtKWxEGlcEEGnsYC3Y8TrTQZQuvIR6YTktPY6NG_zqcgSpQByS4M-3kHKuclIcII1Ve0yKERX3TcQGTlnoOk3AVfB1V0aNpeNOqIsYCwF8W8oqhDjUoYYSu_O03tBrxRWbIIaAkVeg/s1261/IMG_5892%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="1261" height="47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6NDHoUAe2McO-4SbefTUF4up5oMH6lgKu-Ze-yF7c2zIMAY3VtKWxEGlcEEGnsYC3Y8TrTQZQuvIR6YTktPY6NG_zqcgSpQByS4M-3kHKuclIcII1Ve0yKERX3TcQGTlnoOk3AVfB1V0aNpeNOqIsYCwF8W8oqhDjUoYYSu_O03tBrxRWbIIaAkVeg/s320/IMG_5892%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a>$9.65 CAD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We thought this meal delivered great value as well. If there was anything to complain about it was how loud the noise level was inside. There was a table of six gentleman enjoying their "guys" evening but we could hear nothing else but their deafening conversation in English. It was quite pathetic too when the over middle-aged gents started arguing about who the pretty young server would marry out of them all. I couldn't help but roll my eyes 🤮. We waddled out of there and went back to the room for the evening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Thursday, November 3, 2022:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today was another favorite of mine, <b><u><a href="https://www.seasoulhuatulco.com/" target="_blank">Sea Soul Beach Club</a></u></b>. We walked there at opening time (10 am) and got a day pass for $520 pesos each ($36 CAD) and that included a $200 peso credit ($13.75 CAD) each to anywhere on the resort. Since we were last there they've added an entrance to Chahue beach which has a coffee stand and a deli bistro. Clio's restaurant didn't open till 1 pm this visit so no breakfast any more except at the deli. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS837rRX99sD7JjHt7MwFo9iANHaEXZm3qI_AnHC9HRDXiR1WUSpc5OdyUCsrjWnMW4pLQ1NKwOLPButwPYh45NtpdYNotr19eTlLtHocyDvm87DVcyscqnPenZAn_yoZznummeX3a-LJYAnY2n8fuMLnEPqsxKPx8os7rvq29C-60gEIH0sNcbCz0AA/s4032/IMG_5918.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS837rRX99sD7JjHt7MwFo9iANHaEXZm3qI_AnHC9HRDXiR1WUSpc5OdyUCsrjWnMW4pLQ1NKwOLPButwPYh45NtpdYNotr19eTlLtHocyDvm87DVcyscqnPenZAn_yoZznummeX3a-LJYAnY2n8fuMLnEPqsxKPx8os7rvq29C-60gEIH0sNcbCz0AA/w480-h640/IMG_5918.JPG" title="Chahue Corner" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>They also had "Day of the Dead" displays there. We met a family from Minnesota who said they had gone to Santa Maria for the festivities. I tried messaging with a local guide on facebook to find a really good celebration but he never responded back. I know now to go to Santa Maria as another couple also did this and said it was the highlight of their trip. Sorry we didn't know about it, but next time!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KmTMosR-cJqequE-JU3D3JDaaEkvTbfYOCA9RKFwMp68bqSr2YE4tUgSmufxwpz7SXLpx3dKtw_Cr6gUzHgHEU5emaLZ7VNtYt3FThou84-xdVzhyAC5drvScEZ7_LqgyQvOb_a557rQzwJp4FBIYO362XSIWNtkx8NMaYNyTRHGu2ToWWf-A1Mqjg/s3861/IMG_5919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2895" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KmTMosR-cJqequE-JU3D3JDaaEkvTbfYOCA9RKFwMp68bqSr2YE4tUgSmufxwpz7SXLpx3dKtw_Cr6gUzHgHEU5emaLZ7VNtYt3FThou84-xdVzhyAC5drvScEZ7_LqgyQvOb_a557rQzwJp4FBIYO362XSIWNtkx8NMaYNyTRHGu2ToWWf-A1Mqjg/w640-h480/IMG_5919.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjp5PnBX5Ij9czp45pZ4lrXf_9Atq91oRF-BTHfmrT0bUfyIl7xy384Yq8Qs5AVsxOM__AfDi5OE6Lle1aRje5YQG34s_7TpJLfcptKqLlhgeWww3dpghTir3JDnfWuqClZbI2iJaIKCVHVSjsY5lLt9_cfikqdlGZcYE0XzPBnsGMv_2ebFm9N733g/s3941/IMG_5920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjp5PnBX5Ij9czp45pZ4lrXf_9Atq91oRF-BTHfmrT0bUfyIl7xy384Yq8Qs5AVsxOM__AfDi5OE6Lle1aRje5YQG34s_7TpJLfcptKqLlhgeWww3dpghTir3JDnfWuqClZbI2iJaIKCVHVSjsY5lLt9_cfikqdlGZcYE0XzPBnsGMv_2ebFm9N733g/w640-h480/IMG_5920.JPG" title="Day of the Dead Displays" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We ate before Clio opened. Had a couple of sandwiches from the bistro.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidY2DzSFgut07ZIuh5-jrEbxXShy9CSD4vapQA-ReG3PCoMBfC2Yr0pUHBaHePl9YW_wkMsnwpwfxnCcZcHukQZyMoPbW3qCkA0LpMSRYNakStzsdsiwEqW8r2WdYlcgl-2xf9iPA6E_fNeko7NfH9geUzM7aBOIrJNtEg47WiGAtCRU7SithES_GzFQ/s4032/IMG_5921.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidY2DzSFgut07ZIuh5-jrEbxXShy9CSD4vapQA-ReG3PCoMBfC2Yr0pUHBaHePl9YW_wkMsnwpwfxnCcZcHukQZyMoPbW3qCkA0LpMSRYNakStzsdsiwEqW8r2WdYlcgl-2xf9iPA6E_fNeko7NfH9geUzM7aBOIrJNtEg47WiGAtCRU7SithES_GzFQ/w640-h480/IMG_5921.JPG" title="Sea Soul Bistro Sandwiches" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This was my son's first time to an infinity pool and he enjoyed it very much. It was cooler than the pool at our hotel as well. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9SL5TKx2DL1I0n6E_llXF_3f6XJLm3EDnhuVY8i837jFlilicf3KD6q9FKM3tmwVVxeIDCcY37IwAGpEs6zeDIdhktSI_odpaEp31eDUMNWHGwwFmAZcuoi_j-TSJeQh6r-LnOvD8ePIEN-dQRwnxkPHHJnc3UNhBIq7WHR3uJoi9iu2IauKN48LjQ/s4032/IMG_5917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="4032" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9SL5TKx2DL1I0n6E_llXF_3f6XJLm3EDnhuVY8i837jFlilicf3KD6q9FKM3tmwVVxeIDCcY37IwAGpEs6zeDIdhktSI_odpaEp31eDUMNWHGwwFmAZcuoi_j-TSJeQh6r-LnOvD8ePIEN-dQRwnxkPHHJnc3UNhBIq7WHR3uJoi9iu2IauKN48LjQ/w640-h424/IMG_5917.JPG" title="Sea Soul Infinity Pool" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Early afternoon we got a snack from Clio's. Both were just the right size, just a few spoonful's each. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ6IrRKDMI9OkTDkzNX5UjF8z3lNK-yoSRn-4GZcvenc3Fk5fDJZm8wjaunGFkHTKZx46Z0agQHBGg2xRjJ6mU2DfoYSEZ6-J1vvLzm7NFp65N3aoCQ_OKfSLin6iWMPbdibPH70PN6f-Kdb69QP7XQisJYyjfr06qq19pEpfnaMLDyqr8rahFlC6FQ/s2891/IMG_5928.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2603" data-original-width="2891" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ6IrRKDMI9OkTDkzNX5UjF8z3lNK-yoSRn-4GZcvenc3Fk5fDJZm8wjaunGFkHTKZx46Z0agQHBGg2xRjJ6mU2DfoYSEZ6-J1vvLzm7NFp65N3aoCQ_OKfSLin6iWMPbdibPH70PN6f-Kdb69QP7XQisJYyjfr06qq19pEpfnaMLDyqr8rahFlC6FQ/w640-h576/IMG_5928.JPG" title="Seafood Soup" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>SEAFOOD & COCONUT SOUP / SOPA DE MARISCOS AL COCO</div><div>$ 165 pesos ($11.40 CAD)</div><div>Shrimp, clam, mussel, catch of the day, coconut milk</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjSM1-perGs_qEixz8QnDYtKpUGXQ41HOtiBMBNHwmuU6iQsLSH4svAIe7toKEiDnSHUOx_NDJ8_8FzPM8Lz9HcXiYGKnEDbr5dgrxI6RUzRWph3kAEH6quSY6_EH_Axi-agffjeNqp-PrUNSfcvp6aQhX30kEtT1ZWBVIV6CPdaCZZI6RgADpeaFtA/s2782/IMG_5929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="2728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjSM1-perGs_qEixz8QnDYtKpUGXQ41HOtiBMBNHwmuU6iQsLSH4svAIe7toKEiDnSHUOx_NDJ8_8FzPM8Lz9HcXiYGKnEDbr5dgrxI6RUzRWph3kAEH6quSY6_EH_Axi-agffjeNqp-PrUNSfcvp6aQhX30kEtT1ZWBVIV6CPdaCZZI6RgADpeaFtA/w628-h640/IMG_5929.JPG" title="Fried Bananas" width="628" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Some sort of Banana Flambé with Vanilla Ice Cream $80 pesos ($5.50 CAD)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO59y_SNTPgTKoQclufg6EOPIq1JWMwlebqw4DG2ui_9Nc51FOnAqBIRdXGv8OlJBLB2Luj8fTSyWwnatUEEA-UAn2xdx4BI35wA-6aV0sFHPPKeAbAWc6SBCowgC7jjIlWIrtL6kARwpU1h4KlxmSG7x0sB2uKx_Qe9hU7ddj8zLmLsox-RDCQQO4zg/s3791/IMG_5112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2227" data-original-width="3791" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO59y_SNTPgTKoQclufg6EOPIq1JWMwlebqw4DG2ui_9Nc51FOnAqBIRdXGv8OlJBLB2Luj8fTSyWwnatUEEA-UAn2xdx4BI35wA-6aV0sFHPPKeAbAWc6SBCowgC7jjIlWIrtL6kARwpU1h4KlxmSG7x0sB2uKx_Qe9hU7ddj8zLmLsox-RDCQQO4zg/w640-h376/IMG_5112.JPG" title="Sea Soul Beach Club" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Below was interesting to me upon departure. I tend to be more of a pessimist but all the people who surround me are optimists and are my choice of friends... I'm working on becoming half-full though! 😊</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h9E8OWXdGmoZXspTgAsSiMC3HK8FbqRgNJs6kjzwaRxlzUzV5hO-gIpDysvmT8XWbutp7p89PPjiFkxvXnkJgsyFxjSjE1f8TPHFw647XdcImPOzIdDck5TzWQNArHSdYsFA174nOZXBrZ8-r94Jeg5LxiTJHvfIo9Z_MGqT7Vrz4BKa6YmtdlYZAQ/s4032/IMG_5932.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7h9E8OWXdGmoZXspTgAsSiMC3HK8FbqRgNJs6kjzwaRxlzUzV5hO-gIpDysvmT8XWbutp7p89PPjiFkxvXnkJgsyFxjSjE1f8TPHFw647XdcImPOzIdDck5TzWQNArHSdYsFA174nOZXBrZ8-r94Jeg5LxiTJHvfIo9Z_MGqT7Vrz4BKa6YmtdlYZAQ/w640-h480/IMG_5932.JPG" title="Optimism!" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent the entire day at Sea Soul and wandered off to "Super Che" as we were getting low on sun screen already and our tummies were starting to feel unwell. This was over $70 CAD below!!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QHWz8qfZipZDD9DqUg5RCB7v062mn0mKkTjzWEzfzYh2R_C8xVNLEkrKWD5g17K9l8oKbZDyAwlCzP7ldrD_HJ3SQwEH7qalsl7cgRzzO84SNS_rlEg8-mYEdtNjeJ7aV6LkVDq8OMQdqDCDjXf9JFIRPN536IR62eXsxEgKnrFSIHvChkC11Z-UaQ/s3465/IMG_5933.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3465" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QHWz8qfZipZDD9DqUg5RCB7v062mn0mKkTjzWEzfzYh2R_C8xVNLEkrKWD5g17K9l8oKbZDyAwlCzP7ldrD_HJ3SQwEH7qalsl7cgRzzO84SNS_rlEg8-mYEdtNjeJ7aV6LkVDq8OMQdqDCDjXf9JFIRPN536IR62eXsxEgKnrFSIHvChkC11Z-UaQ/w558-h640/IMG_5933.JPG" title="Urgent Needs" width="558" /></a></div><br /><div>I had a swig of the Pepto when we got back. We noticed that someone had been in and sprayed to get rid of the bugs as some of the furniture was misplaced. Dinner tonight was at <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RocotoHux/" target="_blank">Rocoto</a></u></b>. This is fave of mine and I've visited each trip. They moved to Cocotilo street downtown now and I haven't been there yet. Claudia, the chef/owner didn't recognize me but it has been 3 long years since my last trip. The starter bread was the same as always with hot and hotter salsas, below:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeK71eD1zKwDwjnuAaJj7iQDsdE3iIjysCmW0aRlOwiYqi52T7bclgNaK1UEqoexFcRzkLza8ols_hITzQw-pwSSbJbOrhl2n-r0PsTC9iYTGz96gT3UdvRLtvWp2HOObzHQx9YfeaXt_SKYT5Hf8yWXn2fFiHl_OTP09mruVEntzt9p-37VvXohMaQ/s3279/IMG_5935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3279" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeK71eD1zKwDwjnuAaJj7iQDsdE3iIjysCmW0aRlOwiYqi52T7bclgNaK1UEqoexFcRzkLza8ols_hITzQw-pwSSbJbOrhl2n-r0PsTC9iYTGz96gT3UdvRLtvWp2HOObzHQx9YfeaXt_SKYT5Hf8yWXn2fFiHl_OTP09mruVEntzt9p-37VvXohMaQ/w590-h640/IMG_5935.JPG" title="Starter Bread" width="590" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvP9naV-261kt4YvXckapjQoTQyqdYLtiF78DWUM5j3XAt_9t-UU8WqcNQxM0tNlwhrDOgPIikWKTktCmg0K-KieB85l2hRTiWSH67bE7inHP2RLIde0vJXT0lnaYe8b8mivn6kzLyiWdADuqxbbQp7SQ6HlCNHjFwXnayOWjuUIYf5XdFOcddal7gw/s2639/IMG_5936.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2470" data-original-width="2639" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvP9naV-261kt4YvXckapjQoTQyqdYLtiF78DWUM5j3XAt_9t-UU8WqcNQxM0tNlwhrDOgPIikWKTktCmg0K-KieB85l2hRTiWSH67bE7inHP2RLIde0vJXT0lnaYe8b8mivn6kzLyiWdADuqxbbQp7SQ6HlCNHjFwXnayOWjuUIYf5XdFOcddal7gw/w640-h600/IMG_5936.JPG" title="Caprese Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Caprese Salad</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic73mwXLJEP5juisQVfzMQFwQF-We_X2ZpU387QWyX6iyNyboF49btm-yLhDvxqJRPtNGq1iB5hPYI17L5-FyNYyipQ7tYLopnly2lltRG4UI4PG6vxX3kYwUW49HqKGRf-RaBYVBLXQHBX5aAtR6z9Xpk1MqheZtcASC3A68WTL3s1PPSYSLAYavHsw/s1922/IMG_5937.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="1922" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic73mwXLJEP5juisQVfzMQFwQF-We_X2ZpU387QWyX6iyNyboF49btm-yLhDvxqJRPtNGq1iB5hPYI17L5-FyNYyipQ7tYLopnly2lltRG4UI4PG6vxX3kYwUW49HqKGRf-RaBYVBLXQHBX5aAtR6z9Xpk1MqheZtcASC3A68WTL3s1PPSYSLAYavHsw/w640-h640/IMG_5937.JPG" title="Tortilla Shrimp Soup" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tortilla Shrimp Soup</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8QdG-_AOLpH21Fj0iB8XwNNfOS113bNWTGBW8T2JQpLifYfoyvktLzTNslb4Bsne9W9eXZP4LXzFFPZ3gk6U2Ap7EgPGRAt6xhCFjyF4aPcyzLZRNGxSLzJS_Yi5cDKNlRinY2Cf-_Nm3S5fKxWBLBX0sY-c741ght60G_1DRWK2FUuvEkaOY-4ITQ/s2786/IMG_5938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="2786" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8QdG-_AOLpH21Fj0iB8XwNNfOS113bNWTGBW8T2JQpLifYfoyvktLzTNslb4Bsne9W9eXZP4LXzFFPZ3gk6U2Ap7EgPGRAt6xhCFjyF4aPcyzLZRNGxSLzJS_Yi5cDKNlRinY2Cf-_Nm3S5fKxWBLBX0sY-c741ght60G_1DRWK2FUuvEkaOY-4ITQ/w640-h474/IMG_5938.JPG" title="Beef Tenderloin" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Beef Tenderloin with Bacon & Red Wine Sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwOgpG93U0jDbEYbbDHh3Ae7U4ZWoL2DO159KZrTPIHO2bZNeMdG4eYarlwQMPwa48qqoUHJcb0kcP1SeIONMsW4eMK5p992N1vyx2y4xeLnZgTBWF43BrIiwjezjGsWB2yi11L-ly5EuNFnCVOgxPCbgMcWSQhTbayzZoml7efSYbEblFw3SZx47IA/s2927/IMG_5939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="2927" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwOgpG93U0jDbEYbbDHh3Ae7U4ZWoL2DO159KZrTPIHO2bZNeMdG4eYarlwQMPwa48qqoUHJcb0kcP1SeIONMsW4eMK5p992N1vyx2y4xeLnZgTBWF43BrIiwjezjGsWB2yi11L-ly5EuNFnCVOgxPCbgMcWSQhTbayzZoml7efSYbEblFw3SZx47IA/w640-h536/IMG_5939.JPG" title="Crab Empanada & Tacos" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crab Empanada, Fish & Beef Tacos</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgaMkjPYk4JLF1BQktp2iqKN6dYov7qvlHWqbtgHlSuOUQ8vySyl23hK8CQMqouFG6CHZjAhHW2VY24YEO9CYjqnXAodjym792auhHzW41bHT6nk-JdnHsdX2yX3HmSolfhGdSQPgg-oeHphlTwktRoUnYUueZSjRE-m62HO5MBDGdFsHn654tuFmbg/s2761/IMG_5941.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="2761" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgaMkjPYk4JLF1BQktp2iqKN6dYov7qvlHWqbtgHlSuOUQ8vySyl23hK8CQMqouFG6CHZjAhHW2VY24YEO9CYjqnXAodjym792auhHzW41bHT6nk-JdnHsdX2yX3HmSolfhGdSQPgg-oeHphlTwktRoUnYUueZSjRE-m62HO5MBDGdFsHn654tuFmbg/w640-h592/IMG_5941.JPG" title="Churros..." width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Almond Churros with salty Caramel Sauce ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO-eTeR1nt-5TgqalMJBGDSIu7sqtsDzEB4W9EcQr_saVUUHLgHFxJuUIagHO2ENjFJFfaXOVU6uc3IAOMcNvpnd36veY5NekCjiDPgjQIE9GL_-w8-Zk_QA5u0xmrVdOA1GgzsHgMLhbgXCKfl85dZi9mUKN__FCSw2qAjHyLLvl0x37Zq8X4ARDqw/s2841/IMG_5942.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2841" data-original-width="2522" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO-eTeR1nt-5TgqalMJBGDSIu7sqtsDzEB4W9EcQr_saVUUHLgHFxJuUIagHO2ENjFJFfaXOVU6uc3IAOMcNvpnd36veY5NekCjiDPgjQIE9GL_-w8-Zk_QA5u0xmrVdOA1GgzsHgMLhbgXCKfl85dZi9mUKN__FCSw2qAjHyLLvl0x37Zq8X4ARDqw/w568-h640/IMG_5942.JPG" title="...Vanilla Ice cream" width="568" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">...and Vanilla Ice Cream</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Food might have been the best of all times I've eaten there. And that tortilla soup is my absolute favorite ever. No other tortilla soup can compare. We were seated on the patio and a rain storm so fierce eventually moved us indoors for dessert. The restaurant was now closed and only one other table remained. They called for taxi but because of the rain we were told the wait would be 20 more minutes. Claudia offered to drive us home. As we were leaving, the cab pulled up. Back to the hotel and off to sleep though it was not a good one and both of our stomachs were causing trouble again... </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Friday, November 4, 2022:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>The morning did not start well for me, numerous trips to the bathroom and and a garbage can under my head. I messaged the boat tour operator and he said I would have to forfeit half the payment. My son was marginally better, he wasn't throwing up at least. I glugged some more Pepto, slept for another hour and felt my tummy had settled. We decided to go as I still would have to find a way to pay him and I really wanted my son to see San Agustin. Off we went to Santa Cruz marina. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBxVeCxE62--lw2lpM8dziRJRdvS2kQnfQeyzpwbWWTEJ90oJqVIv0e1YKvePO2xiIuRtoP9ErAfcUX-dzdkzqV0t3vWoVkfQWlmJTtnM7FbuAWFYSEwSwOvibZgqxNUgtt8u9mwruASUfSu48l5TL1C_VSxC22xSZWyIDxzAxTqY_2r8UyzNlS4XoQ/s4032/IMG_5943.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBxVeCxE62--lw2lpM8dziRJRdvS2kQnfQeyzpwbWWTEJ90oJqVIv0e1YKvePO2xiIuRtoP9ErAfcUX-dzdkzqV0t3vWoVkfQWlmJTtnM7FbuAWFYSEwSwOvibZgqxNUgtt8u9mwruASUfSu48l5TL1C_VSxC22xSZWyIDxzAxTqY_2r8UyzNlS4XoQ/w480-h640/IMG_5943.JPG" title="Our Tour Boat" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>The boat was beautiful if just for the fact it wasn't a panga! We were joined by 3 other couples, two of which were from Vancouver! The cost for us was $2125 pesos ($145.75 CAD). I tipped $800 pesos ($55 CAD). Off we went to San Agustin to snorkel. Son and I had our own snorkels/masks and paid $100 pesos each for fins. Below, my son caught a fish! That was definitely a highlight for him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmjkbBi6O9tFtxDw1TsJ1Nlmf99bB2AzF_kI5vWIgGgqH5rug4mPgUyXKFQ6DXP21PNUR0LfrldKxBo2WJ0qLo5btxKbEaditO50rX9irwDO1zgJTT8H48eJ7Vt_d7HZ2qLkhkzkFjTiBtjIXa-gSOiJLRz24uys2Xbt3qgDnyrzc0zA0WgUslhDDDg/s4032/IMG_5947.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmjkbBi6O9tFtxDw1TsJ1Nlmf99bB2AzF_kI5vWIgGgqH5rug4mPgUyXKFQ6DXP21PNUR0LfrldKxBo2WJ0qLo5btxKbEaditO50rX9irwDO1zgJTT8H48eJ7Vt_d7HZ2qLkhkzkFjTiBtjIXa-gSOiJLRz24uys2Xbt3qgDnyrzc0zA0WgUslhDDDg/w480-h640/IMG_5947.JPG" title="Catching Fish!" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>They said it was black tuna. They also said they would make ceviche with it when we had lunch. We reached San Agustin and the water was so beautiful and clear. I snorkeled with the guide out to the rocks and saw some fish though none were colorful unfortunately.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8N6pwOHGQ41-FWDGo53wgi5t_FIH76gVEsswA88Ezz1yofgK4L2pMG3EsGlQgVWasWItw9P_gdPxQflHgyApVFiOwEtubDV9pTjjc-qEFCvhvhR5gYuSv56AyF6favOdHN806-8Jc36TwUJdLpEBzZH2SYW4kGajI0gH68rBBD14n1QzuPuTn2foJQ/s3943/IMG_5955.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3943" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8N6pwOHGQ41-FWDGo53wgi5t_FIH76gVEsswA88Ezz1yofgK4L2pMG3EsGlQgVWasWItw9P_gdPxQflHgyApVFiOwEtubDV9pTjjc-qEFCvhvhR5gYuSv56AyF6favOdHN806-8Jc36TwUJdLpEBzZH2SYW4kGajI0gH68rBBD14n1QzuPuTn2foJQ/w640-h434/IMG_5955.JPG" title="San Agustin" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The ladder to the boat was difficult and I gashed my foot open when getting back on. A lady who had told me about "Treda" earlier also helped out with a bandage. She said it was better than Imodium as it had the antibiotic in it as well. Both my son and I were feeling <i>really</i> unwell at this point, so the lady offered me one of her Treda pills. My son declined so I took it. It settled my tummy but I was nauseous again. I put my head down and decided we'd have to leave at Maguey when we arrived. We stopped at Playa la India first. When we reached Bahia Maguey, we moved to the back of the restaurant (Ay Caray) to catch a taxi. The tour operator Porfirio instead drove us back to our hotel. He advised that the boat we had been on was his brothers. The crew were hired. Back at the hotel I slept for a couple hours and felt better, my son read his "Witcher" book...</div><div><br /></div><div>Dinner tonight was at <b><u><a href="https://vienahuatulco.wixsite.com/misitio" target="_blank">Cafe Viena</a></u></b>. I have always wanted to try this Austrian place but it never worked out before. It's moved and is at Plaza Chahue close to Marina Park Plaza. We sat out on their lovely patio.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtjsKkWeTZaeyX2XKWAkIftKrdh_AZ6EOslwZ949tXPfP8QjI4JPE8IxpqZS4XGaODMdnDdwTKzWVM8GERqoxchCgtEUs9ZvLVX6tGu18RosmE4R2r4pOR6-z1UpBUEpaiF3sblA5mlkbhZzwqBSalN39L6Zvf51Z8Avf08a5p8PR_eJ_TNV5ifdeFw/s2557/IMG_5964.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2557" data-original-width="2481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtjsKkWeTZaeyX2XKWAkIftKrdh_AZ6EOslwZ949tXPfP8QjI4JPE8IxpqZS4XGaODMdnDdwTKzWVM8GERqoxchCgtEUs9ZvLVX6tGu18RosmE4R2r4pOR6-z1UpBUEpaiF3sblA5mlkbhZzwqBSalN39L6Zvf51Z8Avf08a5p8PR_eJ_TNV5ifdeFw/w620-h640/IMG_5964.JPG" title="French Onion Soup" width="620" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">French Onion Soup $100 pesos ($7.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1SpMPt4SFh2OCOQnO-QYRnUatosbyjCmS3vkb42L3kGD68tyKdQ3OIVSIl6yjh1ZRzNL9of5c8UepCd7AD0hHqppv89Gmo0TZ-QPzV2U3YUZ-pDQNDVSmxFu7cGSVLt6Z21RSy5fYpA_dbcwN_lHQ9QCq_1SAo1hvbv__MA_-15AkRuFxwB2Q_FK7Q/s2464/IMG_5965.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1946" data-original-width="2464" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1SpMPt4SFh2OCOQnO-QYRnUatosbyjCmS3vkb42L3kGD68tyKdQ3OIVSIl6yjh1ZRzNL9of5c8UepCd7AD0hHqppv89Gmo0TZ-QPzV2U3YUZ-pDQNDVSmxFu7cGSVLt6Z21RSy5fYpA_dbcwN_lHQ9QCq_1SAo1hvbv__MA_-15AkRuFxwB2Q_FK7Q/w640-h506/IMG_5965.JPG" title="Schnitzel" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>“Wiener Schnitzel” with parsley potatoes</div><div>WITH MUSHROOM COGNAC PEPPER CREAM GRAVY $250 pesos ($17.00 CAD)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ht6wanLBQf6XNKM0D5cmPdLxf1jsUqJiULICBgTg-7gfKQEXx2UEYN2UUNlQ91OgA3mw3hyQcX59C4_n9GsPweBA1tHm6glVEfANwsgR5rcgrF8GQSiAtqFhJuCR-MMSkMfb-Oh10KaPGq31hDgdwKG6Lvc4DcPMTSDvKd_7QiVyfA06yD71DBTosg/s2701/IMG_5967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2486" data-original-width="2701" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ht6wanLBQf6XNKM0D5cmPdLxf1jsUqJiULICBgTg-7gfKQEXx2UEYN2UUNlQ91OgA3mw3hyQcX59C4_n9GsPweBA1tHm6glVEfANwsgR5rcgrF8GQSiAtqFhJuCR-MMSkMfb-Oh10KaPGq31hDgdwKG6Lvc4DcPMTSDvKd_7QiVyfA06yD71DBTosg/w640-h590/IMG_5967.JPG" title="Stuffed Pasta" width="640" /></a></div>Homemade Ravioli with Mahi Mahi in White Wine Cream Sauce $300 pesos ($21 CAD)<br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCb7CUkQQgHlEjUmf_ZAroUsgvf5HHHYnbjzLHJKPirea-SbjlXaplpl1MoKoYTxzUus8rmDsJngZLu9Tbk560WMlClx8JPvmkjeADcIVc7FPhbp064zUQ0SDBs_igis25doDapi8U3Bf3h9FEiohy9SP8gV75a9FnTJJIPNnyvSGmrU6M3N_Z6a09A/s2460/IMG_5968.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2117" data-original-width="2460" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCb7CUkQQgHlEjUmf_ZAroUsgvf5HHHYnbjzLHJKPirea-SbjlXaplpl1MoKoYTxzUus8rmDsJngZLu9Tbk560WMlClx8JPvmkjeADcIVc7FPhbp064zUQ0SDBs_igis25doDapi8U3Bf3h9FEiohy9SP8gV75a9FnTJJIPNnyvSGmrU6M3N_Z6a09A/w640-h550/IMG_5968.JPG" title="Crepes" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crepes with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream $100 pesos ($7.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">This meal was absolutely delicious. My son swooned over the homemade pasta and wanted a plate full of them. The schnitzel was divine as well. Great value, great service, great setting. Could not ask for a more enjoyable evening! We taxied to a pharmacy where I picked up the item that saved my trip!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgXbe5Tzl_zxvVWUOZyJnub23iBzGHLX4RcsQbjuJuMY3XiabbCIfBsgu1GL-fsMMvKch2lcuJOevzZUk2W_3B-P_OQOBwODaOVdvNPiHIjAwzcNSMpIWJUb3pbsO9qcZnn52w8iMTTpBMsB4yrv12K1bQ7H-ljsPNNpPPcQvSbef9dXO07bSmk7wug/s467/Treda.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="467" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgXbe5Tzl_zxvVWUOZyJnub23iBzGHLX4RcsQbjuJuMY3XiabbCIfBsgu1GL-fsMMvKch2lcuJOevzZUk2W_3B-P_OQOBwODaOVdvNPiHIjAwzcNSMpIWJUb3pbsO9qcZnn52w8iMTTpBMsB4yrv12K1bQ7H-ljsPNNpPPcQvSbef9dXO07bSmk7wug/w640-h500/Treda.png" title="Treda" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>I took some and off to sleep...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Saturday, November 5, 2022:</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Treda to the rescue! Today we spent the day at playa Santa Cruz but went to the Farmer's Market first. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrssGN04SjxnBIyD5bjr0IassImuA-lI6I87bn9HqWZ00-QpEEubCxUn5gVorza1onG7fOVbEptVp-9fcwmAEADoM8FhRk1nPt08VkVkXRDoIMnxyNVSl1zyZwze5ntfbdRgPtjHO6AisHjpigz0ek6lWcBkf6TfAAKMfzQzlJH0HdlIs6LaMZ8GL54Q/s3893/IMG_5975.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrssGN04SjxnBIyD5bjr0IassImuA-lI6I87bn9HqWZ00-QpEEubCxUn5gVorza1onG7fOVbEptVp-9fcwmAEADoM8FhRk1nPt08VkVkXRDoIMnxyNVSl1zyZwze5ntfbdRgPtjHO6AisHjpigz0ek6lWcBkf6TfAAKMfzQzlJH0HdlIs6LaMZ8GL54Q/w640-h480/IMG_5975.JPG" title="Cafe Huatulco" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3GizOveH2zORuTzURDhk_7T-fcK3vhmGTJVKwh49GnUa4W9y1y04Id5E4tXEaLDFXWe6RFoSdnh7la9bsaXqps4A-J3b0PnWaGOFqmY_O8vNMWCtI8_IyCf2UJgb7NZeasWFEaEGfwTtOLZ500hwQQd3iVb_TlD3FDTutqDT7KcewO4f0A-HCvwzdA/s4032/IMG_5974.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3GizOveH2zORuTzURDhk_7T-fcK3vhmGTJVKwh49GnUa4W9y1y04Id5E4tXEaLDFXWe6RFoSdnh7la9bsaXqps4A-J3b0PnWaGOFqmY_O8vNMWCtI8_IyCf2UJgb7NZeasWFEaEGfwTtOLZ500hwQQd3iVb_TlD3FDTutqDT7KcewO4f0A-HCvwzdA/w640-h480/IMG_5974.JPG" title="Farmer's Market" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">We perused the vendors, I was looking for a new purse as the humidity had made mine peel to the point it was embarrassing to carry it around. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMiKm2J74A07jIjSoo4nfLPMNlSIKhVi6l9scZDanwQDzBMVUWkTBpejW-DrFB6RW_EtacfuDVk_e-4S-4SzodAApKVaaJaG8JebiDXCGApmpjioFIBTjjhlseRyFTv82fh6LuyozIOLpTjRwM4w7W_08XHuCJGuqz6Vhkky8wccm5cYKwnD8HSxdZw/s3679/IMG_5976.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="3679" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMiKm2J74A07jIjSoo4nfLPMNlSIKhVi6l9scZDanwQDzBMVUWkTBpejW-DrFB6RW_EtacfuDVk_e-4S-4SzodAApKVaaJaG8JebiDXCGApmpjioFIBTjjhlseRyFTv82fh6LuyozIOLpTjRwM4w7W_08XHuCJGuqz6Vhkky8wccm5cYKwnD8HSxdZw/w640-h480/IMG_5976.JPG" title="Farmer's Market" width="640" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I ended up buying homemade soap but found a purse at the Mercado close by. We made our way to the beach. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsDaDQ_iGcbr9hEkz3dW_33O1Ek0fKKNXJXZmgOoV3jTwuhiOOvx4Wl8uHLWmiPPHmleYrQ1n43rw8vuXl9b6I036izfUoYfnc1EeDJC3llaYlQ7F15CCIKprVkbqKDoT8Yg5DgQsV_sO7AAjoTgrKvyQ0iqUdOOkMkWGa9uvEL4QEpSkC61VMWaYDA/s3829/IMG_5977.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3829" data-original-width="2872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsDaDQ_iGcbr9hEkz3dW_33O1Ek0fKKNXJXZmgOoV3jTwuhiOOvx4Wl8uHLWmiPPHmleYrQ1n43rw8vuXl9b6I036izfUoYfnc1EeDJC3llaYlQ7F15CCIKprVkbqKDoT8Yg5DgQsV_sO7AAjoTgrKvyQ0iqUdOOkMkWGa9uvEL4QEpSkC61VMWaYDA/w480-h640/IMG_5977.JPG" title="Playa Santa Cruz" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">We decided to try a new place. An English speaking server talked us into it. Him and my son got along well and spent a lot of the day chatting. The had just built an upstairs so the view was nice and we sat up there.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR_bvHNs5PFsDafCoChgj0EJ3zEA9dhwgPK2nbgmRdccxKj-2dfRQThCwHqjDXD1rCu7s2SHCXOH_4lRfgHyp-RvEobLdjKzZrq5sW1EpY3h4vF6E1Ii59DqKrPZmQIe7ldHFr3PaoYNk3wW8-3TuX__8CpuwJnTorTJ8q4zL77LBS_Ww5ezKmBQ9HQ/s4032/IMG_5980.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR_bvHNs5PFsDafCoChgj0EJ3zEA9dhwgPK2nbgmRdccxKj-2dfRQThCwHqjDXD1rCu7s2SHCXOH_4lRfgHyp-RvEobLdjKzZrq5sW1EpY3h4vF6E1Ii59DqKrPZmQIe7ldHFr3PaoYNk3wW8-3TuX__8CpuwJnTorTJ8q4zL77LBS_Ww5ezKmBQ9HQ/w480-h640/IMG_5980.JPG" title="Jessymar Restaurant" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnxwdfCXwdeY1tz1lpbw2cAyoqhcVAT_JZ833aymtGrFcFhrVpDak8O5Bo96w5Ec9-9bzEAN_0Qj5PhqwVIVGjqVS2p_KeDzphfX7OwlULFto_px3DmDGncsIEla1rwWm6tBwRfC6N92bDHEhMpwSG34H1sPBwvduRidzT4gylJOHxEqXATnOsRyg0Q/s3941/IMG_5981.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnxwdfCXwdeY1tz1lpbw2cAyoqhcVAT_JZ833aymtGrFcFhrVpDak8O5Bo96w5Ec9-9bzEAN_0Qj5PhqwVIVGjqVS2p_KeDzphfX7OwlULFto_px3DmDGncsIEla1rwWm6tBwRfC6N92bDHEhMpwSG34H1sPBwvduRidzT4gylJOHxEqXATnOsRyg0Q/w640-h480/IMG_5981.JPG" title="Playa Santa Cruz" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">The shrimp was very good here. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with it. These were the cheapest, covered with cheese. I think it was $280 pesos ($19.20 CAD).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeppaE6TqUk4Amkr2zj3ADgwQGWmm6pH5dEfTNXD3o_IhMbO-CGARHF5jtozTH7oqOsT0TKmm3_dUJ-pKM4X81N5vPFazkeWkxPc9a3WPT6jGHBYYGW1Squ9oqQ3PZIkeGMmK4s3ZV-ou6Yqs3jT0UcqEENSnNaFKkZSJCwEdF3yOxf_MQjTogOF37g/s3075/IMG_5984.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeppaE6TqUk4Amkr2zj3ADgwQGWmm6pH5dEfTNXD3o_IhMbO-CGARHF5jtozTH7oqOsT0TKmm3_dUJ-pKM4X81N5vPFazkeWkxPc9a3WPT6jGHBYYGW1Squ9oqQ3PZIkeGMmK4s3ZV-ou6Yqs3jT0UcqEENSnNaFKkZSJCwEdF3yOxf_MQjTogOF37g/w630-h640/IMG_5984.JPG" title="Shrimp" width="630" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">Below was my first and only "</span>Campechana<span style="text-align: justify;">" (seafood cocktail) of the trip. It was tasty but sweet and better with some hot sauce.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo0g5K9gkoK2ItgAL7bsI51gy-Tyc_RmQWlB7m9nF6C3wcZp6XNS0FAaCGeVijE2OIXpAp03FG75RiloFaC0DvTKEaQSZA-9LQUE_6BEu1-lqmqqiFanAU1h84nPGk9GZo-iB0uQDpNvvWh8-EUaZX9TvrsSQiCRdkp8bMOQAmIiVL1wJh6h4HxtA6g/s3494/IMG_5987.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3494" data-original-width="2464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo0g5K9gkoK2ItgAL7bsI51gy-Tyc_RmQWlB7m9nF6C3wcZp6XNS0FAaCGeVijE2OIXpAp03FG75RiloFaC0DvTKEaQSZA-9LQUE_6BEu1-lqmqqiFanAU1h84nPGk9GZo-iB0uQDpNvvWh8-EUaZX9TvrsSQiCRdkp8bMOQAmIiVL1wJh6h4HxtA6g/w452-h640/IMG_5987.JPG" title="Campechana" width="452" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJFsKVUjJB3ipTLjcVbvZEQkSe2pQG7LaHXNHocUzyeNn8wbNWIknoPvC8__2F04xxBq7AVlu8CFEadHv8q_KdWiXzm9m_BCxatLPhEHz2wS8ZtcRfAHiqYDfUmXumUNspC79rEPXAOijAcx-v3CAxS-opCSxA8F7nMRhj8bjNe1edxXpm5OcYU9D2w/s3927/IMG_5983.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJFsKVUjJB3ipTLjcVbvZEQkSe2pQG7LaHXNHocUzyeNn8wbNWIknoPvC8__2F04xxBq7AVlu8CFEadHv8q_KdWiXzm9m_BCxatLPhEHz2wS8ZtcRfAHiqYDfUmXumUNspC79rEPXAOijAcx-v3CAxS-opCSxA8F7nMRhj8bjNe1edxXpm5OcYU9D2w/w640-h480/IMG_5983.JPG" title="Playa Santa Cruz" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOMKkhT1bozCip4gmQuyplfwDbVMxE0WsyJue_CjTxAXZp8jGJF25RNTsftJSUItVnm01OxkXq0a9dLNt2N245ozNzgBQET2E6y95j9N5jHNpniOOGx2Rfcyw8s3zLiJ7YYIH53f6AOpvdoQKZ1TboTUZhITLy7tbjFPxheYQOvU4LX_L7-3TZigeUA/s3927/IMG_5982.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOMKkhT1bozCip4gmQuyplfwDbVMxE0WsyJue_CjTxAXZp8jGJF25RNTsftJSUItVnm01OxkXq0a9dLNt2N245ozNzgBQET2E6y95j9N5jHNpniOOGx2Rfcyw8s3zLiJ7YYIH53f6AOpvdoQKZ1TboTUZhITLy7tbjFPxheYQOvU4LX_L7-3TZigeUA/w640-h480/IMG_5982.JPG" title="Playa Santa Cruz" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">We spent the day and headed back to our hotel around dinner time. We decided we'd go to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlfredosHuatulco/" target="_blank">Alfredo's</a></u></b> for dinner this evening. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3ib2muASVWwLHmUU6VMTHvio3lL_U_fQU2QuW4ul3jbdT55fOid9B67nq07aDnraNrGvVWupyhLTE2aedbl7lLJG-ElKLw5KrMQZjmNaRBwtkNYJG3DnqxLrKkYzolM4zUFys6gCxalkbADsTicSw7_nK3FaWnYUAfwHtnzRrsAUXOfL3sCZ5f7H9A/s3829/IMG_5993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3829" data-original-width="2871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3ib2muASVWwLHmUU6VMTHvio3lL_U_fQU2QuW4ul3jbdT55fOid9B67nq07aDnraNrGvVWupyhLTE2aedbl7lLJG-ElKLw5KrMQZjmNaRBwtkNYJG3DnqxLrKkYzolM4zUFys6gCxalkbADsTicSw7_nK3FaWnYUAfwHtnzRrsAUXOfL3sCZ5f7H9A/w480-h640/IMG_5993.JPG" title="Alfredo's" width="480" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">We hoped to hear some live music. There was music but was a solo artist and much like karaoke. It was quiet here tonight and only a handful of people as well. Alfredo came in with his lovely wife and daughter for a bit, but he didn't remember me either. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYeQ5oG8mmquejSjYlYowt4CZ91yF30iWXO6s82gTizizDXPV122shKOmWRJYCE2hCtO59aKpHFkSwNaKSPgm3Qr8zlzvzS2JL4xylgtSFs0irHLyAGgNBhoA7yT5d_ATyPMo2QMDRl7Dfb3C6sAfSEU0liTr4nSesZM-T-2T1YhISw42QoL9qcQPDA/s3674/IMG_5998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3674" data-original-width="2081" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYeQ5oG8mmquejSjYlYowt4CZ91yF30iWXO6s82gTizizDXPV122shKOmWRJYCE2hCtO59aKpHFkSwNaKSPgm3Qr8zlzvzS2JL4xylgtSFs0irHLyAGgNBhoA7yT5d_ATyPMo2QMDRl7Dfb3C6sAfSEU0liTr4nSesZM-T-2T1YhISw42QoL9qcQPDA/w362-h640/IMG_5998.JPG" title="Pina Colada & Margarita" width="362" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pina Colada & Lime Margarita (no sugar)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtekduP4q91UIAhrM0jgDIAHdkraXZlpcEiCXba8xEsgQPNFu5ZNCqW8Kpxt0XserRVTjrHH2u26dGpimsb9g6DdC-9cwuM2VFn0FGwj8PYldGJFQTLQtEgWJ6Pvmr1cVkq7gVZltHv5dBP3j8vybq6RzYJTWsNEb1UVOzbuhO_UvOpb3vs3WU_q3QQ/s2364/IMG_6001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="2364" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtekduP4q91UIAhrM0jgDIAHdkraXZlpcEiCXba8xEsgQPNFu5ZNCqW8Kpxt0XserRVTjrHH2u26dGpimsb9g6DdC-9cwuM2VFn0FGwj8PYldGJFQTLQtEgWJ6Pvmr1cVkq7gVZltHv5dBP3j8vybq6RzYJTWsNEb1UVOzbuhO_UvOpb3vs3WU_q3QQ/w640-h394/IMG_6001.JPG" title="Jalapeno Poppers" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jalapeno Poppers</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The poppers were the best dish of the evening. Son had some fettucine alfredo (haha) and I had fish tacos. Both were surprisingly disappointing, I just ate the fish that were just tiny pieces I had to dig for. Son said the garlic bread was good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZJGLQe7lCVzYe_4zmEXzq0VPKxrd5_eBGCoKxN8tK_TFB-BiHWRTUxZKI-e0csZ4873ksDcH8qzPP8b0GPp3kmYLGM7dAwhbk8IPJRqOEYxKL9i_BP76nZal9LmA_NydKMofpoiPKVnZKCw1WaVh5Zh3HXDb3sLM1mUs9uJ2KGCTpPK_VlDbL_Nj7g/s2680/IMG_6003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2680" data-original-width="1955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZJGLQe7lCVzYe_4zmEXzq0VPKxrd5_eBGCoKxN8tK_TFB-BiHWRTUxZKI-e0csZ4873ksDcH8qzPP8b0GPp3kmYLGM7dAwhbk8IPJRqOEYxKL9i_BP76nZal9LmA_NydKMofpoiPKVnZKCw1WaVh5Zh3HXDb3sLM1mUs9uJ2KGCTpPK_VlDbL_Nj7g/w466-h640/IMG_6003.JPG" title="Fish taco and Fettucine Alfredo" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On the patio beside us was a "lit" couple who after a couple bottles of wine started to "drunk argue". When the music started, the man dug in his backpack and cracked a bottle of champagne that they both poured into their glasses. Then they started to dance. Yup, that pretty much cleared the house and my son and I followed. We walked around town for bit. I found a pharmacy to buy bandages. That would have been a problem without wifi and translator, but I had one on so I was able to score them by pointing at my foot. Curitas, they are called in Spanish. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4ctioifJDRZQ07AeRNBm19Y7d17C0kqRzX55GFQLv2HeeGA4q1iDYWJsPawx5avh9gaar-yylvQatCbG-ttE2CPHNCXGgmNCEJytqNJVebU36_JHFp20ii6Uq9WemtI-43j-33BU56Abek9m-3Ytgj39be1NKT9mBqnEFGAhedSndYl-O_BvYimT3w/s4032/IMG_6004.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4ctioifJDRZQ07AeRNBm19Y7d17C0kqRzX55GFQLv2HeeGA4q1iDYWJsPawx5avh9gaar-yylvQatCbG-ttE2CPHNCXGgmNCEJytqNJVebU36_JHFp20ii6Uq9WemtI-43j-33BU56Abek9m-3Ytgj39be1NKT9mBqnEFGAhedSndYl-O_BvYimT3w/w640-h480/IMG_6004.JPG" title="La Crucecita" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We called it a night and returned to the hotel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Sunday, November 6, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today was our lazy day, no beaches, just rest and taking it easy. We went out for brunch at locals place I wanted to try. It right beside "Super Che" but we didn't know this until we cabbed there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxT_x1kPaxo5aQKLvS4bg8R9kAoYSKou4uz7S4v-tTvE81dsSe548vySFzqxov7Xyz0U4CP19z0h0cFhjJ11mZe4d98QBTIh6xkqNENjGj4hGR3GRmQHdS0iM7B-HvCqhsvZOZ2WtkUbAwrcVtmJzJPoVmGOsToqwq3EnOFBxakUrnYL9py33Wn3sLw/s4032/IMG_6016.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxT_x1kPaxo5aQKLvS4bg8R9kAoYSKou4uz7S4v-tTvE81dsSe548vySFzqxov7Xyz0U4CP19z0h0cFhjJ11mZe4d98QBTIh6xkqNENjGj4hGR3GRmQHdS0iM7B-HvCqhsvZOZ2WtkUbAwrcVtmJzJPoVmGOsToqwq3EnOFBxakUrnYL9py33Wn3sLw/w640-h480/IMG_6016.JPG" title="Santa Clara Restaurant" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Santa Clara Country Restaurant</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I saw this place in a food guide and it was on my to-do list. I came for the Chile relleno. They had an English menu, that surprised me. They also had a buffet but everything was covered up and the signs in Spanish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwZipgO-IjKqdxagsbq0H9QvsdWu-lYgmJfYESw-eMwduunFRpSV8FHRF5S-rQloP4oVfH0OJjA60FD0wGnrVwszUdbnfttRYK1FKlsQ42OGplxiEbciQHIqSNJJhGz1PZXZnGD-XSCWCR8nYGOxzBNir5uxf_yLbE57riF4O_f77E8yQy6vtGRdLmQ/s4032/IMG_6008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwZipgO-IjKqdxagsbq0H9QvsdWu-lYgmJfYESw-eMwduunFRpSV8FHRF5S-rQloP4oVfH0OJjA60FD0wGnrVwszUdbnfttRYK1FKlsQ42OGplxiEbciQHIqSNJJhGz1PZXZnGD-XSCWCR8nYGOxzBNir5uxf_yLbE57riF4O_f77E8yQy6vtGRdLmQ/w640-h480/IMG_6008.JPG" title="Santa Clara Buffet" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3epvTzejR3TmmHJF6ctkZkpxFYntdmB_IVUG1BXLxvR69BPdr1XacI0QL13tBfE-o3m5GdHFtdQceM8LXX9GvOOrtyvGg9Y7QeNqwXvqo1IXDQ6vU2eyWD2Qjzm_8Vh4Qez8Z1UQGLsoG6ZOj-l1rPoDfOc4usvkZ20L6trWVDEuGoDk8Ty38jJlSHg/s2630/IMG_6010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2307" data-original-width="2630" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3epvTzejR3TmmHJF6ctkZkpxFYntdmB_IVUG1BXLxvR69BPdr1XacI0QL13tBfE-o3m5GdHFtdQceM8LXX9GvOOrtyvGg9Y7QeNqwXvqo1IXDQ6vU2eyWD2Qjzm_8Vh4Qez8Z1UQGLsoG6ZOj-l1rPoDfOc4usvkZ20L6trWVDEuGoDk8Ty38jJlSHg/w640-h562/IMG_6010.JPG" title="Chile Relleno" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFERfpb_Qi-YYrq_6xhjZPdP7iqqQT5TlOW60UaW7wpwbsAc5SnqCVqXofjUC6Wip5-vaQZMI713ywabWDMd7DIQJcIL-YHeQyuSgHqcuC2DupPC7jiHb7v4wmnCCmA_Cp7VP0IdxUouzvdmV4T3HPUWPE3wcLc_CqEoMaFnpJueVqnRQJ9-7qARRHQ/s3553/IMG_6007%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="3553" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFERfpb_Qi-YYrq_6xhjZPdP7iqqQT5TlOW60UaW7wpwbsAc5SnqCVqXofjUC6Wip5-vaQZMI713ywabWDMd7DIQJcIL-YHeQyuSgHqcuC2DupPC7jiHb7v4wmnCCmA_Cp7VP0IdxUouzvdmV4T3HPUWPE3wcLc_CqEoMaFnpJueVqnRQJ9-7qARRHQ/w400-h51/IMG_6007%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a>$11.30 CAD</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsmJOsixiO2OqF9d6t-wdOWEe4wi3lYJS2vk74Up3bxB5SoVLJMBTJWF9gmHbQ2W0tBt_nn-3eRvjhExV0m2k6uYFgLngZvOhu7dcSIo_Xcv9PBjQyz3Jg7XtkF_HQdUTAGxUXwX8uhfxaw_tF5l3zEwehUiBXQKm6ONG-C9ZaxUDOMGVpRDG5joHBg/s2807/IMG_6009.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2577" data-original-width="2807" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsmJOsixiO2OqF9d6t-wdOWEe4wi3lYJS2vk74Up3bxB5SoVLJMBTJWF9gmHbQ2W0tBt_nn-3eRvjhExV0m2k6uYFgLngZvOhu7dcSIo_Xcv9PBjQyz3Jg7XtkF_HQdUTAGxUXwX8uhfxaw_tF5l3zEwehUiBXQKm6ONG-C9ZaxUDOMGVpRDG5joHBg/w640-h588/IMG_6009.JPG" title="Motulenos" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UpxA2WuyYp_YavBRT4MK6Zsuzs0rnMXIQI_2wxctBidYfRMX2STxOGn8JQa2TKY-sens6WyCydlhAZsd2hnfaE7CJY58OWlB-Laz_tToHIsNTY4ClTcnZ48PRWxCDmFs491RKEckWtrm-aGzn0dZU86ZmLevGPsQIPsJIcNDz-kpbo3Xikgo5lXoFQ/s3361/IMG_6006%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="3361" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UpxA2WuyYp_YavBRT4MK6Zsuzs0rnMXIQI_2wxctBidYfRMX2STxOGn8JQa2TKY-sens6WyCydlhAZsd2hnfaE7CJY58OWlB-Laz_tToHIsNTY4ClTcnZ48PRWxCDmFs491RKEckWtrm-aGzn0dZU86ZmLevGPsQIPsJIcNDz-kpbo3Xikgo5lXoFQ/w400-h45/IMG_6006%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a>$9.00 CAD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And I finally got to have a mole tamale that she got from the buffet for me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HN-3fdpRQNa4HLoGPkm6nld9nhEHQ0vROIP8VZo5FR_22ZAHPv7zB0VL5FW1ONjzQoACTXrmhPtkfoS9yXwryh8tFaL23Wr-8xL3oBL71VqX_N_twBEl7vfozwbN3gVsV5dqWnh-HDRv4PwlRs2Gc9_YI7niXLIrtfsTNIYV0RqzYWsEE7KMRK13qg/s4032/IMG_6011.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HN-3fdpRQNa4HLoGPkm6nld9nhEHQ0vROIP8VZo5FR_22ZAHPv7zB0VL5FW1ONjzQoACTXrmhPtkfoS9yXwryh8tFaL23Wr-8xL3oBL71VqX_N_twBEl7vfozwbN3gVsV5dqWnh-HDRv4PwlRs2Gc9_YI7niXLIrtfsTNIYV0RqzYWsEE7KMRK13qg/w480-h640/IMG_6011.JPG" title="Mole Tamale" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My son was thrilled they had horchata on the menu too. Our server seemed thrilled with him. I asked him if he realized she was flirting with him. He just blushed. 😊 She asked me if I was his mom and then how old he was? I told her 32 and she squealed in delight and said, "I'm 29!" I laughed and told her that he was single (we're using a translator now). Anyway, they exchanged phone info and back at the hotel, my son arranged a date with her on her day off...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That evening, also right beside "Super Che" was a fish 'n chips place I wanted to check out that was on my "to-do" list. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrUjAQrhIoIzoZg28hgY-EPiFmJxMH_fsyRoU7QfreDchkat36Nj2HXTOryQAbwRBo_H7cP5ADF9JA4ZSwTmj-antfc7nWwOUUqzYAzsw7LS9HxF-TN8mZU4WbEn0HhhT3MBwwtTPFyF5k7skelOdBnWx5O4Thv3kDwO_rXrgum9v2Ci0E38-RuypWA/s3941/IMG_6019.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3941" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrUjAQrhIoIzoZg28hgY-EPiFmJxMH_fsyRoU7QfreDchkat36Nj2HXTOryQAbwRBo_H7cP5ADF9JA4ZSwTmj-antfc7nWwOUUqzYAzsw7LS9HxF-TN8mZU4WbEn0HhhT3MBwwtTPFyF5k7skelOdBnWx5O4Thv3kDwO_rXrgum9v2Ci0E38-RuypWA/w480-h640/IMG_6019.JPG" title="Fish 'n Chips Restaurant" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I started with the small shrimp cocktail below and found it tasty. $100 pesos ($7.00 CAD).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu3_c0CFxDSVY36kq3Cj6Dn6QwoZ-hNI_m_4bzr2r8v_hzgwe3bFV1BO4JqdmS9Z2C1P9UL0nWLwoV8Ajieqx1lj1gPsiPT-udaSwqAPb_F0n-kNbJqODw4WKHXBY-hyAxaPmrOrMZboHbovjDedfrIr3LWCyQ29BBZXEyjvXYYw30tW1I2HdiFOk6A/s4032/IMG_6022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu3_c0CFxDSVY36kq3Cj6Dn6QwoZ-hNI_m_4bzr2r8v_hzgwe3bFV1BO4JqdmS9Z2C1P9UL0nWLwoV8Ajieqx1lj1gPsiPT-udaSwqAPb_F0n-kNbJqODw4WKHXBY-hyAxaPmrOrMZboHbovjDedfrIr3LWCyQ29BBZXEyjvXYYw30tW1I2HdiFOk6A/w480-h640/IMG_6022.JPG" title="Shrimp Cocktail" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEAEEI9M81RFXMvAbVk98zg3hDvoZK7674MNzF4zAn98Uzu29_enC1KCGGXqjAXRI7KB6FcHyaffnUsIaAHtbMMvPWhs5b_7MFU5JzfZ0OXBKVe57GBT0-UmiLEFNwWHKBRHYtKvO3WsJkCkzXR2GX8CmRl6RzjtyPfsdS1FHF4fu0k6_Hvv6vyrcQQ/s3469/IMG_6023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3469" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEAEEI9M81RFXMvAbVk98zg3hDvoZK7674MNzF4zAn98Uzu29_enC1KCGGXqjAXRI7KB6FcHyaffnUsIaAHtbMMvPWhs5b_7MFU5JzfZ0OXBKVe57GBT0-UmiLEFNwWHKBRHYtKvO3WsJkCkzXR2GX8CmRl6RzjtyPfsdS1FHF4fu0k6_Hvv6vyrcQQ/w558-h640/IMG_6023.JPG" title="Fish & Chips" width="558" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fish & Chips (Mahi Mahi) $220 pesos ($15.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Son had a fish burger and one of my pieces of fish. This was really good, but we both agreed SALTY. If it was less salty, it would have been heavenly. Nice service and great value. That sums up the night pretty much...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Monday, November 7, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Son had the massage booked at 11 am today so we slept in and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant Xima. I enjoyed mine very much but I don't know what it was now! Actually, looking at what my son had at Santa Clara appears the same, so possibly it was Huevos Motuleños? I don't know, I remember it had chicken in it though...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7UHFlAgOzPDwPjMGkalwoeD7a1HmWopH96c77Q1qejIfOjTf9Aktb12xyTQTPxSsT1Kn_hBupEZ8ps2KnCqP3LMA3vKL4plUqOgNuu5NhBeyg3qRLy_zgvOHJpzzwCCNkocq1JygzdjRRH1B-FPRy7SA8NEhgmIYUbmVd_YuylWC7OdkPK6ei2KttQ/s2903/IMG_6025.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="2903" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7UHFlAgOzPDwPjMGkalwoeD7a1HmWopH96c77Q1qejIfOjTf9Aktb12xyTQTPxSsT1Kn_hBupEZ8ps2KnCqP3LMA3vKL4plUqOgNuu5NhBeyg3qRLy_zgvOHJpzzwCCNkocq1JygzdjRRH1B-FPRy7SA8NEhgmIYUbmVd_YuylWC7OdkPK6ei2KttQ/w640-h548/IMG_6025.JPG" title="Breakfast" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I hung out until noon when I figured the massage should be done. I had thought it was weird they do massages in the room but they keep tables at the hotel so just brought it with them. Son said it was a very good massage and he used the translator to relay that to her. He also said the table was very sturdy so it was fine. We had a day pass booked for Quinta Bella pool so walked over. It was $200 pesos each ($14 CAD each) till 5 pm. That included nothing but the pool use with towels. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RaD7dLG_-HcEziytjp8tjyA8XLiEN9iXBmnHYq4lex7WFAC9okCVEzWATpcVjTM5s9QBfCYvpcvYpREGlVEHHdMEtzhu8kLbTZQrstSs6_x1QO-r3o4KbYYTFMrJ9TmlY2CAyPGs2zgYUwYWSj3meqtEkEcEkK7Kt7Pt-LFuGMavIAY9TYeDfCiBdA/s3932/IMG_6026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2766" data-original-width="3932" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RaD7dLG_-HcEziytjp8tjyA8XLiEN9iXBmnHYq4lex7WFAC9okCVEzWATpcVjTM5s9QBfCYvpcvYpREGlVEHHdMEtzhu8kLbTZQrstSs6_x1QO-r3o4KbYYTFMrJ9TmlY2CAyPGs2zgYUwYWSj3meqtEkEcEkK7Kt7Pt-LFuGMavIAY9TYeDfCiBdA/w640-h450/IMG_6026.JPG" title="Quinta Bella Pool" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_F0bF1Kp8EvVGP93YsxZQAnQSAajOx33o4Anf9o-4tMnD7uyouqLoMb9mU8LT7uhGCQxDXnxXFNyrBbQ_bSz58T0e75_tbDpR2ZlcSiPgbuOispwj9UmGSRX4avp7V56T1OTZLf3oS6Jl4mR3DP9JoxN7-ix1uafi6M-L5nLYJRUNyEaEezCSIM6rg/s4032/IMG_6027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_F0bF1Kp8EvVGP93YsxZQAnQSAajOx33o4Anf9o-4tMnD7uyouqLoMb9mU8LT7uhGCQxDXnxXFNyrBbQ_bSz58T0e75_tbDpR2ZlcSiPgbuOispwj9UmGSRX4avp7V56T1OTZLf3oS6Jl4mR3DP9JoxN7-ix1uafi6M-L5nLYJRUNyEaEezCSIM6rg/w480-h640/IMG_6027.JPG" title="Otto Restaurant" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Better shot of Otto restaurant in the day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggK6PYnQNG6q_9UCMXW0YgjtmXd1NkgGVkzowWIlo4etLF56n6lA3qedy2ugjJ7-uInp2Zuu2OLAXWA-QMWlx7BpN9ctVYa-kzqGxrFNDdWJom7YfvytwD2CJ_1z9brRTrGnouvL5Y3FMPrqNt1oGg1qkBX9zMeLtq8XAwyzB5jI0Sw81WBkHd4Sg4tw/s3562/IMG_6028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3562" data-original-width="2953" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggK6PYnQNG6q_9UCMXW0YgjtmXd1NkgGVkzowWIlo4etLF56n6lA3qedy2ugjJ7-uInp2Zuu2OLAXWA-QMWlx7BpN9ctVYa-kzqGxrFNDdWJom7YfvytwD2CJ_1z9brRTrGnouvL5Y3FMPrqNt1oGg1qkBX9zMeLtq8XAwyzB5jI0Sw81WBkHd4Sg4tw/w530-h640/IMG_6028.JPG" title="Rustico Restaurant" width="530" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rustico restaurant is up the stairs</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEVBfk_7D4XhONQZ8Xu21DcmOlCd8RFd2k-FZQ-qsz3dusCcpuP62inZX3z9miPd2XV1NQkG0NT19oYC6W--kmu0gEJFCXT1snyEZZWp53ovaZv-chbwqHuIWc9G757BrVmKeyTvsd4ILUbs-5f7rZEU7AlHIYBt6qn3J-fcs8zANe4MRWcAQol0KNw/s3073/IMG_6030.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3073" data-original-width="2767" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEVBfk_7D4XhONQZ8Xu21DcmOlCd8RFd2k-FZQ-qsz3dusCcpuP62inZX3z9miPd2XV1NQkG0NT19oYC6W--kmu0gEJFCXT1snyEZZWp53ovaZv-chbwqHuIWc9G757BrVmKeyTvsd4ILUbs-5f7rZEU7AlHIYBt6qn3J-fcs8zANe4MRWcAQol0KNw/w576-h640/IMG_6030.JPG" title="Poolside Appetizers" width="576" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>We got an appetizer each and wow were they delicious. Fried shrimp taco and a tuna, ponzu sauce tostada. We saw a couple on the boat tour in the other pool so we waded in to say hello. They said the boat crew didn't make the ceviche for them so that was disappointing. Anyway, we chatted with them till it was time to get out and go at 5 pm.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For dinner we ended up at <b><u><a href="https://www.restaurantelachicatana.com/" target="_blank">La Chicitana</a></u></b> which is in La Crucecita above a hotel. This will become a regular spot for sure and the setting was amazing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcr1jJ92OGpGkCWy5P6JfgwBrIxVfrWvDea-pVVxdqIIQx6YqYmtpCacVmJI3m0VUvzVU4IgciR6umk0Kg6JHzSYTNcsi4banLnrJC3tfO7MzjWVYKyQLSlYl2NbgJKg14S_OTjGo7zevml5bdFVOuo99yVyGX_LJ2WmCMswCX8Ci2ZD-1NZ-3Yb4kQ/s3941/IMG_6032.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcr1jJ92OGpGkCWy5P6JfgwBrIxVfrWvDea-pVVxdqIIQx6YqYmtpCacVmJI3m0VUvzVU4IgciR6umk0Kg6JHzSYTNcsi4banLnrJC3tfO7MzjWVYKyQLSlYl2NbgJKg14S_OTjGo7zevml5bdFVOuo99yVyGX_LJ2WmCMswCX8Ci2ZD-1NZ-3Yb4kQ/w640-h480/IMG_6032.JPG" title="View from La Chicitana" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The owner's son was the host and had fairly good English so it was nice to chat with him and here his family story and love of Huatulco. He was easy on the eyes too. 😉</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CVUMYJMdggJI05oIFeLBluVDX1sdUByRR4kn85h8ZXGN0wuI7RDunAsd46SwfaMkTe2XLCrY2w0dq1ojU8KGcvp4sGVdFA_rtlhDVT-Q3ZDlW7bZV-oMZaWULT0OdlIvEf_Dai7dWImwLMnGfhLLJ4uOEl8F8EdJQB_kgKAwIhHXVxCsq5juyidIKA/s4032/IMG_6033.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CVUMYJMdggJI05oIFeLBluVDX1sdUByRR4kn85h8ZXGN0wuI7RDunAsd46SwfaMkTe2XLCrY2w0dq1ojU8KGcvp4sGVdFA_rtlhDVT-Q3ZDlW7bZV-oMZaWULT0OdlIvEf_Dai7dWImwLMnGfhLLJ4uOEl8F8EdJQB_kgKAwIhHXVxCsq5juyidIKA/w640-h480/IMG_6033.JPG" title="La Chicitana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Son had some kind of loaded baked potato, below and said it was one of the best things he ate in Huatulco!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Rmw6ypOKO94ltbzQCS_z_DP-QKTwgk1Ym4lRA1D0dswjX6ENf-1ESGVFZGeCNxgUvzZ2tsm6TEfQIyfiNKLR8enc9bJC7GmHh0z2XLuPdtcuXw-FUNGVfRLX-jMtQx8Ay1uFJp1a3lPEOcFEYZY6RCiT1m-SCklXaztQc61c1gNIxrs2o12VhuCldQ/s2786/IMG_6038.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="2786" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Rmw6ypOKO94ltbzQCS_z_DP-QKTwgk1Ym4lRA1D0dswjX6ENf-1ESGVFZGeCNxgUvzZ2tsm6TEfQIyfiNKLR8enc9bJC7GmHh0z2XLuPdtcuXw-FUNGVfRLX-jMtQx8Ay1uFJp1a3lPEOcFEYZY6RCiT1m-SCklXaztQc61c1gNIxrs2o12VhuCldQ/w640-h506/IMG_6038.JPG" title="Loaded Baked Potato" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I had capellini with garlic shrimp and wow, there was so much garlic, I'm sure I reeked for days...it was delicious though. In fact for value, setting and diverse menu options, this restaurant was a shining star. So happy we landed here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj5mygRbVrdud7LF7C1dPFxhAayXh3kdsZIivY1EQnlMmN5CCFqCtkXZusqqN52q60CwWqJaO556aJaYBYNMoGNFHwzYOUjcRWixBQVHsAbKX1olvfmO827PfM90z4j-lRvWb7khhjbBapKi5wMRQgzej0b9zy7sVPqheaY3mK7Bmv7CO12_RahFVGA/s2843/IMG_6040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2647" data-original-width="2843" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj5mygRbVrdud7LF7C1dPFxhAayXh3kdsZIivY1EQnlMmN5CCFqCtkXZusqqN52q60CwWqJaO556aJaYBYNMoGNFHwzYOUjcRWixBQVHsAbKX1olvfmO827PfM90z4j-lRvWb7khhjbBapKi5wMRQgzej0b9zy7sVPqheaY3mK7Bmv7CO12_RahFVGA/w640-h596/IMG_6040.JPG" title="Capellini with Garlic Shrimp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2E2A5eFtsb283vqh2UQGne5Oo815Y0qkFcWQgIgTywBh1MbOzvrQt-1mjMTYomL8sOMA3fAptY7v-Q0_NGwmW5LqPPNyxWf-BenQ3gDEdXDUT_7iOGHG4EbezyF-Tv5yoOiyAmwwQEFNce9d9z8jWgo2jHcp9tbFv5CYmHbUm7fZUkdIIoQGDJdVgWQ/s3023/IMG_6043.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2399" data-original-width="3023" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2E2A5eFtsb283vqh2UQGne5Oo815Y0qkFcWQgIgTywBh1MbOzvrQt-1mjMTYomL8sOMA3fAptY7v-Q0_NGwmW5LqPPNyxWf-BenQ3gDEdXDUT_7iOGHG4EbezyF-Tv5yoOiyAmwwQEFNce9d9z8jWgo2jHcp9tbFv5CYmHbUm7fZUkdIIoQGDJdVgWQ/w640-h508/IMG_6043.JPG" title="Nutella Cheesecake" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Son enjoyed the Nutella Cheesecake</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We walked back to centro of town and taxied home. Son commented he could smell garlic...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Tuesday, November 8, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today's plan was Arrocito beach in Tangolunda. Taxi was $100 pesos ($7.00 CAD) here. The driver was nice and spoke fairly good English so we booked a trip to Zipolite, Mazunte and San Agustinillo on Friday for $1800 pesos ($125.00 CAD). There is only one place to sit on the beach and they charge $200 pesos for the table & chairs. At first he tried to upcharge me $250 pesos. He did offer if we sat back a row and ate a meal he would wave the cost. We were the only people here. There were a few others on the beach but no one at this place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1bZcKy8RMu7VOgBAzJdGcrKdqsWqSz8epXH3pUyAqcx6ZB1hICn2g1_KLeQlt2N7g5nOyeeOKYO6wnQuLbIOti3W4sKcZptXd_ZPuiBfiARZAtHM64EjpTmjWkKzRFlzdMYu6rbmnmLmVlDHS_Cv_K_uWLWFa3BwIsK-6vyy-cG23RECEyM_ZqZgPg/s3799/IMG_6048.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1bZcKy8RMu7VOgBAzJdGcrKdqsWqSz8epXH3pUyAqcx6ZB1hICn2g1_KLeQlt2N7g5nOyeeOKYO6wnQuLbIOti3W4sKcZptXd_ZPuiBfiARZAtHM64EjpTmjWkKzRFlzdMYu6rbmnmLmVlDHS_Cv_K_uWLWFa3BwIsK-6vyy-cG23RECEyM_ZqZgPg/w640-h480/IMG_6048.JPG" title="Playa Arrocito" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJgJwpxubgeatPSXl0A2HLZDpUkVNn3JTiW0kInzf6wK1Jf-IiaaU4ShOEj7QngMrvXsrlqgd5_PuKDk2ijAhtTLUMjNtX5spte-dzeaDNF5ruqXKMG5ZHYK48ByjvYBPYR2XLyFRjv735WY18yZvRh67dyadXEwZsovZuktkoQJ8WPvWjNTgTvyW7g/s3893/IMG_6046.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJgJwpxubgeatPSXl0A2HLZDpUkVNn3JTiW0kInzf6wK1Jf-IiaaU4ShOEj7QngMrvXsrlqgd5_PuKDk2ijAhtTLUMjNtX5spte-dzeaDNF5ruqXKMG5ZHYK48ByjvYBPYR2XLyFRjv735WY18yZvRh67dyadXEwZsovZuktkoQJ8WPvWjNTgTvyW7g/w640-h480/IMG_6046.JPG" title="Playa Arrocito" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwolDx5atI1gxoTIZ_k9SJtsml11TwybM2BLuGQo702JrRMElMUw367w4rhAXeIkoCgVrCI2zYRYWRNDTku_KWpYVcE9MN1FbEq-UYrBA5DBZ0zGABDVLEGFbnJ2Y30PTIq7hgRtlqmWPqczfFPWJPLHr7fGwh2kyY4CR9WtLrEcsC_uH_wD3bp2JBQA/s3831/IMG_6047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="3831" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwolDx5atI1gxoTIZ_k9SJtsml11TwybM2BLuGQo702JrRMElMUw367w4rhAXeIkoCgVrCI2zYRYWRNDTku_KWpYVcE9MN1FbEq-UYrBA5DBZ0zGABDVLEGFbnJ2Y30PTIq7hgRtlqmWPqczfFPWJPLHr7fGwh2kyY4CR9WtLrEcsC_uH_wD3bp2JBQA/w640-h480/IMG_6047.JPG" title="Playa Arrocito" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a coffee and a beer for another $100 pesos before son decided he didn't want to stay here. The water was rough today and it was rocky on entrance so I told him we could go to Maguey again if he liked, and he did. We went back to "El Pescador" and spent the day there. Jose told us even the locals have to pay to sit on Arrocito beach. Well Maguey was rough today too and there was lots of debris floating in the water. It was not its usual serene self. Anyway, we had fun chatting with the staff at El Pescador and had another enjoyable day. We told them when leaving we'd see them next year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPv-ejdSo1rnVu65PQBJpv1w4fJ5nd4P3EcjrAavdWAnU1uDGETYRbvO3Tc3q2z6bpCPc6PL9JrFyu4UCk_8gi2A6wnnhTxFT14laQVOR25qZxPvfD0aF_0B2X_NAjZM2eME00VLNJTfWcJxs4OkMMPwxrId-vHxg8e1i1Q1fGm-3wLBaQu1SoYWP_Q/s4032/IMG_6049.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPv-ejdSo1rnVu65PQBJpv1w4fJ5nd4P3EcjrAavdWAnU1uDGETYRbvO3Tc3q2z6bpCPc6PL9JrFyu4UCk_8gi2A6wnnhTxFT14laQVOR25qZxPvfD0aF_0B2X_NAjZM2eME00VLNJTfWcJxs4OkMMPwxrId-vHxg8e1i1Q1fGm-3wLBaQu1SoYWP_Q/w640-h480/IMG_6049.JPG" title="Playa Maguey" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Below, I enjoyed looking at the pineapple drinks next door, though the cherry eye was missing by the time I took this picture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh917dSjgonwtaSrZ6cA25L_5ZOfABY57z3QWkbWaFD88uOMIOnpvszmKE96eOZD2119w8Yo_csz-ukfdiP8SuQNsJyRQ4sFdY7l8NKf2bACoBgIqUJ9AzRIFCBD1MstqAt78KnIXEwSHLxFP_DdOjLPGpjD3xIj-6zIRvh1Y8pudIzd6RRmgVnO_OhSw/s3315/IMG_6051.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3315" data-original-width="1666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh917dSjgonwtaSrZ6cA25L_5ZOfABY57z3QWkbWaFD88uOMIOnpvszmKE96eOZD2119w8Yo_csz-ukfdiP8SuQNsJyRQ4sFdY7l8NKf2bACoBgIqUJ9AzRIFCBD1MstqAt78KnIXEwSHLxFP_DdOjLPGpjD3xIj-6zIRvh1Y8pudIzd6RRmgVnO_OhSw/w322-h640/IMG_6051.JPG" title="Pineapple Beach Drink" width="322" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Dinner this evening was at a place I have dined at before <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lartilleriacafe/" target="_blank">L'artilleria</a></u></b>. Otto, the owner is from Mexico city and does street food from there. His English is good and his new restaurant location also on Cocotillo street is beautiful! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBLCDGOyVNrAZ0rXqFb9HdztH8-utz6COCQcFpgqERRRb9U2Qy1nYhMPfbrG0RNEahd9g_U1RtArpv12jreMVYNrA-8XKXjJu5_Z1C5jsO0Z1T97eP0jYc8b694-_lSk-phwz-J3EP83Cp80PGmz30TtEHdjavlWfM5iwjzi74Fu8TkbTUQCk5lJCJQ/s3891/IMG_6053.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3014" data-original-width="3891" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBLCDGOyVNrAZ0rXqFb9HdztH8-utz6COCQcFpgqERRRb9U2Qy1nYhMPfbrG0RNEahd9g_U1RtArpv12jreMVYNrA-8XKXjJu5_Z1C5jsO0Z1T97eP0jYc8b694-_lSk-phwz-J3EP83Cp80PGmz30TtEHdjavlWfM5iwjzi74Fu8TkbTUQCk5lJCJQ/w640-h496/IMG_6053.JPG" title="L'artilleria" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I went to his place when he first opened and was happy to see him doing well with a full staff. As we did last time, we just let him choose for us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybat_fQIkZcIllEN_NIC9W5_zfWrPhjQQFMMmt1VfwM6wqE0oxisxLzpPd4rb4TX4QILVcYHIRsBmayr_B6wgqB0nLtn8P8SV4k-k3JLYGMDZeuzIXzCjcP2D4ApSUxy4BOtRkmO5WPkRBPqaoanLFV1LSOiy-LRLuAVLUvCnVe95XmxUlytRoRAxUg/s2923/IMG_6056.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="2923" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybat_fQIkZcIllEN_NIC9W5_zfWrPhjQQFMMmt1VfwM6wqE0oxisxLzpPd4rb4TX4QILVcYHIRsBmayr_B6wgqB0nLtn8P8SV4k-k3JLYGMDZeuzIXzCjcP2D4ApSUxy4BOtRkmO5WPkRBPqaoanLFV1LSOiy-LRLuAVLUvCnVe95XmxUlytRoRAxUg/w640-h510/IMG_6056.JPG" title="Guacamole" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Guacamole $110 pesos ($7.60 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WQTmiqr8S1WIIMu5dsDrWMITREFW5qkXcdjM5lJz9hoFQaluCS06Z_v3ooItT0LNj-gHqdjBcUuIG2q0aU4rM-wp0Rghvq4cM8mWjy88l2aWgpmdranPDr3mn19qbLRQgYvBCz1Sjo0TMJ326ZvGHp6KJxnmVvfeZ1zEeVC17X0VlQNDb4eEsgAsMw/s2402/IMG_6057.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2402" data-original-width="2212" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WQTmiqr8S1WIIMu5dsDrWMITREFW5qkXcdjM5lJz9hoFQaluCS06Z_v3ooItT0LNj-gHqdjBcUuIG2q0aU4rM-wp0Rghvq4cM8mWjy88l2aWgpmdranPDr3mn19qbLRQgYvBCz1Sjo0TMJ326ZvGHp6KJxnmVvfeZ1zEeVC17X0VlQNDb4eEsgAsMw/w590-h640/IMG_6057.JPG" title="Pork Tacos" width="590" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was a nightly special he suggested of pork carnitas tacos. He raved how it would melt in our mouths and it did. The pickled onions were super spicy but took the dish over the top. Our favorite bite of the evening!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnFEbd4icxfxErmf2Bw8U0TVSsa3YybrJhmy_mPz0cm8H386il3-7gdaMvohiSvcYn9y8hZB9OJ2yV7iovqx0Oy5VfHneB8JSSbYOPjA_KjrGoWHniN_9AjGOtL9mFJpV2l95LsfUkxHdOorntm-JZUwZ9bFicEJ_-hzbz5ClZSizlhUj42GWxIP1_g/s2959/IMG_6059.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2321" data-original-width="2959" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnFEbd4icxfxErmf2Bw8U0TVSsa3YybrJhmy_mPz0cm8H386il3-7gdaMvohiSvcYn9y8hZB9OJ2yV7iovqx0Oy5VfHneB8JSSbYOPjA_KjrGoWHniN_9AjGOtL9mFJpV2l95LsfUkxHdOorntm-JZUwZ9bFicEJ_-hzbz5ClZSizlhUj42GWxIP1_g/w640-h502/IMG_6059.JPG" title="Queso Fundido" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Queso Fundido w/Bacon $125 pesos ($8.60 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxxnTDaibK_Muko-bUv51w4fNv7EBzKe5ATBfpSca2jkg_zJC7nhuaMm3-cK1YRYSOG3l8z4_5V4DtOuMmi0wYOQ6hAXcXbVK36Q8rKkevA1Dr2lRROV16HdHvRm1II6-ADTBjCnU7YePBsZXpq_xpsAnPXUWT4m7O429i7icypXdNVosDhLuwpWDZw/s2690/IMG_6062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="2690" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxxnTDaibK_Muko-bUv51w4fNv7EBzKe5ATBfpSca2jkg_zJC7nhuaMm3-cK1YRYSOG3l8z4_5V4DtOuMmi0wYOQ6hAXcXbVK36Q8rKkevA1Dr2lRROV16HdHvRm1II6-ADTBjCnU7YePBsZXpq_xpsAnPXUWT4m7O429i7icypXdNVosDhLuwpWDZw/w640-h534/IMG_6062.JPG" title="Pork Carnitas" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">More pork tacos he recommended. We didn't enjoy these, I think because of the sour marinade. (Hopefully that's what the sour taste was, lol!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLF3h0ultee9IYFr85WVYvCIOX5zBgKVE1_wm_18Z0uHk8G7Sncu6oWeJEVN78PGWNRsd9ZZI2IFHwRNeTStB9KB5LGjAkmwdeNa_iOcvMqwMcqIRwDft1S5pO1SFGdsOxkALTs6rEy3UNoFui90T4RGT-GwW5ZK-866os6lo-XmPNNskcnqUFYg7cw/s3024/IMG_6064.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2386" data-original-width="3024" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLF3h0ultee9IYFr85WVYvCIOX5zBgKVE1_wm_18Z0uHk8G7Sncu6oWeJEVN78PGWNRsd9ZZI2IFHwRNeTStB9KB5LGjAkmwdeNa_iOcvMqwMcqIRwDft1S5pO1SFGdsOxkALTs6rEy3UNoFui90T4RGT-GwW5ZK-866os6lo-XmPNNskcnqUFYg7cw/w640-h504/IMG_6064.JPG" title="Berry Cheesecake" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Homemade Cheesecake by Otto. My son said it was very good.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We departed at closing time and had to get up early in the morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Wednesday, November 9, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had to call today to see if we could get a day pass at Secrets at 8 am. This was the third time the front desk had called for me and each time we were told something different. Anyway, they said we could come today. We got ready and got a cab. $100 pesos ($7.00 CAD). Secrets is the furthest resort on that strip. When we pulled up we had to provide ID to enter. My son's was in the safe back in the room. There was no way in hell he was letting us in without it, so we had to turn around and go back for it. Taxi driver made $350 ($25 CAD) pesos that trip. The security gate held our ID's and we made our way to Reception. Below was the price for the day ($202.00 CAD, my credit card tells me):</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfDdtJvUohVSmQnR2wS2RzX3Vz7nfD8Fld1MEEvt95rf0dXqHqDHtmr6v-vAxicDPwJEgyac7OX4nxUwWNa0_FjKime6qdDlzeFXHK4rq-evkCDREeq9JQ4Qwa0aeBJBaQg338OxshCRRVdN-BKLjKepZAnOswmHDW0uExevj5zQY8mqv28Rp3Ify4A/s3377/IMG_6065%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="3377" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfDdtJvUohVSmQnR2wS2RzX3Vz7nfD8Fld1MEEvt95rf0dXqHqDHtmr6v-vAxicDPwJEgyac7OX4nxUwWNa0_FjKime6qdDlzeFXHK4rq-evkCDREeq9JQ4Qwa0aeBJBaQg338OxshCRRVdN-BKLjKepZAnOswmHDW0uExevj5zQY8mqv28Rp3Ify4A/w640-h100/IMG_6065%20(2).JPG" title="Day Pass Cost at Secrets" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg48MFqFsAENGyaJLEMOqtVF7hCrQQwCmVFSdVHoLnflnk74kjosZUmsjN85YCbEq9_0uffg-y9c6v7G_GZ4ajSKHJNyktv-Mw0tamUOM85cXthd6luxrS-4bpgyuyU4eqxswUMQPu9QAIlZuCkkgovJ5DyA2OD5l3tbnz-PuwcjK4XY8he4xj8HKHTQ/s3893/IMG_6078.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg48MFqFsAENGyaJLEMOqtVF7hCrQQwCmVFSdVHoLnflnk74kjosZUmsjN85YCbEq9_0uffg-y9c6v7G_GZ4ajSKHJNyktv-Mw0tamUOM85cXthd6luxrS-4bpgyuyU4eqxswUMQPu9QAIlZuCkkgovJ5DyA2OD5l3tbnz-PuwcjK4XY8he4xj8HKHTQ/w640-h480/IMG_6078.JPG" title="Entrance to Secrets Resort" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Secrets Resort</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuNUr--NZqQnnP_8d5_oYwvyKk7bAXeFlYVTsj5W5N4V-lgKQkXiHCeEtUjL2fuFejwistAVkao2cxhQVsDW_gjXBD4jpp8nwPrYLln0uMd3cRZjC8j2ur1ZH2kdGq6Ujw9OvtQt_z_g5uA1jM2sB-9b31FPb8ay99HquQ5_MUujGgvHwjvmZraDH1Q/s3927/IMG_6071.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuNUr--NZqQnnP_8d5_oYwvyKk7bAXeFlYVTsj5W5N4V-lgKQkXiHCeEtUjL2fuFejwistAVkao2cxhQVsDW_gjXBD4jpp8nwPrYLln0uMd3cRZjC8j2ur1ZH2kdGq6Ujw9OvtQt_z_g5uA1jM2sB-9b31FPb8ay99HquQ5_MUujGgvHwjvmZraDH1Q/w640-h480/IMG_6071.JPG" title="The Beach at Secrets" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Beach at Secrets, it looks serene here but it was rough and red flag out</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnZHvAB5pFRvG0NIFK1J3tmhOwmr5JIzGFRVr0oL3Dr4j9_1_Dl2OomFXszoxq4OOsLOuLfu3E9oob_cb7KJBR_G176xe_Ty9cXF8vO2eHCrp4-lOv0PmamC1aBvg9usurECPOOZCnhCabA85AFR79-wnhSR9OKIgkCs-pAwhDna2P5xFn5bDzUpJoQ/s3081/IMG_5161.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2863" data-original-width="3081" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnZHvAB5pFRvG0NIFK1J3tmhOwmr5JIzGFRVr0oL3Dr4j9_1_Dl2OomFXszoxq4OOsLOuLfu3E9oob_cb7KJBR_G176xe_Ty9cXF8vO2eHCrp4-lOv0PmamC1aBvg9usurECPOOZCnhCabA85AFR79-wnhSR9OKIgkCs-pAwhDna2P5xFn5bDzUpJoQ/w640-h594/IMG_5161.JPG" title="Secrets Resort" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to say that I'm happy I experienced this resort this way and not as a guest. This was the most expensive place to stay in Huatulco when I was looking. I wouldn't do AI anyway in Huatulco but I did wonder what made it so special. In my eyes, nothing. It was just the same as any other AI I've been to. If I was paying and got served what was in the buffet, I'd have been furious. No restaurants were open for lunch, not a one. I observed lots of drunk people in the swim up bar and that is not my kind of vacation any longer... We didn't even stay till 5 pm, we were bored silly by 4 pm so left. To each their own...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2iTyWPZBPTbsQEIINdo0lUDHAHJJwAS_WlTpIUQfZgyLcF0mu3w5tf3gZo01ITs7ewDNuYlnzWkPK2PMm-AkAOJgPABsiEtf8J69tAxY7XIiUAYHSQhQxyBCcpPh3ZH470IDrzZMqDg3I38Bxt3PHfOGs2ZMEEtxGW5eZ2E9SQ0vmeOTtcbg0pS2SA/s4032/IMG_5162.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2iTyWPZBPTbsQEIINdo0lUDHAHJJwAS_WlTpIUQfZgyLcF0mu3w5tf3gZo01ITs7ewDNuYlnzWkPK2PMm-AkAOJgPABsiEtf8J69tAxY7XIiUAYHSQhQxyBCcpPh3ZH470IDrzZMqDg3I38Bxt3PHfOGs2ZMEEtxGW5eZ2E9SQ0vmeOTtcbg0pS2SA/w480-h640/IMG_5162.JPG" title="Secrets Resort" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzexnsDyCeaiPQF9yW2MrBIRNNgSON59htXVs-Hr6gS5ek2o5rbLb80kJmPoCkQTUvCtZnnttI6TwiuxJaafm-FeMX2EWfmt5aEk0Zham1tjbXdBz3Ut2ki13ru5MjInaU_4z3weyeSg4Yk4oVPv5uLr4CQ6GupScGpbEtkbba9lNMudIrEyEkeuWJg/s3927/IMG_5163.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzexnsDyCeaiPQF9yW2MrBIRNNgSON59htXVs-Hr6gS5ek2o5rbLb80kJmPoCkQTUvCtZnnttI6TwiuxJaafm-FeMX2EWfmt5aEk0Zham1tjbXdBz3Ut2ki13ru5MjInaU_4z3weyeSg4Yk4oVPv5uLr4CQ6GupScGpbEtkbba9lNMudIrEyEkeuWJg/w640-h480/IMG_5163.JPG" title="Secrets Resort" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBpLeNO4C6MHHRPdoX-kg3OkLZTZVPYwetjN6xANmXFgbMbc-ptgBWJRi5Nq2pVO8xl1ObWg4Ggo3nBc94yBrFN3S2x7EpyZAaxLzXVvGgiKhiwHub31Fn4GlvlTzvzEAgGDrwmoybb_gFXPwnyuNXppydM27fidLVxov0Ki6d7iOuRMZEAh4Q7pG0A/s3893/IMG_5166.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBpLeNO4C6MHHRPdoX-kg3OkLZTZVPYwetjN6xANmXFgbMbc-ptgBWJRi5Nq2pVO8xl1ObWg4Ggo3nBc94yBrFN3S2x7EpyZAaxLzXVvGgiKhiwHub31Fn4GlvlTzvzEAgGDrwmoybb_gFXPwnyuNXppydM27fidLVxov0Ki6d7iOuRMZEAh4Q7pG0A/w640-h480/IMG_5166.JPG" title="Secrets Resort" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I guess we should have called a taxi inside the resort but we thought they would when we picked up our ID's at the security booth, NOPE. Anyway, one driver told another and we got out of there in about a half hour. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tonight was my son's date. I grabbed a soup/sandwich from our restaurant and settled into some Netflix on my laptop. The hotel makes an excellent chicken soup!!! They had dinner in the restaurant and then went on a double-decker bus tour of Huatulco. They both said they had a wonderful time though communication with the language barrier was difficult. He showed me this picture and I thought it was appropriate for the report and they look fabulous. 😊</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIGNZmnqNHmr_s-Jj0bC9Fea8_8gGcXRNPmGnjH0FEiEzEiCcrTC8i2dmHZzGVSezWxtzWsYdXBHH-oK-tLBdeC_cJH9-hQLvLmKhOvXRWNpr11XpuenxYedKUexuDOPkFlG7WGSH0vB4tffviZuaqN7AFvR-qg7Zo6kb0JmJDFFvVdbA8UOz3Kl8-g/s4032/IMG_5186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIGNZmnqNHmr_s-Jj0bC9Fea8_8gGcXRNPmGnjH0FEiEzEiCcrTC8i2dmHZzGVSezWxtzWsYdXBHH-oK-tLBdeC_cJH9-hQLvLmKhOvXRWNpr11XpuenxYedKUexuDOPkFlG7WGSH0vB4tffviZuaqN7AFvR-qg7Zo6kb0JmJDFFvVdbA8UOz3Kl8-g/w640-h480/IMG_5186.JPG" title="Huatulco Photo Op" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Thursday, November 10, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today was La Entrega. We packed our snorkels and took a taxi over. The statue below is at the entrance and you can read about it <b><u><a href="https://theeyehuatulco.com/2017/04/29/the-delivery-la-entrega-of-guerrero/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b> if you're interested. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrUjoiNLqGnkD9aDp2uyaT6w1kv_qbwpeT1SON2MDw_noiQQOxgqiVzZMFOMmRmfBzqqDwBoQvWNft6qgdeGxyDtwcyd-GByFlPVSG8yfH5lZBZpjJQ_vYFo5271W7AImJQ65M0vRIzbF1TVxgI8lZ5fqO74iEBp3S4UuvmbKwujB0j6-Ov8-X6wAuw/s3829/IMG_6080.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="3829" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrUjoiNLqGnkD9aDp2uyaT6w1kv_qbwpeT1SON2MDw_noiQQOxgqiVzZMFOMmRmfBzqqDwBoQvWNft6qgdeGxyDtwcyd-GByFlPVSG8yfH5lZBZpjJQ_vYFo5271W7AImJQ65M0vRIzbF1TVxgI8lZ5fqO74iEBp3S4UuvmbKwujB0j6-Ov8-X6wAuw/w640-h480/IMG_6080.JPG" title="Guerrero Statue" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The place we chose to sit at was one with WiFi. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QRWsF7LK7N_Cn5MQv39LJFKtdBJOiyJbtbS5QdNgPNuOtjqBqcYIw3jvtJJd4GrBPC2ZudDAzD87uSKcea_4AfBhNL2JE50t5kbGKWbe7jWL2279CAcPiNRo2XSZZ8e5C0i98YnhWi9iw-bNKcE8oNt94cJPlVnRlPRywphF0N6YBTf_EdcjvvLFFQ/s4032/IMG_6088.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QRWsF7LK7N_Cn5MQv39LJFKtdBJOiyJbtbS5QdNgPNuOtjqBqcYIw3jvtJJd4GrBPC2ZudDAzD87uSKcea_4AfBhNL2JE50t5kbGKWbe7jWL2279CAcPiNRo2XSZZ8e5C0i98YnhWi9iw-bNKcE8oNt94cJPlVnRlPRywphF0N6YBTf_EdcjvvLFFQ/w640-h480/IMG_6088.JPG" title="Playa La Entrega" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyJTCaFcpbB17SFnwdsrUqwap6gb5KXoNQZz2nXsF_aDDVtn4b_w1K3wWb06ZDUPiD3zgqI8SxMZoAvHxZcD7TJo_ePe9Li0D5M0YXPpB2sE3l02Ce4WUmM-XIsFM5ADnjDYCy26aneOH6O4qy7Ws6nZaL5NcXc4MHEVSRIjWUZfWaTiao0yx0iCJag/s4032/IMG_6094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyJTCaFcpbB17SFnwdsrUqwap6gb5KXoNQZz2nXsF_aDDVtn4b_w1K3wWb06ZDUPiD3zgqI8SxMZoAvHxZcD7TJo_ePe9Li0D5M0YXPpB2sE3l02Ce4WUmM-XIsFM5ADnjDYCy26aneOH6O4qy7Ws6nZaL5NcXc4MHEVSRIjWUZfWaTiao0yx0iCJag/w480-h640/IMG_6094.JPG" title="Cielito Lindo" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStgiFElqFds55jpI8hJXeS08hrAZADJNLmYWRLnMYx8L-m5PXRz_eqVf6mMhkV2va97Mj9hzNmNZkGoJxiXGvxgP86ALl0Q1BdN_pM9405r62EipOUqB3Eif5UyVm7Nt2Qm0__XIZ6Ike_fNjAXbiDOK9ILC3EOI59H1BByieqs_eZLownhysV8tFvw/s3799/IMG_6084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStgiFElqFds55jpI8hJXeS08hrAZADJNLmYWRLnMYx8L-m5PXRz_eqVf6mMhkV2va97Mj9hzNmNZkGoJxiXGvxgP86ALl0Q1BdN_pM9405r62EipOUqB3Eif5UyVm7Nt2Qm0__XIZ6Ike_fNjAXbiDOK9ILC3EOI59H1BByieqs_eZLownhysV8tFvw/w640-h480/IMG_6084.JPG" title="Playa La Entrega" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This beach is always busy with families. I didn't see the same amounts of fish as last time and couldn't help but wonder if the coral is suffering here? </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2bc_vGaIlftJ9A0lIzoPX3Msn-6tBj6c-Iqf0D4jBxKyCl3uT0bq7okn55Phgxz5uOIVOxHvLSZbPGPomnxir_NR63LvTn8LMTNhGtdyupMn8U1FA87CYhk04GJxwg7282cq8on9laT2lUN3yuQHWmILixB3zsLfg3uDWnI4vhAj7WWjFQSSdJBsTA/s3797/IMG_5193.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3797" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2bc_vGaIlftJ9A0lIzoPX3Msn-6tBj6c-Iqf0D4jBxKyCl3uT0bq7okn55Phgxz5uOIVOxHvLSZbPGPomnxir_NR63LvTn8LMTNhGtdyupMn8U1FA87CYhk04GJxwg7282cq8on9laT2lUN3yuQHWmILixB3zsLfg3uDWnI4vhAj7WWjFQSSdJBsTA/w640-h480/IMG_5193.JPG" title="Playa La Entrega" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Below, son had chicken quesadillas and I had guacamole. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQstWNDHNbag58vDCvDOFtmioslat-7rzhSeWcTi6EcQqYC9rP_HobLUiMXVT9k2Oh5OvmXlzCek1p2JjQPgdtZhX_ngIj8EWkEg0bI0H5-wVI5lXTAg3cBf-IaReaH7nlqDgbGoLspnmGsNqJgdqlKw396gnzVBktW3taw7rCyHKrbtLdePuxXeRyqg/s3099/IMG_5187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3099" data-original-width="2760" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQstWNDHNbag58vDCvDOFtmioslat-7rzhSeWcTi6EcQqYC9rP_HobLUiMXVT9k2Oh5OvmXlzCek1p2JjQPgdtZhX_ngIj8EWkEg0bI0H5-wVI5lXTAg3cBf-IaReaH7nlqDgbGoLspnmGsNqJgdqlKw396gnzVBktW3taw7rCyHKrbtLdePuxXeRyqg/w570-h640/IMG_5187.JPG" title="Chicken Quesadillas" width="570" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWggOF3fF8cEMgI-TEuMyfe-W41wImYgY1JH9Hgixfp7yny8cyePs5UnKv6h0Oy6ZaTHkhhkrn4H3jxNzIFwUgDjv_xD6DS3iRycnDPCrD_-DgFm8aAzgJrtO_xQHL2uu0TILa69jxRqkKMbU2Wz8x-X-378Qx-kbxkTeWskSm1fnyKFAWpQ2ObOwsaw/s3179/IMG_6091.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2383" data-original-width="3179" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWggOF3fF8cEMgI-TEuMyfe-W41wImYgY1JH9Hgixfp7yny8cyePs5UnKv6h0Oy6ZaTHkhhkrn4H3jxNzIFwUgDjv_xD6DS3iRycnDPCrD_-DgFm8aAzgJrtO_xQHL2uu0TILa69jxRqkKMbU2Wz8x-X-378Qx-kbxkTeWskSm1fnyKFAWpQ2ObOwsaw/w640-h480/IMG_6091.JPG" title="Guacamole" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniJYRvACOJnwYfjy-HwpAJ7D0orL2vSFdwWZ_B1DvYri1LT5h3cN4GqhMs7AU6PpMFfkBmdZ71ed-nrOtgwVDJn5Os5NUw3cL3NuBWwzHzvagi8oVrUT8zooBwmAWm2HJvfAvyB_yxDB6ZKlD0eV7uvu6CtAQ64Iy13qNeBa1jDKXw7C2rFhXjYVGvA/s3533/IMG_6093.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3533" data-original-width="2567" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniJYRvACOJnwYfjy-HwpAJ7D0orL2vSFdwWZ_B1DvYri1LT5h3cN4GqhMs7AU6PpMFfkBmdZ71ed-nrOtgwVDJn5Os5NUw3cL3NuBWwzHzvagi8oVrUT8zooBwmAWm2HJvfAvyB_yxDB6ZKlD0eV7uvu6CtAQ64Iy13qNeBa1jDKXw7C2rFhXjYVGvA/w466-h640/IMG_6093.JPG" title="Plantains with Crema" width="466" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Above is some plantains with crema we ordered from a beach vendor out of curiosity. It looked better than it ate. It got really busy with tables being set up on the beach and we decided it was time to depart. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhITjumlUqFA5yyhfXawL0uU8YiRFMfksFFxxeWXvYt_Et_Q-Ktw4QFNkYh1R5ebTjA-eEnMCf9095U9Zqp-z9BtvrK9L3B07oOcuti9PymK9o53y_Vhd2gyX_Cayf7t9p8ZHg56LSluD9nYzZVUZrc3YqGwKbDv5ThhHoJcKT2Ija4JkZyQhYbshjA/s3625/IMG_5190.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2718" data-original-width="3625" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhITjumlUqFA5yyhfXawL0uU8YiRFMfksFFxxeWXvYt_Et_Q-Ktw4QFNkYh1R5ebTjA-eEnMCf9095U9Zqp-z9BtvrK9L3B07oOcuti9PymK9o53y_Vhd2gyX_Cayf7t9p8ZHg56LSluD9nYzZVUZrc3YqGwKbDv5ThhHoJcKT2Ija4JkZyQhYbshjA/w640-h480/IMG_5190.JPG" title="Playa La Entrega" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Dinner tonight was at a place I've been wanting to check out. It's called <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chedieguito/" target="_blank">Che Dieguito</a></u></b> and is also by "Super Che". </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRyklzcJg62pbT88Ov4RE2vx2a9SbqkSx2C8k5uH2k3udNabL0miBByIkZVc300KGbVzpJ-QHpX2wHKkNPUq0wbz6gYxP_fNLxYpOSSpRGcVTEYgzWUq3ONWUk1xOOeO9TyvQzIrcQ6V9KK0h8QYuMC-UEz5R9sW8qs9aq4E1aINSc7iCpisrCuTHbg/s3770/IMG_6099.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2568" data-original-width="3770" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRyklzcJg62pbT88Ov4RE2vx2a9SbqkSx2C8k5uH2k3udNabL0miBByIkZVc300KGbVzpJ-QHpX2wHKkNPUq0wbz6gYxP_fNLxYpOSSpRGcVTEYgzWUq3ONWUk1xOOeO9TyvQzIrcQ6V9KK0h8QYuMC-UEz5R9sW8qs9aq4E1aINSc7iCpisrCuTHbg/w640-h436/IMG_6099.JPG" title="Che Dieguito" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It is an Argentinian steakhouse. My son's new girl friend was also going to join us. I ordered a platter for two minus the sweet breads. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQoUimqFKNeUiR8TI0ofLpd4ifYcWHlCEq1FLmoqP-hNUQGN1i0UUvh-Wc-Z_MuBij7ecqtLSvpWmhrbEcNEsid1OGlOfbqxKJf4ut-aaICLpa7QITv00IEuqVGwQy0uEHnAB4Fhrp8klP1A3xcrAzzPh48I_ZEIISI2JkWqwn-VURr2Fv5isvZtjtw/s689/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20212347.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQoUimqFKNeUiR8TI0ofLpd4ifYcWHlCEq1FLmoqP-hNUQGN1i0UUvh-Wc-Z_MuBij7ecqtLSvpWmhrbEcNEsid1OGlOfbqxKJf4ut-aaICLpa7QITv00IEuqVGwQy0uEHnAB4Fhrp8klP1A3xcrAzzPh48I_ZEIISI2JkWqwn-VURr2Fv5isvZtjtw/w640-h320/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20212347.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpRda2K276zA2pMBYvGCG7gRXSB2tthR-x-wdjX1Y7kFU9as49SDxhZiph2yblokVNiBfbs_4rbLcSfx1tjt1jF5P554D2t7XGDPDRx5EUiTjJ6FpvZ7baiXpWdrE8iB_KzSAwRRaUHfao35qWUcwcoVCltSKGphlCXdykPm_TbLAAKMRIpvpDOq8uw/s4032/IMG_6097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpRda2K276zA2pMBYvGCG7gRXSB2tthR-x-wdjX1Y7kFU9as49SDxhZiph2yblokVNiBfbs_4rbLcSfx1tjt1jF5P554D2t7XGDPDRx5EUiTjJ6FpvZ7baiXpWdrE8iB_KzSAwRRaUHfao35qWUcwcoVCltSKGphlCXdykPm_TbLAAKMRIpvpDOq8uw/w480-h640/IMG_6097.JPG" title="Empanadas" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K9YZvDRFdi0LHa8KPxW_62wftnEmd98gyD4QYozbg2l_B5XrPoZKhIzQsY_HEgdzpCAohkKDneg7mFiYHRJvTfYAqVff3ogU5JbYqId4bXLM_3_RD57dnbeTBehak_rhRp8_9prT68VXFE66bc9P_IZTWT9oAIqq2EwsmrHbUMKzvQe3rDWp3WfHJw/s732/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20212838.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="732" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K9YZvDRFdi0LHa8KPxW_62wftnEmd98gyD4QYozbg2l_B5XrPoZKhIzQsY_HEgdzpCAohkKDneg7mFiYHRJvTfYAqVff3ogU5JbYqId4bXLM_3_RD57dnbeTBehak_rhRp8_9prT68VXFE66bc9P_IZTWT9oAIqq2EwsmrHbUMKzvQe3rDWp3WfHJw/w640-h608/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20212838.png" title="Meat Platter" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Son and I picked at this but honestly the meat was very tough and hard to chew. The sausages were okay but I wasn't thrilled. They didn't have baked potatoes either which we wanted instead of fries. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8OWOA6VmiNlAFlcw1lhaBnGVcfqW9xDrMtmtSXArEjOXmJPj5hvPq0ffNZ3LNUP4-dujLqHdFyfN-gGpcQXliigi_223VyFJUTJV8dhIkqEB1n0vrg99ENvDmCkA26U-EmuuRqQolBP9xMVo7ovEMjP0Xs3jxH6Rcx-LIdgfhnEtQAv9RUKXkG8Adw/s3024/IMG_6096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2446" data-original-width="3024" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8OWOA6VmiNlAFlcw1lhaBnGVcfqW9xDrMtmtSXArEjOXmJPj5hvPq0ffNZ3LNUP4-dujLqHdFyfN-gGpcQXliigi_223VyFJUTJV8dhIkqEB1n0vrg99ENvDmCkA26U-EmuuRqQolBP9xMVo7ovEMjP0Xs3jxH6Rcx-LIdgfhnEtQAv9RUKXkG8Adw/w640-h518/IMG_6096.JPG" title="Chimichurri Sauce" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even the delicious chimichurri sauce above couldn't save this meal. Anyway, that ends my pics and details of the night. I lost my son for a while with his girl and finally he came running back and apologized at how long he took, time got away from him. We retired to the room as we had an early day tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Friday, November 11, 2022:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The alarm went off at 7:30 am and I started to get ready as the taxi was to pick us up at 8:30 for our road trip. Immediately I knew something was wrong again. I took more "Treda" and puttered around hoping I'd feel better but by 8:30 when he messaged he was here, I knew I could never chance being on the road for that long today. My son went down and gave him $500 pesos ($35 CAD) for his trouble and he seemed happy with that. I also got a message from my son's new girl friend:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDou0Nc-rpUsxQ2LA9j6aRvOhDAo-NKIqNCz07FG-QWD9KVeGBNM4KK0o_fLjJayO4mEaaosXBuY5an8hfsieKozfpUvUuyrPbuwbhpnIg-d8u49eOFU7knn7TmsWiHeEP9cWBh7PPu9uYbH5Malk-2GwXs3jxbxy3T2B0QQIsoGLEwDYseLUPRGLgPw/s1196/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20214054.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="1196" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDou0Nc-rpUsxQ2LA9j6aRvOhDAo-NKIqNCz07FG-QWD9KVeGBNM4KK0o_fLjJayO4mEaaosXBuY5an8hfsieKozfpUvUuyrPbuwbhpnIg-d8u49eOFU7knn7TmsWiHeEP9cWBh7PPu9uYbH5Malk-2GwXs3jxbxy3T2B0QQIsoGLEwDYseLUPRGLgPw/w640-h94/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20214054.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Hmm, that was a bit of a red flag and yet the "Hallmark Christmas Movie" half of me thought of love at first sight and a perfect romance. Not for me to know yet, so I guess we'll see what happens after we return home...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I slept and the meds seemed to help again, so we went to Playa La Bocana (the surfer's beach) for lunch, $100 pesos taxi fare. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIBBrb6tiTPmSlY3IhbmP-yDVoQhU1nKNL-9LCitbGLvD0jgkT4Z2jIQKkevRa-CXHt9bSLzQSeIByiNcSYiE5gzFxORGnyw_Cf4Wzm_f-SZr7l9Dy2e2v2jo5IMga5hKzVRRjC3-mbjlwo3w1GQw7WwHw17by0U8ZSxf6c70Cc9-LEX4mUgzA822dQ/s3797/IMG_6120.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3797" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIBBrb6tiTPmSlY3IhbmP-yDVoQhU1nKNL-9LCitbGLvD0jgkT4Z2jIQKkevRa-CXHt9bSLzQSeIByiNcSYiE5gzFxORGnyw_Cf4Wzm_f-SZr7l9Dy2e2v2jo5IMga5hKzVRRjC3-mbjlwo3w1GQw7WwHw17by0U8ZSxf6c70Cc9-LEX4mUgzA822dQ/w640-h480/IMG_6120.JPG" title="La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn1Aw0hYHJDaW-dbi55UahX6PrIXHY-IVUGCMKs59QVySYVMoFq46IJydLNkkqO7LTPcmmMflxrAZnIYjgvCVD7a62r2qSoGH4twlutaYs34P1l60I1HBpVLq3_09fOtgBhM0JvxpSUAueOXv08FzdonZCI7tb0HdxYlQksD2o5iS-IARwBcQg1fFqA/s4032/IMG_6122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn1Aw0hYHJDaW-dbi55UahX6PrIXHY-IVUGCMKs59QVySYVMoFq46IJydLNkkqO7LTPcmmMflxrAZnIYjgvCVD7a62r2qSoGH4twlutaYs34P1l60I1HBpVLq3_09fOtgBhM0JvxpSUAueOXv08FzdonZCI7tb0HdxYlQksD2o5iS-IARwBcQg1fFqA/w640-h480/IMG_6122.JPG" title="La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgVSzB5oAIBgm2fT1fYz1M7CWJtAQ_ci4JPiAl6jnJ1gCJu_fGLfixKbHjCPbVuTjU5kY9Ni0whKZZIRLMlQ7BTdq472aGr5Qx_SEZLjbz2zQNv07vfBiwixxs6XmoERWcwD8ucLoiJJXB7QTqwTyZRyP72RTGo4AFtxaWBjirTRnH0F4_BOBxPnYsQ/s3861/IMG_6123.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3861" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgVSzB5oAIBgm2fT1fYz1M7CWJtAQ_ci4JPiAl6jnJ1gCJu_fGLfixKbHjCPbVuTjU5kY9Ni0whKZZIRLMlQ7BTdq472aGr5Qx_SEZLjbz2zQNv07vfBiwixxs6XmoERWcwD8ucLoiJJXB7QTqwTyZRyP72RTGo4AFtxaWBjirTRnH0F4_BOBxPnYsQ/w640-h480/IMG_6123.JPG" title="La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We ate at Casa Bocana which was a lovely outdoor restaurant located in a hotel a block off the beach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMhQrskXChqAV8t37edTsdHqQ81Zau5t1VoujYdcv4NGLQmDSaXZSsZkBLvGYr_bt3DaU6M6Vjyl-eXWk5t5isQTkqdbKbzAmQxx8GtQp8QR0DdSvRXupMi4Sb2a9S_wPLra2tTo5EXk-ZXJn7SFjes3-4AIIUaCZRLnigIOQsm3lBRYSgnP3rnAzMA/s3927/IMG_6106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMhQrskXChqAV8t37edTsdHqQ81Zau5t1VoujYdcv4NGLQmDSaXZSsZkBLvGYr_bt3DaU6M6Vjyl-eXWk5t5isQTkqdbKbzAmQxx8GtQp8QR0DdSvRXupMi4Sb2a9S_wPLra2tTo5EXk-ZXJn7SFjes3-4AIIUaCZRLnigIOQsm3lBRYSgnP3rnAzMA/w480-h640/IMG_6106.JPG" title="Casa Bocana" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYePzxWG55Yh9My7vminVW_ZZHxjUW30xOqKfX1jKVqIkA3My9TnyOlSyV-810Lkap8j5GxxNMxZ82EZGfIjy4AQqbyFjz755SC6igEsiz7dsXUZ0OiULxeTa6vzWtJ9-6v7xasCgVkfd7BI94pLQovSmAvNZSOaZKxct-VUIuhJNixZWT0Dujgz5cuQ/s2772/IMG_6111.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2585" data-original-width="2772" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYePzxWG55Yh9My7vminVW_ZZHxjUW30xOqKfX1jKVqIkA3My9TnyOlSyV-810Lkap8j5GxxNMxZ82EZGfIjy4AQqbyFjz755SC6igEsiz7dsXUZ0OiULxeTa6vzWtJ9-6v7xasCgVkfd7BI94pLQovSmAvNZSOaZKxct-VUIuhJNixZWT0Dujgz5cuQ/w640-h596/IMG_6111.JPG" title="Shrimp Soup" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam8axsYtGm18K6fN1Rkso2rezXVDFIo8AHFrcwfoMqpwDfJ95T4RkbRqf-qR4lM7UL8hoeMWGXRxP-tb01aujZK5hcfj-Ps8j9K4RF7A9NmYeG3BGmkFbEWlXz3OxSZ8r7_xvVp_jr5tVPYUh6jtGDBZVWV2VMziY7z1GBf_2SMhaxPbc51IsDLnUzA/s704/IMG_6105%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="704" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjam8axsYtGm18K6fN1Rkso2rezXVDFIo8AHFrcwfoMqpwDfJ95T4RkbRqf-qR4lM7UL8hoeMWGXRxP-tb01aujZK5hcfj-Ps8j9K4RF7A9NmYeG3BGmkFbEWlXz3OxSZ8r7_xvVp_jr5tVPYUh6jtGDBZVWV2VMziY7z1GBf_2SMhaxPbc51IsDLnUzA/w400-h125/IMG_6105%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a>$9.00 CAD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnHJO8Ryo6cvh7qPMMo1ngy9gVMljw-OJt89-nOGPjWfi_6yPm2mylt3vZ253i2VXGArMETFas2Wam6jZAlHGPXrso56k0H7XNZKTIApnad0P9GsYnLI9hrFB-ghGfeh1cNO4aVWYbFNX9vC89VrHoK29S_5-ajuqSilyCf6l5KAkq4gUpTCLMF3ZUw/s2800/IMG_6112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1832" data-original-width="2800" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnHJO8Ryo6cvh7qPMMo1ngy9gVMljw-OJt89-nOGPjWfi_6yPm2mylt3vZ253i2VXGArMETFas2Wam6jZAlHGPXrso56k0H7XNZKTIApnad0P9GsYnLI9hrFB-ghGfeh1cNO4aVWYbFNX9vC89VrHoK29S_5-ajuqSilyCf6l5KAkq4gUpTCLMF3ZUw/w640-h418/IMG_6112.JPG" title="Soft Shell Crab Taco" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NDLx_CbdMMxLCVBcEOQdSlzR1LG7rwIGo-8XkssYclGn7chWEOo84JHzcZwi_UvCKdHHtwFEB-n_4LB194_JZIC67AAYMxAM4fsV7JfW_U6z5MxuosZtKqw7EghqchzSplzgap6TboeC-_Q8iJGBiScPBa-rxTs8AlWOczPFrGwEiR6d2sFA82-Q3w/s1094/IMG_6105%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="1094" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NDLx_CbdMMxLCVBcEOQdSlzR1LG7rwIGo-8XkssYclGn7chWEOo84JHzcZwi_UvCKdHHtwFEB-n_4LB194_JZIC67AAYMxAM4fsV7JfW_U6z5MxuosZtKqw7EghqchzSplzgap6TboeC-_Q8iJGBiScPBa-rxTs8AlWOczPFrGwEiR6d2sFA82-Q3w/w640-h110/IMG_6105%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8i9RD2jffqah0ZiAbfSnC5K4kVB2X8pEc4MIQbW10fh0ZlZdUnxzSIdpac10kHroPxGPlXC5v0i-_zjIIZYtBtVO29kYACqj3RSs58QdR9fW2CTpkoaa_Ko2NoSIChhH70JJYv-bLNEaTVDToj_07J2pYokaobteveYxyDT_C-B9q6CPrIDZjA_PTQ/s2978/IMG_6108.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2978" data-original-width="2826" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8i9RD2jffqah0ZiAbfSnC5K4kVB2X8pEc4MIQbW10fh0ZlZdUnxzSIdpac10kHroPxGPlXC5v0i-_zjIIZYtBtVO29kYACqj3RSs58QdR9fW2CTpkoaa_Ko2NoSIChhH70JJYv-bLNEaTVDToj_07J2pYokaobteveYxyDT_C-B9q6CPrIDZjA_PTQ/w608-h640/IMG_6108.JPG" title="Wagyu Beef Burger" width="608" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wagyu Beef Burger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjgKvRFeFwiQxCE_u1_-epvDK1xK7iKTy03I6jF0w0tgy9YbgjGLovRok5rss1vvTJg6wafSA95dLxrpqrM3OGpYh5BNRj2CUadrU7LNivPQU-9la0AgfnAbDwVsxvKYpG5Avi0n-VuLN0DlmZ--Nfk1oBC_1P6zPnrcgB3Up6R_tuDfZ1Z4JaF9fvA/s3011/IMG_6116.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2402" data-original-width="3011" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjgKvRFeFwiQxCE_u1_-epvDK1xK7iKTy03I6jF0w0tgy9YbgjGLovRok5rss1vvTJg6wafSA95dLxrpqrM3OGpYh5BNRj2CUadrU7LNivPQU-9la0AgfnAbDwVsxvKYpG5Avi0n-VuLN0DlmZ--Nfk1oBC_1P6zPnrcgB3Up6R_tuDfZ1Z4JaF9fvA/w640-h510/IMG_6116.JPG" title="Oaxacan Dessert" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oaxacan Dessert (I'm guessing there was corn in it, lol)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZtLb7iC3m3m4MXgxIApVObX-CXN_NUYT-Wg-vOqu2sbl7r4zDot1mCHt8RpNRyo43OjrjMijyq7TggweYy7Bk14cjB8jDvYqBSR8h6QS62XCYP3rF3YT5jpyvQ0jyecTBbOApYaY_TBairyXiLRbBU30N65WgmN0E6xvR5_Iz3-JbfGmabEyY04Ojg/s2702/IMG_6119.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="1896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZtLb7iC3m3m4MXgxIApVObX-CXN_NUYT-Wg-vOqu2sbl7r4zDot1mCHt8RpNRyo43OjrjMijyq7TggweYy7Bk14cjB8jDvYqBSR8h6QS62XCYP3rF3YT5jpyvQ0jyecTBbOApYaY_TBairyXiLRbBU30N65WgmN0E6xvR5_Iz3-JbfGmabEyY04Ojg/w450-h640/IMG_6119.JPG" title="Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Wow! What a great place and fantastic food!! We applauded the chefs who were very gracious. Couldn't ask for a finer lunch and I've never tasted anything like the Oaxacan dessert. It wasn't very sweet which was great for me as I never order dessert but couldn't resist today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnKcDK3UtZkAO6zszLean_iLs-bl8nEX-2WQg3UM8DCrJ-jf15v-r8wk6lGSton3l1PPMTpiSvXTwpYbJu3HiIuT60HGKd3si3i0eUTK1q1JD7qttZiQCF4U0MCpdUwkxahs0xdh1e5S2y3AGraQBMPqtxOw07XEr2utnh4-bThMPTNtZzerJpRJl8A/s3927/IMG_6124.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnKcDK3UtZkAO6zszLean_iLs-bl8nEX-2WQg3UM8DCrJ-jf15v-r8wk6lGSton3l1PPMTpiSvXTwpYbJu3HiIuT60HGKd3si3i0eUTK1q1JD7qttZiQCF4U0MCpdUwkxahs0xdh1e5S2y3AGraQBMPqtxOw07XEr2utnh4-bThMPTNtZzerJpRJl8A/w640-h480/IMG_6124.JPG" title="La Bocana" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We went to "Super Che" and bought my son's new girl friend a gift, chocolates and a candle. We returned to the hotel and packed. I took more "Treda". I couldn't decide where to have our last dinner and then I remembered Rustico at the Quinta Bella. That was my son's first choice but it was closed when we ended up at Otto. I msg'd and got a reservation for that evening. Below was our lovely view from our table.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjBnTvvHHUHONysjpZGpqJUDU9RsQre2zrpuzv_uQ5aaJnyqFvxJlokVzCJuCmdLPloVMO1x7UhlVSzlUJw-Folc7BmHMO8Ru10rUaeJ_DFxB-4c1PHrbYkRvx9jBrjJ_H5dAFMuD-wpRVNIDt34ntWxKIw36XU0eTFZAU4WEajuzyykISnFUiFm1Fg/s3791/IMG_6127.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3791" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjBnTvvHHUHONysjpZGpqJUDU9RsQre2zrpuzv_uQ5aaJnyqFvxJlokVzCJuCmdLPloVMO1x7UhlVSzlUJw-Folc7BmHMO8Ru10rUaeJ_DFxB-4c1PHrbYkRvx9jBrjJ_H5dAFMuD-wpRVNIDt34ntWxKIw36XU0eTFZAU4WEajuzyykISnFUiFm1Fg/w510-h640/IMG_6127.JPG" title="Rustico" width="510" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2H_TBTrMt2G7zl449WKOu9W4_NCU1ICnR22kWNyNFX4TTf-TyTn_U4Y_eFGr2yYdxa5JG8K8C97RwB8l_whYkw2IWvh_CuhWJqrQj9fz33TPa8cc5-H5F1kk82JhDpj8xG8nZxB6_KpX8yHTNtXyCw-njY8xZMTRmqooRnKkvfwPnmcni6UqX8aBKQ/s3935/IMG_6130.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3935" data-original-width="2951" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2H_TBTrMt2G7zl449WKOu9W4_NCU1ICnR22kWNyNFX4TTf-TyTn_U4Y_eFGr2yYdxa5JG8K8C97RwB8l_whYkw2IWvh_CuhWJqrQj9fz33TPa8cc5-H5F1kk82JhDpj8xG8nZxB6_KpX8yHTNtXyCw-njY8xZMTRmqooRnKkvfwPnmcni6UqX8aBKQ/w480-h640/IMG_6130.JPG" title="Rustico" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>We ordered, 2 appetizers, 2 mains and all was well until it started pouring rain again. The facility isn't set up to handle it and we were ushered inside and everyone was crammed together in one room now. The other restaurant had diners on the beach and outside and staff ran putting up shelters and grabbing umbrellas to get everyone inside. It was something to behold at how efficiently they all moved. After a very long wait, all of our food arrived at once. This didn't work out very well and I think the most food was wasted this night of all our dining. I was embarrassed. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u3xdUw4WF8x_K8G1ie8fw_tfTRfviRYIJomt1EWfAe_Yq4R1Gxt-yt4MVwFXtDnbgiNmlYZ8-goIqM3T_ncqpAQUx1AyffMIK8J-AK1UVi3JpPjXiygd5aNxNJEVjkOARjEMm3G-ldpc2xkqohuSNmxq-HlCoR6zDjprT2H_PKsDQqEC8RKV38MnRg/s757/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20224825.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="731" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u3xdUw4WF8x_K8G1ie8fw_tfTRfviRYIJomt1EWfAe_Yq4R1Gxt-yt4MVwFXtDnbgiNmlYZ8-goIqM3T_ncqpAQUx1AyffMIK8J-AK1UVi3JpPjXiygd5aNxNJEVjkOARjEMm3G-ldpc2xkqohuSNmxq-HlCoR6zDjprT2H_PKsDQqEC8RKV38MnRg/w618-h640/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20224825.png" title="Burrata Cheese" width="618" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Burrata Cheese $200 pesos ($14 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzBbEOo-kpi6EX4j-_U37KDIytcxcyBVZUA7cMjnb2DEStqypZAw2brE1NpLT8p4aGiKuM1BcJqC3uEaDaQl4NRQnASvkD1Pi_9JxY4mP04Zk5vYYn2xlT0OnJZ5lFenbW8WJLnZFi33cX3hYFez3KFlNeHnrHMtGyYcf0tCJnlk-zY4RFNv0GCDLUg/s4032/IMG_6136.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2065" data-original-width="4032" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzBbEOo-kpi6EX4j-_U37KDIytcxcyBVZUA7cMjnb2DEStqypZAw2brE1NpLT8p4aGiKuM1BcJqC3uEaDaQl4NRQnASvkD1Pi_9JxY4mP04Zk5vYYn2xlT0OnJZ5lFenbW8WJLnZFi33cX3hYFez3KFlNeHnrHMtGyYcf0tCJnlk-zY4RFNv0GCDLUg/w640-h328/IMG_6136.JPG" title="Calamari" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fried Calamari $260 pesos ($18.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY4BUIhihJlQjNN_Ud2GQ7FQX7yBDjt_L5yDd7DzFngFxOQXdHrzkfJFhwN52JH5nQaHSe1-Y7DeYxaOKgyteQlub2jioQY-OO3WMrAW4Oe0vv1rky6-EUUJES9qAWIBqEotJGD5x_Aej46oo_xgVHcW-KPKq5KzyLmo-78LJ3ASH-3zfGvii0t6Y_A/s2771/IMG_6133.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2444" data-original-width="2771" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY4BUIhihJlQjNN_Ud2GQ7FQX7yBDjt_L5yDd7DzFngFxOQXdHrzkfJFhwN52JH5nQaHSe1-Y7DeYxaOKgyteQlub2jioQY-OO3WMrAW4Oe0vv1rky6-EUUJES9qAWIBqEotJGD5x_Aej46oo_xgVHcW-KPKq5KzyLmo-78LJ3ASH-3zfGvii0t6Y_A/w640-h564/IMG_6133.JPG" title="Stone Oven Pasta" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stone Oven Pasta opened tableside $390 pesos ($27.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3R5bx3bM3C64bEg0_1BCDBA5Adl8IDuw9Uimhfn-5gVzGbw3q7Y0yUothLw01tNpkC0XpS-PPmvX23l_7LpKgvv-Gsc5QA68KAuQULX3ct2uI_fTUUA-ZfIXlrqyhikaPyhqEGTTjqCAd0D9gVCaZWLxrh87Q7bcYBfxVje-UnS4ZNNKUgv9nfWoOQ/s676/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20225800.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3R5bx3bM3C64bEg0_1BCDBA5Adl8IDuw9Uimhfn-5gVzGbw3q7Y0yUothLw01tNpkC0XpS-PPmvX23l_7LpKgvv-Gsc5QA68KAuQULX3ct2uI_fTUUA-ZfIXlrqyhikaPyhqEGTTjqCAd0D9gVCaZWLxrh87Q7bcYBfxVje-UnS4ZNNKUgv9nfWoOQ/w544-h640/Screenshot%202022-11-16%20225800.png" title="Linguine with Giant Shrimp" width="544" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was Linguine with Giant Shrimp, Pomodoro sauce and Fresh Basil covered with Neapolitan dough and stone oven baked.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiTSIcVrgJqqPUJE25suVdv3ljk_mxcCC4eU6c_tdwIKuurSGr6wKBTq_X5QAR8TECTWzalTziKGDe2AUm7H5Rvvk_FVOikKNDbdC4ztJejJA4Ac0UjyPE_WaqtxxAdjP_w-vfbFhR-Hyu9n1IVGEupZ1SpXJ7XZGaqwPzwGFt6xTXBNH18EP-FEwHA/s3320/IMG_6137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="3320" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiTSIcVrgJqqPUJE25suVdv3ljk_mxcCC4eU6c_tdwIKuurSGr6wKBTq_X5QAR8TECTWzalTziKGDe2AUm7H5Rvvk_FVOikKNDbdC4ztJejJA4Ac0UjyPE_WaqtxxAdjP_w-vfbFhR-Hyu9n1IVGEupZ1SpXJ7XZGaqwPzwGFt6xTXBNH18EP-FEwHA/w640-h390/IMG_6137.JPG" title="Beef Lasagna" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Beef Lasagna $320 pesos ($22.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our server seemed surprised at how little we ate and asked a few times if we wanted it packed up. The food was cold when it arrived and while all of it was very good, the rain had started to drip on our table and the floors had to be swept to keep the water from pooling. It was becoming uncomfortable to sit there as well. Neither of us entertained dessert and just rode out the storm. When it ended, we carefully left the premises trying not to slip as I was in flip flops. I took more "Treda" and slept.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Saturday, November 12, 2022, A.K.A. Last Day:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our flight was scheduled for 6:20 pm and the hotel had extended check out till 1 pm. I woke and took more "Treda" and we headed to Santa Clara restaurant so my son could say good-bye to his new friend. She had told me she wanted me to try a chili dish but my tummy rumbled at the thought. I told her I had to decline and ordered a club sandwich which I didn't eat much of. Son got pancakes that were very good he said. The only picture I took was of a special that looked good, if you're feeling good, haha. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKeMCbj5-tHYJvLPcQcw918H8AF5ZmhJPcobAxXGFICZDGikinF0yD-UvXSyHBobVj3P1m57BZKZlx9wxqLmu-0ksqf1bpmCYdGacnXOMkFW333A5s7BajGfARxQN5pTya1Gbna4oLOHBDtwTqOZsa1YznVjEEayPCTM4I009SF4quPjddWsOdB55dg/s4032/IMG_6139.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKeMCbj5-tHYJvLPcQcw918H8AF5ZmhJPcobAxXGFICZDGikinF0yD-UvXSyHBobVj3P1m57BZKZlx9wxqLmu-0ksqf1bpmCYdGacnXOMkFW333A5s7BajGfARxQN5pTya1Gbna4oLOHBDtwTqOZsa1YznVjEEayPCTM4I009SF4quPjddWsOdB55dg/w640-h480/IMG_6139.JPG" title="Santa Clara" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My son said his good-byes as I awkwardly tried not to look at them. The taxi was waiting for us and I kept sneaking peaks to see if they were done with whatever they were doing. 😉 Then I'd quickly look away and back at the driver. We both broke out laughing! They seemed to hear that so my son came over. We checked out and stored our luggage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKUt8C3fBtFwZcclfEqSqZN380XmiHvD8aTBKMSEWH1sA8hraenPJ1AyHE68JMO2o-C0WMW6I-oA0Bf1w5Mjmpg5kgredEJKQQuzC5GJfAtF2Ls_8MUFPqZLmxtfVBAiqrE3vMfM5Fi5H6q1JO5tjQbl-6L17UduSFYj17JMm24T8tyeNPn2P6K6evw/s3941/IMG_5209.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKUt8C3fBtFwZcclfEqSqZN380XmiHvD8aTBKMSEWH1sA8hraenPJ1AyHE68JMO2o-C0WMW6I-oA0Bf1w5Mjmpg5kgredEJKQQuzC5GJfAtF2Ls_8MUFPqZLmxtfVBAiqrE3vMfM5Fi5H6q1JO5tjQbl-6L17UduSFYj17JMm24T8tyeNPn2P6K6evw/w640-h480/IMG_5209.JPG" title="Sabor a Mi" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went to what I thought was El Cajun and then realized it was not, we had been eating at "Sabor a Mi". Daniel was working so we stayed anyway. About 3:30 we got a taxi, grabbed our luggage and headed to airport. $300 pesos ($21.00 CAD)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddEdJq4gi0O-1RkXTf6kFrEvnpuNbACB8Ofo5b3e6cpxEFaxLFG-eU1ESVMhuml-SdYFvQRYgrXdIgGyRCdyp8WAOhdOJ8Rz6FBIvI7jpvF3gAbsrAuuurddCJK9E1fR9ogcmnJ9uYcTZKXcCkcylAfLY0qLyzcP5_k_FzhOwc-TK8BH0vtl7OzYJHw/s4032/IMG_6141.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddEdJq4gi0O-1RkXTf6kFrEvnpuNbACB8Ofo5b3e6cpxEFaxLFG-eU1ESVMhuml-SdYFvQRYgrXdIgGyRCdyp8WAOhdOJ8Rz6FBIvI7jpvF3gAbsrAuuurddCJK9E1fR9ogcmnJ9uYcTZKXcCkcylAfLY0qLyzcP5_k_FzhOwc-TK8BH0vtl7OzYJHw/w640-h480/IMG_6141.JPG" title="Huatulco Airport" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The flight home was crappy, literally. I visited the bathroom 7 times. I took "Treda" at the airport and on the plane but I was cramped the whole 6 hour flight. We arrived home about 1 am our time...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, this epic write will end! I didn't do it there as my laptop was sooo slow I couldn't be patient enough and the chair I had to sit on was utterly painful! Anyway, there is so much to love about Huatulco. As a food journey, this visit did not disappoint in the slightest. And visiting with my son was wonderful. We bonded even closer. I look forward to returning next year. And now, I'm signing off! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnYAmbb8MPJ4Y-E2thjETNs37F037MqJhowOEWyTWIovR8bVodA4TdmEkYirIZCOPfVbgzu1QvKTh5nH0HKSecsttXhOfza_zK_7E6_SRfaLNZpXWuXbFeNKtH_QMEsKdqTRTeP4TFy_X_lIez4hg-SuOBZDXc3hpH2tg9j2NOvOyDtiUSLkAgO0uXw/s3738/IMG_5886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="2803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnYAmbb8MPJ4Y-E2thjETNs37F037MqJhowOEWyTWIovR8bVodA4TdmEkYirIZCOPfVbgzu1QvKTh5nH0HKSecsttXhOfza_zK_7E6_SRfaLNZpXWuXbFeNKtH_QMEsKdqTRTeP4TFy_X_lIez4hg-SuOBZDXc3hpH2tg9j2NOvOyDtiUSLkAgO0uXw/w480-h640/IMG_5886.JPG" title="Bahia Maguey" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWiyvseu22LdNsbvrvaRBXuEk1G86VNsGIEqODr09Kl2roEpxbrC6QkuY9jWU-ky1yJ5Ipjd3PP2GAPB5z0vkArcNTZKb_6x0KtgFBB57Nh2hnU9VqFkgV7PWRrdb-tjy1SdCkKxVlUzBvNog6qKRWiiz_tmzWIPkaYeriDeCK-NMWJz7ByusgnksOA/s3927/IMG_5991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWiyvseu22LdNsbvrvaRBXuEk1G86VNsGIEqODr09Kl2roEpxbrC6QkuY9jWU-ky1yJ5Ipjd3PP2GAPB5z0vkArcNTZKb_6x0KtgFBB57Nh2hnU9VqFkgV7PWRrdb-tjy1SdCkKxVlUzBvNog6qKRWiiz_tmzWIPkaYeriDeCK-NMWJz7ByusgnksOA/w640-h480/IMG_5991.JPG" title="Huatulco" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUMhVZmGTfSJkOWN2_7LqhGbv7o0p7jC-aZc-sxBrzdQ4o74yBDpWR8mg79DzdM4HCoiBKS76UCEsIkz8RFWSI2kmdW3yDF7nJFlDu0BbwxqDSswhGLA1KfwWAy3RqLd33Cma2Op8i_DtE8PfjHw9zIHEhtCd3lVtjkPm2wNwzbSbsrfaC5EpOTXZZQ/s671/Screenshot%202022-11-17%20151744.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="303" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUMhVZmGTfSJkOWN2_7LqhGbv7o0p7jC-aZc-sxBrzdQ4o74yBDpWR8mg79DzdM4HCoiBKS76UCEsIkz8RFWSI2kmdW3yDF7nJFlDu0BbwxqDSswhGLA1KfwWAy3RqLd33Cma2Op8i_DtE8PfjHw9zIHEhtCd3lVtjkPm2wNwzbSbsrfaC5EpOTXZZQ/w290-h640/Screenshot%202022-11-17%20151744.png" width="290" /></a></div>Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com1P.º Punta Sta. Cruz, P Chahue, 70987 Bahias de Huatulco, Oax., Mexico15.757627 -96.1282789-12.552606836178846 -131.2845289 44.067860836178845 -60.9720289tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-23501614824893646272022-09-22T02:05:00.018-07:002022-12-07T15:33:46.809-08:00Kelowna Mini-Trip Report Sept. 18 - 21, 2022<p>I haven't flown or been away since November 2019. As someone who traveled 2 - 3 times a year, it's been an interesting pause. I don't like travel as in the <i>actual travel</i>. I despise airports, luggage, customs, security, shuttles, etc. etc. The impatience in me hasn't missed that part at all. My good friend moved to Kelowna in 2020 and it was time to check it out and get away! I have significant elevated anxiety issues since the pandemic started and this little jaunt was getting me out of my comfort zone, which I truly needed...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I haven't been to Kelowna since the mid-80's and I know it's changed a lot since then. My memory of it was staying at the <b><u><a href="https://www.royalannehotel.com/" target="_blank">Royal Anne hotel </a></u></b>and loving a restaurant near it that had one of the best Caesar salads I've eaten, my memory keeps telling me it was a Jewish place and I remember dining on an outside patio. Well, and then there was a boy or two I remember from there, but that's like around 35+ years ago now! It's funny what the mind chooses to remember, isn't it? Anyway, a few people from my work years now live in Kelowna. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIli4vuTWmlFsX9SP5lUDzwYugkMWA7VHjJaa48WiFgOChPEbnlEL0UgC_MDz8EwzLpTefMmfIPeyF-LvK7jWrubT_hE1RJESWheOkDKgYZyoehuoKxgCbOM8IbLxgXWp2l8p56Ep1N_jlkuZOKXNJ25zgRrILxmGS_tUjGSxynl2he8BjeXu5XI7TQ/s729/Screenshot%202022-09-22%20145801.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="729" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIli4vuTWmlFsX9SP5lUDzwYugkMWA7VHjJaa48WiFgOChPEbnlEL0UgC_MDz8EwzLpTefMmfIPeyF-LvK7jWrubT_hE1RJESWheOkDKgYZyoehuoKxgCbOM8IbLxgXWp2l8p56Ep1N_jlkuZOKXNJ25zgRrILxmGS_tUjGSxynl2he8BjeXu5XI7TQ/w640-h310/Screenshot%202022-09-22%20145801.png" title="Pricing for Air" width="640" /></a></div><p>I didn't want to drive up so booked a bus for $200! I was shocked at that price! But then my friend said I could fly cheaper so I looked and I got return flights for $138 total. I used <b><u><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/ca/" target="_blank">kiwi.com</a></u></b> and was nervous as I've never heard of them though I've never heard of the airlines I was flying on either 😆. I flew <b><u><a href="https://www.flylynx.com/en" target="_blank">Lynx</a></u></b> there (only small backpack that fit under the seat allowed or had to pay extra for carry on). I took <b><u><a href="https://www.flyairnorth.com/" target="_blank">Air North</a></u></b> home and carry-on and personal item was included in price. It didn't matter though as the only thing I would have brought home was wine and that's not allowed in carry-on. I was headed for wine country🍷!!!</p><p><b><u>Sunday September 18, 2022:</u></b></p><p>I was already packed, haha. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ihcIQDlweQ8WCJB6kubdEYUCOeOkaq_1B0W2fTF96751VyyPrWLghR3kq3Rtp5W7ViKux89Xd-Z9ua2eWkdwT2YucXV7mbylrn58FxAtMHBX4jZij6K3Nds7x-m5YFRvdJmDfUVpwcrrc3KmNEJc8FpLhqiyD6xYYiYj5Kq5kDzv4crce5f4Li6RrQ/s3639/IMG_5639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3639" data-original-width="2570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ihcIQDlweQ8WCJB6kubdEYUCOeOkaq_1B0W2fTF96751VyyPrWLghR3kq3Rtp5W7ViKux89Xd-Z9ua2eWkdwT2YucXV7mbylrn58FxAtMHBX4jZij6K3Nds7x-m5YFRvdJmDfUVpwcrrc3KmNEJc8FpLhqiyD6xYYiYj5Kq5kDzv4crce5f4Li6RrQ/w452-h640/IMG_5639.JPG" title="Personal Item for Flight" width="452" /></a></div><p>I showered and had breakfast. My friend was driving me to YVR so I met her out front out 8:20am. I arrived two hours ahead as suggested and was through security with minimal amount of pain. Flight landed 45 minutes later and I was there. Welcome to Kelowna. Below is exiting the airport.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKQY6ywBuSiSRs_CdEs1l6qGnTmGxgnnX-8wrI0rxminJaifF29uSxbc25OYfiQu3Sxxnb3Og4ZMhYUQpQhFcK1EHMtP2UuA8gRRQKfurC2EJhrZfoxQASEPrIIrp1ZcuD9jJaidoW4V2DBJw1GCeoPGbHr3Hbw19HoNys_XZVKZisfUNRV1bkldRPQ/s3799/IMG_5766.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="3799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKQY6ywBuSiSRs_CdEs1l6qGnTmGxgnnX-8wrI0rxminJaifF29uSxbc25OYfiQu3Sxxnb3Og4ZMhYUQpQhFcK1EHMtP2UuA8gRRQKfurC2EJhrZfoxQASEPrIIrp1ZcuD9jJaidoW4V2DBJw1GCeoPGbHr3Hbw19HoNys_XZVKZisfUNRV1bkldRPQ/w640-h480/IMG_5766.JPG" title="Kelowna Airport" width="640" /></a></div><p>My friend (now will call him "D") was along in just a minute to pick me up and off we went. Below was my view while being driven around orchard city.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobsZTpSBz8IETfQBUhrPf9Tu0EE9dRX9h-MXp5n2cnLSVYiqAp9L4lKv4MaCoLGs2-ZKBuSKHiJCcDX-l_7Ckroa2SN4qpnPswgdV-Ijb_-PKbfarnNCovs2n8IZsvkOb88muYdXb2d9iDjn-spIfbZJNZM_WxKvhkD57Zvwopwc2-B9gPLIITzNOnQ/s3893/IMG_5642.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3893" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobsZTpSBz8IETfQBUhrPf9Tu0EE9dRX9h-MXp5n2cnLSVYiqAp9L4lKv4MaCoLGs2-ZKBuSKHiJCcDX-l_7Ckroa2SN4qpnPswgdV-Ijb_-PKbfarnNCovs2n8IZsvkOb88muYdXb2d9iDjn-spIfbZJNZM_WxKvhkD57Zvwopwc2-B9gPLIITzNOnQ/w480-h640/IMG_5642.JPG" title="Exploring Kelowna" width="480" /></a></div><p>We got to my D's house and were met with yummy nibbles made by his lovely wife (now will call her T). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZGxA80tbFppdLuXP0IhqfwPedlTIKkblGlDSBvJ4NIKRS9S2rGs9-H6Y3QGam92rYDqRqg5gu0-xR731ncpiU2b_CriHPQeaSU6VUepZwQEzyHSrfxbCdlohGaVZT6TsJxVpnAD0LqdoQbccCoFlR6O33AezfKx0HMSwZafDlbDU7LbyI7T_qFBMFw/s2383/IMG_5643.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2298" data-original-width="2383" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZGxA80tbFppdLuXP0IhqfwPedlTIKkblGlDSBvJ4NIKRS9S2rGs9-H6Y3QGam92rYDqRqg5gu0-xR731ncpiU2b_CriHPQeaSU6VUepZwQEzyHSrfxbCdlohGaVZT6TsJxVpnAD0LqdoQbccCoFlR6O33AezfKx0HMSwZafDlbDU7LbyI7T_qFBMFw/w640-h618/IMG_5643.JPG" title="Tracey's Appy's" width="640" /></a></div><p>After settling in and I quickly unpacked we headed to our first winery which was <b><u><a href="https://www.summerhill.bc.ca/" target="_blank">Summerhill</a></u></b>. It was Happy Hour there. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsTWTRWIQd0uJj7fmyL_4b8pm6jBWHx6Z5Vz2ojq4-Pw6ylal1y3pMhBKQKRlZvRp4vZIGkZBpuV5lMk7WtIWWiDHYYRvukmoGFkGg2JHYuktKpMrftXbOsqNyyQvg11V4g4IbHNd3VtFcRhHklqdMb5eyiSWMc-UF_I8oRjq0p7rwfsnTegjHuu_5A/s4032/IMG_5646.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsTWTRWIQd0uJj7fmyL_4b8pm6jBWHx6Z5Vz2ojq4-Pw6ylal1y3pMhBKQKRlZvRp4vZIGkZBpuV5lMk7WtIWWiDHYYRvukmoGFkGg2JHYuktKpMrftXbOsqNyyQvg11V4g4IbHNd3VtFcRhHklqdMb5eyiSWMc-UF_I8oRjq0p7rwfsnTegjHuu_5A/w640-h480/IMG_5646.JPG" title="Summerhill Winery" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_ub5VRgO-YZvyjrMy3VaEJXopWwwUgap2OzuW89ivdJD8m3eqE6_-MFrAuh9RZOjAwPvm-ZQ2THH9Nk52mXA9GuUcglQjE_ffeiWaES3BnE0td5TIpt9KdAZGTGsEIM-Wi0pKZ7ixLIFNO4qTHn-DFHHPQgttV827VslYOnNHgB1xiuKhTp3q20Mqw/s3927/IMG_5653.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_ub5VRgO-YZvyjrMy3VaEJXopWwwUgap2OzuW89ivdJD8m3eqE6_-MFrAuh9RZOjAwPvm-ZQ2THH9Nk52mXA9GuUcglQjE_ffeiWaES3BnE0td5TIpt9KdAZGTGsEIM-Wi0pKZ7ixLIFNO4qTHn-DFHHPQgttV827VslYOnNHgB1xiuKhTp3q20Mqw/w480-h640/IMG_5653.JPG" title="Summerhill Winery" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIINQfta6df_GrEkk6DFvRg20r0UfLi5o_S-PPOaouJH7qyO78GJ8kiLIBrQ-0AperWOOjTowD78e8MfQ3tMmN_bLJj0-xQYTs-Ddma2xTmeWfPGKAs_BYZOiUbO96YH0q7KgmZp5LC1AO_68aGeoXq7Shkk-ys_2zWtrT1ZERMnVB0ZRI_YIoDv3aQQ/s3927/IMG_5649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIINQfta6df_GrEkk6DFvRg20r0UfLi5o_S-PPOaouJH7qyO78GJ8kiLIBrQ-0AperWOOjTowD78e8MfQ3tMmN_bLJj0-xQYTs-Ddma2xTmeWfPGKAs_BYZOiUbO96YH0q7KgmZp5LC1AO_68aGeoXq7Shkk-ys_2zWtrT1ZERMnVB0ZRI_YIoDv3aQQ/w480-h640/IMG_5649.JPG" title="Summerhill Winery" width="480" /></a></div><p>We had a tasting which was complimentary. I really enjoyed the Keter wine so bought a bottle. They were really pushing it saying it was 50% off at $50. We sat down and shared a pizza and I had a $5 happy hour priced Keter. What a deal!!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSf0RKbsD-i0miXem4PCVP8wj7mpLIr_BrwL17FE9iQBsXmHqEI_cXxLQuP_1op-ad5i2LvV-QKX0dSQtr--bJSQvaJzDQ_VEjce3mGGpAAXM9dtlWmuVyIYFVDXJUnqbYYK_McraGNVwX1ndQfTt3A0d0zsMXfzPtqG7znaA1sPqz99arygX5Hachg/s4032/IMG_5655.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSf0RKbsD-i0miXem4PCVP8wj7mpLIr_BrwL17FE9iQBsXmHqEI_cXxLQuP_1op-ad5i2LvV-QKX0dSQtr--bJSQvaJzDQ_VEjce3mGGpAAXM9dtlWmuVyIYFVDXJUnqbYYK_McraGNVwX1ndQfTt3A0d0zsMXfzPtqG7znaA1sPqz99arygX5Hachg/w640-h480/IMG_5655.JPG" title="Happy Hour Menu" width="640" /></a></div><p>Below is our view while seated on the patio:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH__N3oggmRQB_ZdDHVcMSe8oxXQa4K9zgmJTTblSmqQmLEyTLBGY63SsqOXJ12UOx6yaaNXzFPIKbIGDUBuV8AUUDG3MB77tR0OZrbLqHYZPl8eWqXnZ5CJ13Um60D0RDYlPpratBQY-8EFlP4_XFGRHR4R3FsY_4qEipIXy0l9YjIaxKwPc_nLuBOQ/s4004/IMG_5658.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2831" data-original-width="4004" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH__N3oggmRQB_ZdDHVcMSe8oxXQa4K9zgmJTTblSmqQmLEyTLBGY63SsqOXJ12UOx6yaaNXzFPIKbIGDUBuV8AUUDG3MB77tR0OZrbLqHYZPl8eWqXnZ5CJ13Um60D0RDYlPpratBQY-8EFlP4_XFGRHR4R3FsY_4qEipIXy0l9YjIaxKwPc_nLuBOQ/w640-h452/IMG_5658.JPG" title="Patio View Summerhill" width="640" /></a></div><p>And below is looking inside the winery from the patio:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDec-1WH4cWUNjAMimS00P4j5XqZZTPKnxvzA2CZZctAw2hiic5Apu2DJ-REZoJYxnjqk8DfrKrBquXtXMK-1MzDKRcGUBPaOX2-27tOrcx9ZhJOBg8kBYp2DBfDOCZEXbF1GxtpJSOsTWw1W2WhhklW1axs0_IYN7WdxSY5KwhsCL3ijOA16IHti5g/s3767/IMG_5659.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="3767" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDec-1WH4cWUNjAMimS00P4j5XqZZTPKnxvzA2CZZctAw2hiic5Apu2DJ-REZoJYxnjqk8DfrKrBquXtXMK-1MzDKRcGUBPaOX2-27tOrcx9ZhJOBg8kBYp2DBfDOCZEXbF1GxtpJSOsTWw1W2WhhklW1axs0_IYN7WdxSY5KwhsCL3ijOA16IHti5g/w640-h480/IMG_5659.JPG" title="Summerhill Winery" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Lastly is the pic of our daily feature pizza. It was like a charcuterie pie. Very good. Wonderful atmosphere. My friends remarked how quiet the town has gotten this past week. The said normally all summer everywhere is packed so this was good timing for me...<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NoLgc9LuUQg_4U6EsPZKFCy6uvSFx2lCsHjRX1mq8boWsyI1oy8l58MSe5qpiGB7iJ9ZUlvLVF7p4nE2Xjvfi5clSYhq473mSWcZDfhUQfa01bw4Lh3rWIPq3D1uhed2O1NmFPzm_Pf6qMb8g5bIe5V6mIJa-kG8mNxJuV8-NBndimskX8-VB-Sd0w/s2746/IMG_5661.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="2746" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NoLgc9LuUQg_4U6EsPZKFCy6uvSFx2lCsHjRX1mq8boWsyI1oy8l58MSe5qpiGB7iJ9ZUlvLVF7p4nE2Xjvfi5clSYhq473mSWcZDfhUQfa01bw4Lh3rWIPq3D1uhed2O1NmFPzm_Pf6qMb8g5bIe5V6mIJa-kG8mNxJuV8-NBndimskX8-VB-Sd0w/w640-h556/IMG_5661.JPG" title="Feature Pizza" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We returned home and D and I took their dog for a walk. They live a short half block away from Okanagan lake. It literally took a couple of minutes from their front door to be at the lake. Below is the short trail to get there.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUOSjVFz7zBr5edMyrKS-eW4zj5tSfCeabQ2QcErFUzdKTuhIOj_9zSEOaHJ-J5UX_HLADTo33my5RnI4HGGRxJ4ULcSR1qMkTNvSLiMGkAOTGFloMtlcY7LYr9bIjmA8DIbH1Un3W-IS9Y-SOIRk1pO-tHuUF6TMF4__MqRj2J9XGQQK0kcyEMTLgA/s3799/IMG_5662.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUOSjVFz7zBr5edMyrKS-eW4zj5tSfCeabQ2QcErFUzdKTuhIOj_9zSEOaHJ-J5UX_HLADTo33my5RnI4HGGRxJ4ULcSR1qMkTNvSLiMGkAOTGFloMtlcY7LYr9bIjmA8DIbH1Un3W-IS9Y-SOIRk1pO-tHuUF6TMF4__MqRj2J9XGQQK0kcyEMTLgA/w480-h640/IMG_5662.JPG" title="Walking to Okanagan Lake" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>And then a couple of lake shots. Beautiful as the sun was just starting to set!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblSZRaS1zu1yNc0b55Sgz94oW-AFwYreSeA9fOXQmXyFvscjPx3tottH6JapLb5MXJ_UvVlX2aIunM4pqTQjmnojm18xdv_SpRC-KYf3Y-75Xei1ZK7q1cfqU_PuXuaVVv5hvjSIBxa4dywhRzHp3Pk8N3Gt3RP2fviAYBaH2iFdTqc9DoeuWvOGCvQ/s3737/IMG_5665.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2454" data-original-width="3737" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblSZRaS1zu1yNc0b55Sgz94oW-AFwYreSeA9fOXQmXyFvscjPx3tottH6JapLb5MXJ_UvVlX2aIunM4pqTQjmnojm18xdv_SpRC-KYf3Y-75Xei1ZK7q1cfqU_PuXuaVVv5hvjSIBxa4dywhRzHp3Pk8N3Gt3RP2fviAYBaH2iFdTqc9DoeuWvOGCvQ/w640-h420/IMG_5665.JPG" title="Okanagan Lake" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sYFzmSEJiZEFz6itHYpVP4DbQ_Qtzq1OXInArwjpJ0iJSTvKteSsq01LOYO_mGUpjCnLv9avgT19Y7IiIFsAXhxy4E1UROGZ46wZ-Q_uKjPiw2l6l-j18_9C6_qgGbMQpYlfNnLanJV1lXEUeJAiL9RWkjLWiFEe7ZsEmUo3JJSzwn3BFXMfhUQcgA/s3941/IMG_5667.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3941" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sYFzmSEJiZEFz6itHYpVP4DbQ_Qtzq1OXInArwjpJ0iJSTvKteSsq01LOYO_mGUpjCnLv9avgT19Y7IiIFsAXhxy4E1UROGZ46wZ-Q_uKjPiw2l6l-j18_9C6_qgGbMQpYlfNnLanJV1lXEUeJAiL9RWkjLWiFEe7ZsEmUo3JJSzwn3BFXMfhUQcgA/w640-h480/IMG_5667.JPG" title="Okanagan Lake" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I was delightfully surprised to see such an enticing dinner presented to us upon our return. Wow, I felt so spoiled. As I am usually doing all the cooking, this was such a pleasant treat! Spicy chicken, creamy cucumbers, homemade tzatziki and a delicious healthy kale salad. Mmm!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisubXSSr_uF_qiZdHdmBK8NKq0Z3jSdL8gqM0xE_YVefaH7sNP_U3z50pQvxdlTosaudQS01w9WF6i49NnZ5xR1qGDV-bby3cNpkzVgQZdLWV_c7bFywIpTXWKglf-AiS-4kfwizEH1PRIdlstTtNenQbBUVMtwIEkSgpr9BdN8nc0lt1plhpYWKycCQ/s3326/IMG_5669.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="2957" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisubXSSr_uF_qiZdHdmBK8NKq0Z3jSdL8gqM0xE_YVefaH7sNP_U3z50pQvxdlTosaudQS01w9WF6i49NnZ5xR1qGDV-bby3cNpkzVgQZdLWV_c7bFywIpTXWKglf-AiS-4kfwizEH1PRIdlstTtNenQbBUVMtwIEkSgpr9BdN8nc0lt1plhpYWKycCQ/w568-h640/IMG_5669.JPG" title="Tracy's Delicious Dinner!" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div>We took their dog for a walk around the neighborhood, then had some more wine and watched "<b><u><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14452776/" target="_blank">The Bear</a></u></b>" together. I love this show! 10/10. We retired early and surprisingly I fell right asleep and didn't wake till morning. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Monday, September 19, 2022:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>I woke, showered and got downstairs about 9 am. Again I was greeted with an amazing breakfast. I was in the hands of great hosts. 😊 I'm glad I took a picture of T's creation below as I'm stealing it! So pretty and tasted even better.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QgXyhPtvqTNPnjN6_NrgVP9upSXfcrMS9RWZ60xT-fI8lxpkKMYVhFlC751Gk8Lx97LaZvPZl3P3M1KVRWuoze0viaf5jWW6L9bnwDtKTC8kGUX5kk_8dD6WUjuq7FBaF6zgWVUfM-aScDklDRUUdCNWZvqVbbIcfcnlUoW7yH0Yp9ZcZa_2hDRidw/s2945/IMG_5670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2375" data-original-width="2945" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QgXyhPtvqTNPnjN6_NrgVP9upSXfcrMS9RWZ60xT-fI8lxpkKMYVhFlC751Gk8Lx97LaZvPZl3P3M1KVRWuoze0viaf5jWW6L9bnwDtKTC8kGUX5kk_8dD6WUjuq7FBaF6zgWVUfM-aScDklDRUUdCNWZvqVbbIcfcnlUoW7yH0Yp9ZcZa_2hDRidw/w640-h516/IMG_5670.JPG" title="Everything Smoked Salmon Tart" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>D and I drove downtown as I asked him to see the Royal Anne to see what I remembered of it. T stayed home and was going to watch the Queen's funeral. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh9AptlFc_K198PlXrhXFbJP-6M9fFhOPP5ojrfiPKwbsEIkvRTw8iP37_0T_xDF9ermXNL3BSdhDe3ri-cpXZM073yI3BK2ye94GY5QCpVdpagS5iIDrzoxFiDfFVFXjOr-6l3aLN6uCGJZBs9vXJ-Xx_o3Ik0u6Abvt9OXUjZ7TDjOmtIO3k7ApJQ/s4032/IMG_5676.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh9AptlFc_K198PlXrhXFbJP-6M9fFhOPP5ojrfiPKwbsEIkvRTw8iP37_0T_xDF9ermXNL3BSdhDe3ri-cpXZM073yI3BK2ye94GY5QCpVdpagS5iIDrzoxFiDfFVFXjOr-6l3aLN6uCGJZBs9vXJ-Xx_o3Ik0u6Abvt9OXUjZ7TDjOmtIO3k7ApJQ/w640-h480/IMG_5676.JPG" title="Kelowna Waterfront" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX24LhBYcxIqSfZFI6TJqtBO83Q8ZXotkMbdOkCoJLD8rg4U6WVWUJj26soePbXr_xgebTdqcXlsvo-BETbixhBjjw37wpsPS-5Om4oc-ctMQA4BA-tkVqd4oFT-klYYvhXXDzOckGArhHmxHx05fxCl9ZPiT3oO9JM-qmakvke65QWAiRU8T6iwaeyg/s4032/IMG_5678.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX24LhBYcxIqSfZFI6TJqtBO83Q8ZXotkMbdOkCoJLD8rg4U6WVWUJj26soePbXr_xgebTdqcXlsvo-BETbixhBjjw37wpsPS-5Om4oc-ctMQA4BA-tkVqd4oFT-klYYvhXXDzOckGArhHmxHx05fxCl9ZPiT3oO9JM-qmakvke65QWAiRU8T6iwaeyg/w480-h640/IMG_5678.JPG" title="Waterfront Kelowna" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORYsxSriuqpfiVNJlJ4Tm6sBKmzQCTD_JLbTMJPCwHjzMWE6oAe2qCagXGvGCLRGzLVHjCPfrMe1g8g-ZMq8O8rIBtwNamIqnmSlR7GOlXiHzUIPANiCb0g7LeU-8rz8YLXZTIGQJb7ILwT-c5TnND05IXjMKCRzZ8Lvgoo34T8dLWn4SMzSiBeaZpw/s4032/IMG_5679.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORYsxSriuqpfiVNJlJ4Tm6sBKmzQCTD_JLbTMJPCwHjzMWE6oAe2qCagXGvGCLRGzLVHjCPfrMe1g8g-ZMq8O8rIBtwNamIqnmSlR7GOlXiHzUIPANiCb0g7LeU-8rz8YLXZTIGQJb7ILwT-c5TnND05IXjMKCRzZ8Lvgoo34T8dLWn4SMzSiBeaZpw/w480-h640/IMG_5679.JPG" title="Kelowna Marina" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And below is the Royal Anne. We even had a peek inside but nothing struck a bell in familiarity and I'm sure it's changed over the years.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS6NuACsMZtYGTcOXFSoCwf_IFOg1a5bZB_x5cCyO7orsR3zE97DR8EF0FdrfZcx5HW7uAfclbN1HxMwH22jrkkipSguwdQfOKmjfLAlxGnuYs2fq5zHBsfCAgHTEnFFcxDnxbSCEM8RL-Cxh4wHNBlmUMi3a9utEblF5IUUGvFLBQffHgzQ4WxvHGA/s4020/IMG_5680.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2590" data-original-width="4020" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS6NuACsMZtYGTcOXFSoCwf_IFOg1a5bZB_x5cCyO7orsR3zE97DR8EF0FdrfZcx5HW7uAfclbN1HxMwH22jrkkipSguwdQfOKmjfLAlxGnuYs2fq5zHBsfCAgHTEnFFcxDnxbSCEM8RL-Cxh4wHNBlmUMi3a9utEblF5IUUGvFLBQffHgzQ4WxvHGA/w640-h412/IMG_5680.JPG" title="Royal Anne" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We stopped for a glass of wine somewhere around here and then headed back home to pick T up. We were off to <b><u><a href="https://www.frindwinery.com/" target="_blank">Frind winery </a></u></b>which was gorgeous! I really liked it. <div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCx7_j28hjnyOh5Pvcr-9vRnAQRFciFpzFGR5jiMDiPBjN9YkzXckA9CiWe-WL-oS4pkopOhVsHSRCD1HqrodzFQhruWDiQ6EjjrsHdcbqsUAPoc9XBhpNHgAFG4hV3ieywp8N202vvGBb7iHG4ApuVmdMdiCht2jJCs4Z8SH_9yZCW13QNU7JS8KIoQ/s3401/IMG_5682.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3401" data-original-width="2956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCx7_j28hjnyOh5Pvcr-9vRnAQRFciFpzFGR5jiMDiPBjN9YkzXckA9CiWe-WL-oS4pkopOhVsHSRCD1HqrodzFQhruWDiQ6EjjrsHdcbqsUAPoc9XBhpNHgAFG4hV3ieywp8N202vvGBb7iHG4ApuVmdMdiCht2jJCs4Z8SH_9yZCW13QNU7JS8KIoQ/w556-h640/IMG_5682.JPG" title="Frind Winery" width="556" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREnrA727hAnK_wpNCaXSE1ic6S7kSxZon7F8rzcenPSq5bmV6ZyQJgHT6WHXX-lqS3wozAfX_Zpp4_KtXyvtbnlqCC7w950Q4Yn-bv5z4E2E8ULsr8hC8y8drve7voa3ctHFnYfTMuxyGjxWRNj2--1PiWt3Ca3sdtBDa9BC_WiDQIg8RceKaFuXFng/s4031/IMG_5684.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="4031" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREnrA727hAnK_wpNCaXSE1ic6S7kSxZon7F8rzcenPSq5bmV6ZyQJgHT6WHXX-lqS3wozAfX_Zpp4_KtXyvtbnlqCC7w950Q4Yn-bv5z4E2E8ULsr8hC8y8drve7voa3ctHFnYfTMuxyGjxWRNj2--1PiWt3Ca3sdtBDa9BC_WiDQIg8RceKaFuXFng/w640-h336/IMG_5684.JPG" title="Frind Winery" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ46MHh6lZTWzAL_yLLJJEh2nX2yp6a10fJtAmnhJSWfg-9jNGhQEGHiR1Q-oB0uny6CoOmmApgPCjsDBrAEKVut83kANRrKbjI8hq3XhlWhXsh7ZrwTzbPVt3O6_FItjIM9BIc3vQv2BJxAH5kKFF4hwtKKvpopNI3aEqhvg_1ZBHL1ygGfKWIYfjg/s2889/IMG_5687.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2590" data-original-width="2889" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ46MHh6lZTWzAL_yLLJJEh2nX2yp6a10fJtAmnhJSWfg-9jNGhQEGHiR1Q-oB0uny6CoOmmApgPCjsDBrAEKVut83kANRrKbjI8hq3XhlWhXsh7ZrwTzbPVt3O6_FItjIM9BIc3vQv2BJxAH5kKFF4hwtKKvpopNI3aEqhvg_1ZBHL1ygGfKWIYfjg/w640-h574/IMG_5687.JPG" title="Roasted Chicken Pizza" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Roast chicken, bacon, mushrooms, basil pesto sauce, sweetie drop peppers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">balsamic glaze</div><div><br /></div><div>We sat outside and had a bottle of wine and pizza from their wood fired oven. The owner Markus Frind owned "PlentyOfFish.com" previously and sold it for US$575-million! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6day0kzBz8aIMNAsz4XspkbaHaORbnG5gStgKPPLHWCeLRMGz5EKobUmQLSLrU3G-_RARFl2TQafNAfkW5IL_B0HzCOJNH1Yxckcr1_nJsiwDKJ66opjgG71OOzrp-K616RtHMzZrVjr6vylO50NYWNxjygbDuCPfUcSlx3ENEb85L__Sjf41LO_efg/s3733/IMG_5683.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2590" data-original-width="3733" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6day0kzBz8aIMNAsz4XspkbaHaORbnG5gStgKPPLHWCeLRMGz5EKobUmQLSLrU3G-_RARFl2TQafNAfkW5IL_B0HzCOJNH1Yxckcr1_nJsiwDKJ66opjgG71OOzrp-K616RtHMzZrVjr6vylO50NYWNxjygbDuCPfUcSlx3ENEb85L__Sjf41LO_efg/w640-h444/IMG_5683.JPG" title="Beachfront at Frind" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwQKFx_y9a-2MGOVTuZNxEuXBM2ts933hoFcHE0uX-H4iHLDCGxxHR-2zSUS09Awpu1nPJjQ0cgotwneKm2p2dAZGpzn7XXtDK3JQEBs6bnBceqLQudUryz1wQ-AZ3CSoTQ-qREZcgihKXrr20Mw1tlUcX13ZyHhC2LgK2OQb1uOfkfZ83KGsd0AYgA/s4031/IMG_5685.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="4031" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwQKFx_y9a-2MGOVTuZNxEuXBM2ts933hoFcHE0uX-H4iHLDCGxxHR-2zSUS09Awpu1nPJjQ0cgotwneKm2p2dAZGpzn7XXtDK3JQEBs6bnBceqLQudUryz1wQ-AZ3CSoTQ-qREZcgihKXrr20Mw1tlUcX13ZyHhC2LgK2OQb1uOfkfZ83KGsd0AYgA/w640-h340/IMG_5685.JPG" title="Frind Winery beach to the right..." width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>And then we were off to <b><u><a href="https://www.quailsgate.com/" target="_blank">Quails' Gate Winery</a></u></b>.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlk6djY037VbUTw-FAh7OuexnrwQbx82raiGPJjVwTPUmlG2EJdLHo1R2LlObApiogZlWgbC1UVprtxxZBc9ftmaV01wV_RdU9YNe-Sg-4S4eSoUJ6SVepVadHk1ZU2KutSgSMSuaDnYY4n6TEiSnSJsfdjiB2DMMzaaF0ONfMWTP63lUTSzd1ZRSPg/s3293/IMG_5690.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3293" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlk6djY037VbUTw-FAh7OuexnrwQbx82raiGPJjVwTPUmlG2EJdLHo1R2LlObApiogZlWgbC1UVprtxxZBc9ftmaV01wV_RdU9YNe-Sg-4S4eSoUJ6SVepVadHk1ZU2KutSgSMSuaDnYY4n6TEiSnSJsfdjiB2DMMzaaF0ONfMWTP63lUTSzd1ZRSPg/w588-h640/IMG_5690.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="588" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VtnMjDzRR1OMq7HDbnWvLcTmoewqPZC41nzllyCZuPmi_OhdurWFyKB_DsXaR10AGKidGQV3iBrNVbNYTf_eG9vlxRz1cZRl_DDurFf8dEbOJZgTU0tJwb-CQhzjRM5q_h6D88LCf7Czltts23f-wzKOPD1JFWTWX7v2q-SsBM3Sy8vl5TaqBOyaxA/s3861/IMG_5693.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3861" data-original-width="2897" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VtnMjDzRR1OMq7HDbnWvLcTmoewqPZC41nzllyCZuPmi_OhdurWFyKB_DsXaR10AGKidGQV3iBrNVbNYTf_eG9vlxRz1cZRl_DDurFf8dEbOJZgTU0tJwb-CQhzjRM5q_h6D88LCf7Czltts23f-wzKOPD1JFWTWX7v2q-SsBM3Sy8vl5TaqBOyaxA/w480-h640/IMG_5693.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>We had a glass of wine and toured the grounds after. Below is where we sat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib32ZzeeMsQ1x0yToGln6AC75oarxITikyUYNypUm3jld727RpVCCJrll7bR4hWST9oPODk0heBamoHAWXobLSC29ZlbysgHuQ0hEQhBkCB2NxEkbxNTdITz5E8LdHJ_S6sY55lGWf-601A5gAL9JFQ5h_NB5KOGgxI1IrvwaSVAbYHecVDkEfx9wHXw/s4031/IMG_5694.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib32ZzeeMsQ1x0yToGln6AC75oarxITikyUYNypUm3jld727RpVCCJrll7bR4hWST9oPODk0heBamoHAWXobLSC29ZlbysgHuQ0hEQhBkCB2NxEkbxNTdITz5E8LdHJ_S6sY55lGWf-601A5gAL9JFQ5h_NB5KOGgxI1IrvwaSVAbYHecVDkEfx9wHXw/w480-h640/IMG_5694.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32wppyOfUXJO5rNCDMLVMiNW34Fq45eG9QjwGk-KFV9vyxftKNmIu7sHKQuOGYPCCqNmozceHn7s4Hvq_GR7uk5jLLRaQSLNzCkKcvM1zmAV8CYQodRMRoUZIcWgzlIfvpckpvwoGcndmbSCk9Wd5Z6CRI14LQ9ovAorJ0caOW274WzNM1QAgczlBhg/s3670/IMG_5695.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3670" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32wppyOfUXJO5rNCDMLVMiNW34Fq45eG9QjwGk-KFV9vyxftKNmIu7sHKQuOGYPCCqNmozceHn7s4Hvq_GR7uk5jLLRaQSLNzCkKcvM1zmAV8CYQodRMRoUZIcWgzlIfvpckpvwoGcndmbSCk9Wd5Z6CRI14LQ9ovAorJ0caOW274WzNM1QAgczlBhg/w528-h640/IMG_5695.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="528" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhRc33I-6d3_FDQJPSBd_DsMVspLYYmD7Jq5iu3i1oZglMb7MRzWnv9rlAVYwBV108lIW5I8iaEOIX57XR787xaufDXa1TbbhPxaBOKQUav8asMn7rEkoADCr7mKJb7bigY2Zv9IGs4LBNouyP4_a_bP1iX3z26GPR_2BCG5bzHqwSzZL_zjeycacBQ/s4032/IMG_5696.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2599" data-original-width="4032" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhRc33I-6d3_FDQJPSBd_DsMVspLYYmD7Jq5iu3i1oZglMb7MRzWnv9rlAVYwBV108lIW5I8iaEOIX57XR787xaufDXa1TbbhPxaBOKQUav8asMn7rEkoADCr7mKJb7bigY2Zv9IGs4LBNouyP4_a_bP1iX3z26GPR_2BCG5bzHqwSzZL_zjeycacBQ/w640-h412/IMG_5696.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uSA0bLPg6k59w8HgdSa43Rr64OA6seHpbHVjbTfVED0d0js9pVIrD46BkwAstguXsTkDMZGBn6ozh1wFWS7GpMdk52Pxd6Cyj77HKopt9Y5y9O07KsIFY6ZhdH6icVAXGyqU1_K-FNdNnjzCb7mvp-Td3g6-ELSXQ9BU1YGkFRriyrYTIHHgH9uXDg/s4032/IMG_5697.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uSA0bLPg6k59w8HgdSa43Rr64OA6seHpbHVjbTfVED0d0js9pVIrD46BkwAstguXsTkDMZGBn6ozh1wFWS7GpMdk52Pxd6Cyj77HKopt9Y5y9O07KsIFY6ZhdH6icVAXGyqU1_K-FNdNnjzCb7mvp-Td3g6-ELSXQ9BU1YGkFRriyrYTIHHgH9uXDg/w640-h480/IMG_5697.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIjV3QSLkcf8xfoP9a6dPvOoD9nBe2PXsa_yu3Wlf40OCQqgvIO0SgY3feGyWR-EiKWQibfWvi_K7h5AdJ5RsUGTv0JwyfR4kNFExFpoNWQYXGQqHJOd0ZkMeSh4_du1M_rQSZW8CswNZLoALaxRM3enIna4q0szoQjjRjOfvK145w_jhl7EH-RtqtQ/s4032/IMG_5698.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBIjV3QSLkcf8xfoP9a6dPvOoD9nBe2PXsa_yu3Wlf40OCQqgvIO0SgY3feGyWR-EiKWQibfWvi_K7h5AdJ5RsUGTv0JwyfR4kNFExFpoNWQYXGQqHJOd0ZkMeSh4_du1M_rQSZW8CswNZLoALaxRM3enIna4q0szoQjjRjOfvK145w_jhl7EH-RtqtQ/w640-h480/IMG_5698.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpHSEnOwbvnilXrI6kBzgB5utA48pzVWRS6h_atsx3l0Ph3Q9e03LiXnL753rlyYxWacmEm8q6tzx9H4AaiuXnP7MFiMBlqqNXuHyKE81HNWMa1h0S3xR-g7XQNsEkaDdgVpUrmDfKDCcLzcTKgi4sRqeS-meKNBAIm3rv8RPC0M4J_hq25oFJ60RwA/s4032/IMG_5702.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpHSEnOwbvnilXrI6kBzgB5utA48pzVWRS6h_atsx3l0Ph3Q9e03LiXnL753rlyYxWacmEm8q6tzx9H4AaiuXnP7MFiMBlqqNXuHyKE81HNWMa1h0S3xR-g7XQNsEkaDdgVpUrmDfKDCcLzcTKgi4sRqeS-meKNBAIm3rv8RPC0M4J_hq25oFJ60RwA/w640-h480/IMG_5702.JPG" title="Quails' Gate" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Next we went to walk around the grounds at <b><u><a href="https://www.missionhillwinery.com/" target="_blank">Mission Hill</a></u></b>. They told me this winery has the premium real estate as far as location goes in West Kelowna. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMqcgd9QTGtdMaUEpkmJ2-nkkL63wgpkLWCIKzdo0aMZ97gndKXtY4b8EUEl65DMTGFuUNEAsew1VvV11BIT5sLKaOJJ0s0qCyVkhyoixJL-wkK_10thZDayRd2kKWF6Eix91x2cmR_oyp1jTcrqzrz8K7sQq0FPED-1BHOZeoFzqkvaX2i1XG3sjPw/s4032/IMG_5704.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMqcgd9QTGtdMaUEpkmJ2-nkkL63wgpkLWCIKzdo0aMZ97gndKXtY4b8EUEl65DMTGFuUNEAsew1VvV11BIT5sLKaOJJ0s0qCyVkhyoixJL-wkK_10thZDayRd2kKWF6Eix91x2cmR_oyp1jTcrqzrz8K7sQq0FPED-1BHOZeoFzqkvaX2i1XG3sjPw/w480-h640/IMG_5704.JPG" title="Mission Hill" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXIKMfkQsbJHrWy8-KhOWAOaov3Te_V_LG799R2ZhpAdsv7rbN3BEOvquwQ_gfJk0KihAaBbWx4Y0hEzothiDgatbqJhDx4FhgT5qOjXMlIgx2TwZ1DiYwpxWBYDc37WCdRvvd8eP1U4c_VfcQMGYIZU7nD81_8TIAxwcdALFmnfs2USj5sUEAoB3KA/s4032/IMG_5705.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXIKMfkQsbJHrWy8-KhOWAOaov3Te_V_LG799R2ZhpAdsv7rbN3BEOvquwQ_gfJk0KihAaBbWx4Y0hEzothiDgatbqJhDx4FhgT5qOjXMlIgx2TwZ1DiYwpxWBYDc37WCdRvvd8eP1U4c_VfcQMGYIZU7nD81_8TIAxwcdALFmnfs2USj5sUEAoB3KA/w480-h640/IMG_5705.JPG" title="Mission Hill" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArrIfxc-ebVXXTcsuREG0QRCzNMr_QjwfzLlEzPg-yfTojt9HD54KE2Itk0uFTgUEkVrX-LRSLUGRDbHLd2_A1hIH6EU61JDRy_dopTJxKCHZSvS9UEr1GyM2wLhv4B1GhDLZ9_Ryw3Tyhy1sGJ9_-nYTHGg2qbYRRNsaFVCQMYivsLmuEcW-CwuL8w/s3893/IMG_5706.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3893" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArrIfxc-ebVXXTcsuREG0QRCzNMr_QjwfzLlEzPg-yfTojt9HD54KE2Itk0uFTgUEkVrX-LRSLUGRDbHLd2_A1hIH6EU61JDRy_dopTJxKCHZSvS9UEr1GyM2wLhv4B1GhDLZ9_Ryw3Tyhy1sGJ9_-nYTHGg2qbYRRNsaFVCQMYivsLmuEcW-CwuL8w/w480-h640/IMG_5706.JPG" title="Mission Hill" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Jz9k-vgH2orwkvd_lITcOXfnAEiNBIlfGf3EgFm113juO8OzZ_zsPMR4rVD4ioAwJXZ4IK3spxkOVB1KpTR6D96Lxvtouiz58G1OdFzveH3NQ72Lq0Q_ZlP7_ngZpuRdC1KbRNcoW_640kAp1X4SbDVwv28aO0AimFdNKEwljpFkR5zJDOrUxsT8g/s4031/IMG_5710.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="4031" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Jz9k-vgH2orwkvd_lITcOXfnAEiNBIlfGf3EgFm113juO8OzZ_zsPMR4rVD4ioAwJXZ4IK3spxkOVB1KpTR6D96Lxvtouiz58G1OdFzveH3NQ72Lq0Q_ZlP7_ngZpuRdC1KbRNcoW_640kAp1X4SbDVwv28aO0AimFdNKEwljpFkR5zJDOrUxsT8g/w640-h298/IMG_5710.JPG" title="Mission Hill" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgWzJvKSuaEDDFs3YCIk2ti6N12FMbZPzyL_6ySpk4WGIQurK3oHvDJpAZuLaR5usrMegbm9ZXALN0ndz0W_2lsspZC3xiMt5IvYB_vdTGh3SFSFwQ3G0kc1snAFs7k0kVvCQjbCoRz5zUnkuLK22x1WX1pbBYML5Yzd6B0pQ_Lg99OlzMP6GQmYBqQ/s3776/IMG_5712.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3776" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgWzJvKSuaEDDFs3YCIk2ti6N12FMbZPzyL_6ySpk4WGIQurK3oHvDJpAZuLaR5usrMegbm9ZXALN0ndz0W_2lsspZC3xiMt5IvYB_vdTGh3SFSFwQ3G0kc1snAFs7k0kVvCQjbCoRz5zUnkuLK22x1WX1pbBYML5Yzd6B0pQ_Lg99OlzMP6GQmYBqQ/w512-h640/IMG_5712.JPG" title="Mission Hill" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div>And then for dinner we went to the <b><u><a href="https://www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com/" target="_blank">El Dorado</a></u></b> which had a terrific lakeside patio for sunset. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvpnFRDMV2bNxQPoPCYIxlledmsSQW6Se5U6yowrpUmVufvUHWeknm5MWssivIpOouE0GvSTfmWCQP9wagKdgM8gdpiycEyanpQpkH7KpALFbX3MVYOX5oamyNe62kKFVX4BJSDuXctUhLYiPtbIF1iP7_mGAZ5xc7z2eKwDv18YjkbTgd1oRIjaWEA/s3799/IMG_5724.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3799" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvpnFRDMV2bNxQPoPCYIxlledmsSQW6Se5U6yowrpUmVufvUHWeknm5MWssivIpOouE0GvSTfmWCQP9wagKdgM8gdpiycEyanpQpkH7KpALFbX3MVYOX5oamyNe62kKFVX4BJSDuXctUhLYiPtbIF1iP7_mGAZ5xc7z2eKwDv18YjkbTgd1oRIjaWEA/w480-h640/IMG_5724.JPG" title="El Dorado" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1PwIjt3Ow12UL3ODICLgGZD0RLBLJqHx8pqlWyJtqovO8SX53eSJZ5dJiJ_RHA_LW80zjLYdsPhN54N0nPMZE2iA1EK_8Nl-Ko4zlsDQvasw941IRXwZNIw_eKv1NsCykwAEFyn3fwDW0qvIPeHhX12QIlYQiw2gaeQ-qQvpGjT3YwLvaDdxgKzjkQ/s3927/IMG_5720.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="3927" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1PwIjt3Ow12UL3ODICLgGZD0RLBLJqHx8pqlWyJtqovO8SX53eSJZ5dJiJ_RHA_LW80zjLYdsPhN54N0nPMZE2iA1EK_8Nl-Ko4zlsDQvasw941IRXwZNIw_eKv1NsCykwAEFyn3fwDW0qvIPeHhX12QIlYQiw2gaeQ-qQvpGjT3YwLvaDdxgKzjkQ/w640-h480/IMG_5720.JPG" title="El Dorado Marina" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidld6TxP_FZ-jZ8IbtxwnXK86AEGYFdeh5QKaToWs8_ZGuUDB4pSt7cNgINqCuxk9ntSFhHZIDW_J1bnWvyRuUoNZQu30g8pUS8TWtmoscM2AcsO_UuANLU6cGDujQLd1ou0VScNZgj9zj9wLHov_Uer8saLRqCEfQnE8ircHGL0ul3_FdzD10si8S0w/s4032/IMG_5728.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidld6TxP_FZ-jZ8IbtxwnXK86AEGYFdeh5QKaToWs8_ZGuUDB4pSt7cNgINqCuxk9ntSFhHZIDW_J1bnWvyRuUoNZQu30g8pUS8TWtmoscM2AcsO_UuANLU6cGDujQLd1ou0VScNZgj9zj9wLHov_Uer8saLRqCEfQnE8ircHGL0ul3_FdzD10si8S0w/w640-h480/IMG_5728.JPG" title="Sunset at El Dorado" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLYzlvtnNpLvbh5RY1VYKnoIzj9uH1Ou1Cga6EFYKf5fe3CcKy6muUbOp14o-gDiNXCiaFr-Z9jZTLctx3H8x6pqLVLhF8ZSdzWwDCezEAlDrMDLZ6SegZyJlJPqzGYRy2OSzafvbzzKhNY3ABPf3d7USU2bqqC54UUI8Qpfh2GPewG-bp01z1mZDVg/s3461/IMG_5732.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3461" data-original-width="2896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLYzlvtnNpLvbh5RY1VYKnoIzj9uH1Ou1Cga6EFYKf5fe3CcKy6muUbOp14o-gDiNXCiaFr-Z9jZTLctx3H8x6pqLVLhF8ZSdzWwDCezEAlDrMDLZ6SegZyJlJPqzGYRy2OSzafvbzzKhNY3ABPf3d7USU2bqqC54UUI8Qpfh2GPewG-bp01z1mZDVg/w536-h640/IMG_5732.JPG" title="Fish n Chips" width="536" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fish & Chips: Fresh British Columbia Ling Cod, Next Jens gluten-free batter,</div><div style="text-align: center;">creamy coleslaw, homemade remoulade 1 pcs $24 </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYOAqcOUg6b_ceo1CNSZT7rdJt5l0-Awb3wUChvVbvbaicSbUJeGAVb-KGBw_ocyj6Ufv8_DOz22NLgkMiN9BXOp-LZjZJUO5WJ03H2b4Sj5u8UWD2D8f8AtUrVTdKTBSe4eVJpceiARJQGPlqgXTiVlo4xp-SIT9DhTOrWW2uCnvd5FSR1GoMnsv2w/s3023/IMG_5733.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2395" data-original-width="3023" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYOAqcOUg6b_ceo1CNSZT7rdJt5l0-Awb3wUChvVbvbaicSbUJeGAVb-KGBw_ocyj6Ufv8_DOz22NLgkMiN9BXOp-LZjZJUO5WJ03H2b4Sj5u8UWD2D8f8AtUrVTdKTBSe4eVJpceiARJQGPlqgXTiVlo4xp-SIT9DhTOrWW2uCnvd5FSR1GoMnsv2w/w640-h508/IMG_5733.JPG" title="Caesar Salad" width="640" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">The El Wedge Caesar Salad : Romaine hearts, housemade croutons, double smoked bacon lardons, white anchovy, roasted garlic Caesar dressing, parmesan reggiano</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXKH7GS0EHv7m4WjDudxYYm0z_LAdT8VrCFS6mynihGPlJHm3j5RQuZ1pKFexWLNHunAdHTJl0XJZOkcfQstoMJDk_qoJE5KYdOvJegn231lCBa0jB8naRinYD2QESjFBu7KOaA-PTGJs8V3SrURcfyGFiK4koQvU472BZCDG6HmcA30L2oj1QNRi7g/s3895/IMG_5734.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3895" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXKH7GS0EHv7m4WjDudxYYm0z_LAdT8VrCFS6mynihGPlJHm3j5RQuZ1pKFexWLNHunAdHTJl0XJZOkcfQstoMJDk_qoJE5KYdOvJegn231lCBa0jB8naRinYD2QESjFBu7KOaA-PTGJs8V3SrURcfyGFiK4koQvU472BZCDG6HmcA30L2oj1QNRi7g/w640-h480/IMG_5734.JPG" title="El Dorado Sunset" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We returned home and watched "The Bear". T went to sleep while we stayed up and drank more wine (on top of the Old Fashioned cocktails I had at dinner) and I haven't drank that much in a while. It was just before midnight when we went down and I went lights out!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, September 27, 2022:</u> I awoke feeling a little worse for wear and tear... I was greeted with a healthy yogurt, fruit, granola bowl which I was thankful for. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS79WDMk9a-R38DePzXQn-fQk2hN7UI4jQVtq6Zd96l_cVENMi0H6l8PHZCW7C10xSdZYWNky6AxsQmGE1DalCcSeF4GSXZrR8LgJVwTDkHA5boxXEWpEOABZpWYMInE4zJlNQeqfbh3ipJXDBRLbJrksUIBG6BF-2Hc04Rh_UGmYxBRZ6r69p9DdjA/s2979/IMG_5737.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2725" data-original-width="2979" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS79WDMk9a-R38DePzXQn-fQk2hN7UI4jQVtq6Zd96l_cVENMi0H6l8PHZCW7C10xSdZYWNky6AxsQmGE1DalCcSeF4GSXZrR8LgJVwTDkHA5boxXEWpEOABZpWYMInE4zJlNQeqfbh3ipJXDBRLbJrksUIBG6BF-2Hc04Rh_UGmYxBRZ6r69p9DdjA/w640-h586/IMG_5737.JPG" title="Granola Bowl" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We were off to <b><u><a href="https://discovernaramata.com/" target="_blank">Naramata</a></u></b> today. I had asked to see <b><u><a href="https://www.laughingstock.ca/" target="_blank">Laughing Stock</a></u></b> vineyard. I was gifted a bottle years ago and loved it. I could never find it in Vancouver though I got lucky at a restaurant once. It was by appointment only but they were there when we called so told us to come on in for a tasting. First off I loved Naramata town, it was this cozy little summer spot that I would love to stay in and visit. It was really warm today. <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fO6CpSx90GoVNHxcEtw9MEwgS9nGs-MglIjf18ph1JA6EBxD-le3Zxo1rCiDZTpZjpK8F7vIV7hOZObX1tpBnKcTnLBRDu6LOFlsHGOVzPJcYUKBkUGoJ7Jop2dfPP9V7c21WfcQxICXC9mv7RFPyAxc7rXSW8ptPvODn8IpTzFQ-M4sXxyhDoCIHw/s4032/IMG_5740.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fO6CpSx90GoVNHxcEtw9MEwgS9nGs-MglIjf18ph1JA6EBxD-le3Zxo1rCiDZTpZjpK8F7vIV7hOZObX1tpBnKcTnLBRDu6LOFlsHGOVzPJcYUKBkUGoJ7Jop2dfPP9V7c21WfcQxICXC9mv7RFPyAxc7rXSW8ptPvODn8IpTzFQ-M4sXxyhDoCIHw/w640-h480/IMG_5740.JPG" title="Laughing Stock" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGdU8XW6qKw4Rb25U-5GIM5Y70jZuIWASSkxZIm3arBqhW6JPWwV3KBX8aRIXfinbspgLPu58wRnY8MDQ2GttZQhCm9v-m34VHCz3mQi3iDCcCgOtg9b71PQXfGZogIBt5jlNfhzYZirB3i68lZvyR-WkiZTjkxCvjMQEh7Bu8WAhFu-_GJes02M_jA/s4032/IMG_5739.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGdU8XW6qKw4Rb25U-5GIM5Y70jZuIWASSkxZIm3arBqhW6JPWwV3KBX8aRIXfinbspgLPu58wRnY8MDQ2GttZQhCm9v-m34VHCz3mQi3iDCcCgOtg9b71PQXfGZogIBt5jlNfhzYZirB3i68lZvyR-WkiZTjkxCvjMQEh7Bu8WAhFu-_GJes02M_jA/w640-h480/IMG_5739.JPG" title="At Laughing Stock" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Below is our view from where we sat outside enjoying our tasting. I'm not going to lie, the tasting was not first on my list today and initial sips curdled my tummy...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkhF4ZoKEoFMa3ON1ha-eKg-ZQWlY6Mxe1c7IouiUnoW6lMO1ZuhItQIn92SeaJgvMOHwm5fHy6mR27Xi500jC-ROuEnXBjhZMPNdEFrpO9xOLtOMD3wtPzFJvMv5rUNFOLohpZ8g3_Ow3g_jr6DvoRr1s9AVApbh1sYr99WPqRUd1WkbA1jWYz58VQ/s3893/IMG_5743.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2921" data-original-width="3893" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkhF4ZoKEoFMa3ON1ha-eKg-ZQWlY6Mxe1c7IouiUnoW6lMO1ZuhItQIn92SeaJgvMOHwm5fHy6mR27Xi500jC-ROuEnXBjhZMPNdEFrpO9xOLtOMD3wtPzFJvMv5rUNFOLohpZ8g3_Ow3g_jr6DvoRr1s9AVApbh1sYr99WPqRUd1WkbA1jWYz58VQ/w640-h480/IMG_5743.JPG" title="View from LFNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91LQt3WHIE6hqgGqGwuqKHzKZtKIzW-2h4tIYpmUm-HZpgNM0FYxzXQHXwCuEOrfZZmdi3PKzcjsCONmre8N7hECv6GMakcz_VEqhYhaB5wro-j_CJYc1gePxfvtxx7To0g8dpfIRxStm-s1_C4FX7rVgu8DhX92n60FMQbX-kWVyVQqrmYhpyqNBUw/s3737/IMG_5744.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2803" data-original-width="3737" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91LQt3WHIE6hqgGqGwuqKHzKZtKIzW-2h4tIYpmUm-HZpgNM0FYxzXQHXwCuEOrfZZmdi3PKzcjsCONmre8N7hECv6GMakcz_VEqhYhaB5wro-j_CJYc1gePxfvtxx7To0g8dpfIRxStm-s1_C4FX7rVgu8DhX92n60FMQbX-kWVyVQqrmYhpyqNBUw/w640-h480/IMG_5744.JPG" title="View from LFNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We tried to go to a couple different restaurants at the Wineries for lunch but none turned out to be open. We tried Poplar Grove and Serenity that I remember but they may have a been a couple more. My friends decided we'd go to Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards at Greata Ranch in Peachland and made a reservation for us at their <b><u><a href="https://19bistro.com/menu/" target="_blank">bistro</a></u></b>. It was another scenic setting.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxEeQC2VvVHcaCmiWRZ1rRGaj8DHT8FXn1kkl2yazGu4FcYPfm6j9bCF693m6b5EoWeQerknmhV6IKGYtT84C30xG6LPRg4Pjmql4i2o_OjFQd2l_tvi0Fmi_p5aidFowKulpm9gv8tPHOPjQnQNFpY6Vpx9D4IYNval2JLX928hMO4M6k9UXDOPT2Q/s3936/IMG_5752.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2807" data-original-width="3936" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxEeQC2VvVHcaCmiWRZ1rRGaj8DHT8FXn1kkl2yazGu4FcYPfm6j9bCF693m6b5EoWeQerknmhV6IKGYtT84C30xG6LPRg4Pjmql4i2o_OjFQd2l_tvi0Fmi_p5aidFowKulpm9gv8tPHOPjQnQNFpY6Vpx9D4IYNval2JLX928hMO4M6k9UXDOPT2Q/w640-h456/IMG_5752.JPG" title="At Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYj71PevR-NqTWJS7QfNYr8dRPjHebi56sjAPYWRHtN5BdeNNT7hecgDZ2pQ_-EVsW0-9wbZ5cbFEUtD1KxCpTU1LaFMaPd3Swyead-9oUbYU6usVBdgGnTPm1soa_gJqyQqWkPXHGuIdbMUwnRNMB_vxnKE9XyJTWK7BW1gUQY1bFD1vaKbkndfOdw/s3863/IMG_5753.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2812" data-original-width="3863" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYj71PevR-NqTWJS7QfNYr8dRPjHebi56sjAPYWRHtN5BdeNNT7hecgDZ2pQ_-EVsW0-9wbZ5cbFEUtD1KxCpTU1LaFMaPd3Swyead-9oUbYU6usVBdgGnTPm1soa_gJqyQqWkPXHGuIdbMUwnRNMB_vxnKE9XyJTWK7BW1gUQY1bFD1vaKbkndfOdw/w640-h466/IMG_5753.JPG" title="Karaage Chicken Burger" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">T's Kaarage Chicken Burger</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJZJb5ROlYwMPG-g3dhc-SddiBlir-zgcJXc8BZEHfwL4PGEZ6fhvLr12_9hpTiIFku3E5ykp003Bg3DHfsifvNZZsm3g1u8FQr12SIAoqYFxOhulnt0-6HBkBWfwwDUZoDEOGexQpXCfvN46sTawkCaDC5iSRQIEVjJLrHtGwTQ4xBxqIrUI7i0U_g/s2574/IMG_5756.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="2574" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJZJb5ROlYwMPG-g3dhc-SddiBlir-zgcJXc8BZEHfwL4PGEZ6fhvLr12_9hpTiIFku3E5ykp003Bg3DHfsifvNZZsm3g1u8FQr12SIAoqYFxOhulnt0-6HBkBWfwwDUZoDEOGexQpXCfvN46sTawkCaDC5iSRQIEVjJLrHtGwTQ4xBxqIrUI7i0U_g/w640-h520/IMG_5756.JPG" title="Green Curry with Prawns" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">D's Green Curry with Prawns</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy05cE_tq4BQdX813zrrrQZOqunXvKpazEUiL3DNHMRfhvbP8IPh9RtcNNrFKIxdUQqaY3Meq4ocvMcjJH3bgSAZ3gIlVfyayqt8FqKdbml9r9QYgSC8iG88at9GZNRJKVyLShRqjlgu_Z8fv0YtBTheIBZRYWWFS6m7iKvZUexdBMcKxXx53juxha6A/s3650/IMG_5758.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="3650" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy05cE_tq4BQdX813zrrrQZOqunXvKpazEUiL3DNHMRfhvbP8IPh9RtcNNrFKIxdUQqaY3Meq4ocvMcjJH3bgSAZ3gIlVfyayqt8FqKdbml9r9QYgSC8iG88at9GZNRJKVyLShRqjlgu_Z8fv0YtBTheIBZRYWWFS6m7iKvZUexdBMcKxXx53juxha6A/w640-h528/IMG_5758.JPG" title="Fish Tacos" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fish Tacos</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had the fish tacos. They were great but even better with the Brut Sparkling we drank. After lunch I started to feel alive again, tired, but definitely better... We went home for a bit to check on the dog then said we'd hit one last winery before calling it a day. We went to <b><u><a href="https://www.spearheadwinery.com/" target="_blank">Spearhead</a></u></b> which had another lovely setting. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOPukQyFVlaKzALq1au19h_Ygph7pDhu90BcrDtj9--44g0bFfSDKh2aIpFGWAPrxKBgM8Kbww118cw9htXAR0RIFMPtqaoSoSRgVWoaoDIJ1vhtAczarvoeODl_d3SNmD0s8O0RxqmVYZcB8j9VMAWiawBgHzbh8frPR2PJ38dm07BqBWy75iDBOTg/s4032/IMG_5760.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOPukQyFVlaKzALq1au19h_Ygph7pDhu90BcrDtj9--44g0bFfSDKh2aIpFGWAPrxKBgM8Kbww118cw9htXAR0RIFMPtqaoSoSRgVWoaoDIJ1vhtAczarvoeODl_d3SNmD0s8O0RxqmVYZcB8j9VMAWiawBgHzbh8frPR2PJ38dm07BqBWy75iDBOTg/w480-h640/IMG_5760.JPG" title="Spearhead" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9Nn2g51mBo96ZbOateVkc7bUQs7Bebi5agJ3SWLkCePRGIv_7wU-6E3MbKixQWhSX_RPXGgIaGZEktRmzotPffki6MBrG1dguC6c4MagUAwF3epdsKhsVYd2anw_7CqUxgoNK5DBZqs656lDAquGLHz9B1sFJ44ogc1FfGBDLEEqqxc1ylt7s87xlA/s3927/IMG_5759.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9Nn2g51mBo96ZbOateVkc7bUQs7Bebi5agJ3SWLkCePRGIv_7wU-6E3MbKixQWhSX_RPXGgIaGZEktRmzotPffki6MBrG1dguC6c4MagUAwF3epdsKhsVYd2anw_7CqUxgoNK5DBZqs656lDAquGLHz9B1sFJ44ogc1FfGBDLEEqqxc1ylt7s87xlA/w480-h640/IMG_5759.JPG" title="Spearhead" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb2X8n8toxOBIpXKcLFwrBNWQLd4-Wu29v0hTb3IKVQQuZvDRh1qVCzeSlrhuKasZGo6MC7NFf7nRl7-thmcMGrsCJlXNaqgkPoDeBTy7envhfeMS_n-BCjgluMl6jJOwsagz2jyI079I0PFnjWzZzPiaUZSMFO19TDjPqVM-GrFRnBqAJ5Vh0RocRw/s3737/IMG_5761.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2803" data-original-width="3737" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb2X8n8toxOBIpXKcLFwrBNWQLd4-Wu29v0hTb3IKVQQuZvDRh1qVCzeSlrhuKasZGo6MC7NFf7nRl7-thmcMGrsCJlXNaqgkPoDeBTy7envhfeMS_n-BCjgluMl6jJOwsagz2jyI079I0PFnjWzZzPiaUZSMFO19TDjPqVM-GrFRnBqAJ5Vh0RocRw/w640-h480/IMG_5761.JPG" title="Spearhead" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Above was our view from the table. We went home and had nibbles on the patio. I got their dog in the pic so I'm happy. 😊</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QwjdsZbNY0_oYq6CyrvmFZ-dXv-V_sCSP7tL4UFK9ewuRKc2Iy5tqMJRdtY8BRlKG1rHTvou0C9hVRB_I-MhrPgoTRXImbmfE9CTi7d9hyYC4P9GxuDigA3jnAq-0Qnlb8CHwyD0sMPLHII_i_FYHDZwr74Vx2N2z4S41H-VTCseYXKPNwruZ1Lu_g/s3660/IMG_5762.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2716" data-original-width="3660" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QwjdsZbNY0_oYq6CyrvmFZ-dXv-V_sCSP7tL4UFK9ewuRKc2Iy5tqMJRdtY8BRlKG1rHTvou0C9hVRB_I-MhrPgoTRXImbmfE9CTi7d9hyYC4P9GxuDigA3jnAq-0Qnlb8CHwyD0sMPLHII_i_FYHDZwr74Vx2N2z4S41H-VTCseYXKPNwruZ1Lu_g/w640-h474/IMG_5762.JPG" title="Appetizers" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And T made her own dough to craft a tomato, goat cheese galette together. Yum. I felt so pampered. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzGu0S4ZoJZ2186oBUexU1HMpL3ueE4J-tzZ-Ag-hXiFqyM4TPr43Z4WQewMkNMwOdlVZaAKO9vE5PqkWFTAU2zq6MOMuQQB75PzDCyyxg6QGTFQvDd_mepnR9sqSeWdrcK65aT_-qHvXrdHbprxIbH5LdoORPuDT_qr4tzPgN2qvmyj8VjHPFsTztw/s4032/IMG_5764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzGu0S4ZoJZ2186oBUexU1HMpL3ueE4J-tzZ-Ag-hXiFqyM4TPr43Z4WQewMkNMwOdlVZaAKO9vE5PqkWFTAU2zq6MOMuQQB75PzDCyyxg6QGTFQvDd_mepnR9sqSeWdrcK65aT_-qHvXrdHbprxIbH5LdoORPuDT_qr4tzPgN2qvmyj8VjHPFsTztw/w640-h480/IMG_5764.JPG" title="Goat Cheese Tomato Galette" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We watched a couple more episodes of "The Bear" and then everyone went to sleep early. I had my alarm set for 7:30am.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Wednesday, September 21, 2022:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was ready and on time to leave at 9 am. It took us a half hour to YLW and I said my goodbyes until next time. I was received by the airport again:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrcFoEoiJfsgTVO2QGB2AkKphhHkxwRUiob-pSJjcP9cClYtgdy5_JlFKbonjkMIXFdR3izTUnpxHyLz9cMNcVTzIQetNDBBOUK66x1Md_3b77plF2Addz_kVPo7CFd7NAof28wiNYYFR8hXcSMmG9uU9TkH6EB3mKbvwXZebiSa1KYNG8AvnI8Wf2w/s3283/IMG_5767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3283" data-original-width="2967" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrcFoEoiJfsgTVO2QGB2AkKphhHkxwRUiob-pSJjcP9cClYtgdy5_JlFKbonjkMIXFdR3izTUnpxHyLz9cMNcVTzIQetNDBBOUK66x1Md_3b77plF2Addz_kVPo7CFd7NAof28wiNYYFR8hXcSMmG9uU9TkH6EB3mKbvwXZebiSa1KYNG8AvnI8Wf2w/w578-h640/IMG_5767.JPG" title="Kelowna Airport" width="578" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was through security pretty quick so had over an hour to kill before boarding. I stood in line for White Spot restaurant which is a place I took my son to every payday when he was a child for years. We still go together but maybe only once a year or so now. Anyway, I ordered eggs benny and thoroughly enjoyed them. I had a glass of champagne and it was only $7. Unheard of at airports! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y4EQkFkW2cuPKJrFk6f7O3pRWe_b9eNzvzR95yICNFmPTf9dS_UiSzwSSUaOo9baxYmCL4tGMbGP_u0x0rVFeYiyB13IMnhN6M_P3JbHUxtYxI6UBLA672HqFpFhn3EyTStbBiKYQtp8DvpSsSOYcVM4-w4fpUDAtyEqhv8qjNfaSbmoI0bqu_NOeQ/s3325/IMG_5769.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3325" data-original-width="2871" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y4EQkFkW2cuPKJrFk6f7O3pRWe_b9eNzvzR95yICNFmPTf9dS_UiSzwSSUaOo9baxYmCL4tGMbGP_u0x0rVFeYiyB13IMnhN6M_P3JbHUxtYxI6UBLA672HqFpFhn3EyTStbBiKYQtp8DvpSsSOYcVM4-w4fpUDAtyEqhv8qjNfaSbmoI0bqu_NOeQ/w552-h640/IMG_5769.JPG" title="Eggs Benny" width="552" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I saw a shop by my gate selling wine and had a sign outside of it saying "if you don't have to go through security again, you can bring it home". I guess I could have grabbed a bottle after all. Anyway, then my gate announced there was a delay due to an broken aircraft on the runway. We were about 10 minutes late boarding when they announced everything was fine. I was home exactly the time I was supposed to be, 12:20pm. As I was walking to catch the skytrain home, I saw they had Rideshare pickup at the airport now. That was new since my last trip so I summoned an Uber. It cost me $25 pre-tip. I was home by 1pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had a great time, it was nice to get away and feel like a person again. While there were no masks anywhere other than airport, I felt okay as we sat outside and didn't hover in crowds anywhere. I hope to drive to Kelowna some time so I can cart a bunch of wine home with me. I guess we'll see...and Naramata captured my heart. I'd like to stay there for a day or two as well. <b><u><a href="https://winebc.com/industry/media/quick-facts/" target="_blank">This link</a></u></b> has all the facts about B.C. wines and I found it interesting. I thought the telescope "wine bottle" was clever below. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyRDhZ7ysZP6oOTIc0XeQjb-pn4wyjsWXCVCpvjy21PITOyOEzYhXKr-z_hOZz7ATEirOdzFHym9SiC-vFe1nutp4VA_nlOtdnjmeLCWqQ4hjowH1SIX-T3620FpqNoBXx06qwXq4fEtZvVw7tUE9rM1SGawhbmsYFIO6-WceEq_JsJT5f7UnriaQ9w/s3927/IMG_5749.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyRDhZ7ysZP6oOTIc0XeQjb-pn4wyjsWXCVCpvjy21PITOyOEzYhXKr-z_hOZz7ATEirOdzFHym9SiC-vFe1nutp4VA_nlOtdnjmeLCWqQ4hjowH1SIX-T3620FpqNoBXx06qwXq4fEtZvVw7tUE9rM1SGawhbmsYFIO6-WceEq_JsJT5f7UnriaQ9w/w480-h640/IMG_5749.JPG" title="At Fitzpatrick's" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And finally, this meme makes me laugh because it's really how I felt before this trip:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSvT1S8cUZ8Lj3FPCrhEFaHfn4Lilgr-76ngGUMqe9MiGf6XWIVPx-Ry976BZpq0UW5jADdlUHSdgrdeqmmwSV3t10BtkWn7AQkmrhaoIAQFyvhCRyPTZtGEug4Z5ypyu9wxKCrhKrkc45h2zvynnKP85rG36rdQ3woOzcv8s4AM4Gn7YAEa4vetkEw/s581/Screenshot%202022-12-07%20153204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="581" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSvT1S8cUZ8Lj3FPCrhEFaHfn4Lilgr-76ngGUMqe9MiGf6XWIVPx-Ry976BZpq0UW5jADdlUHSdgrdeqmmwSV3t10BtkWn7AQkmrhaoIAQFyvhCRyPTZtGEug4Z5ypyu9wxKCrhKrkc45h2zvynnKP85rG36rdQ3woOzcv8s4AM4Gn7YAEa4vetkEw/w640-h638/Screenshot%202022-12-07%20153204.png" title="Meme" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Kelowna, BC, Canada49.8879519 -119.496010621.577718063821152 -154.6522606 78.198185736178843 -84.3397606tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-66054525727865795232019-11-19T09:02:00.000-08:002019-11-21T10:25:35.106-08:00Huatulco Trip Report - November 10 - 17, 2019I haven't really got Huatulco out of my mind since our first <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2017/11/huatulco-trip-report-november-7-14-2017.html" target="_blank">trip/visit</a></u></b> there in 2017. In late January I found a great deal and we booked it right away. We even got our own rooms which was awesome. The price couldn't be beat. My friend mentioned that now we had to wait 9 months and literally a baby could be born in that time. I told her to make sure she bought trip insurance then... 😉 This trip was going to make me see if I wanted to spend most of my vacation time here when I retire... I am thinking this time of year, and for a month or so. Anyway, I am 54 and my friend is 43.<br />
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I was happy I didn't have to fly Sunwing as well. I did wonder after we booked whether WestJet would charge for luggage as they seem to nickel and dime to death now (my gut said they would even though it was an International flight - and they did, $30 per bag). Sunwing includes luggage though the weight limit is less than regular airlines. We both really enjoyed this time of year last visit just before busy season gets in full swing. We didn't have all-inclusive and that was fine for us. We booked Expedia for this trip.<br />
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For us, that price was definitely in our budget and direct flights were awesome. We could have got this cheaper if we took 2 flights each way. I converted $1200 CAD to MXN at a foreign exchange office and got $16,200.00 pesos. It took me an hour to sort/divide/budget and put into daily amounts, lol. Felt good when I finished though and I had a WAD of cash it looked like... 😊</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, November 10th:</u></b></div>
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I always drive my son to work on Sundays as transit isn't running here for when his shift starts. That means, I did today and was home at 6am, ready and waiting for my friend to share the taxi to the airport. I was expecting her for 6:30. She was on time and away we went. Westjet was super busy, 3 flights going to Mexico all within minutes of each other. Security was busy, getting a coffee impossible and then we were delayed almost an hour due to passengers from Alberta being late because of snow storm there. We departed about 10am and flight was 5 hours and 40 minutes long. We were last off the plane too as the front and back were open and we were right in the middle.</div>
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At least we got green lights from customs when we had our turn, we were fully expecting to get red. It was dark though when we exited. Tough travel day. We were zapped from it as both of us only got 3 hours sleep the night before. Taxi cost $450 pesos ($31 CAD) directly from airport. We tipped him with $100 pesos. My crap weighed a ton, it seemed...</div>
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Check in was fine and they upgraded us to pool view rooms for free. 3rd floor, no elevator but some kind gent did take our luggage up. I tipped him $50 pesos for mine. Room was HUGE! Full living room and dining area, 2 double beds upstairs. She had same room as I, one door away. She was 305 (right beside stairwell) and I 307. </div>
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We requested mini-fridges. I tipped him the same as the gent who carried my bags. He was huffing and puffing when he arrived at my door with the fridge on his shoulder. Poor guy. My friend and I agreed to meet for dinner in a short time after settling in a little. She said she had showered so I asked how it worked. She made me laugh out loud when she replied with, "Well, you gotta run around to try and get wet", meaning the water pressure was bad. With no plans, we just stopped at a hotel (Alikar) on Chahue that had a restaurant. In hindsight, we should have just ate at our own hotel but there was not a sole person in there so it didn't occur to me they were open for dinner.</div>
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Complimentary chips and salsa (HOT!) Below is my friend's margarita</div>
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Beef Tlayuda which had lettuce, tomato, avocado, Oaxaca cheese and beef in it. It was huge!</div>
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Above, the tortilla soup was the texture of porridge, so it was a little off putting. Flavor was good, but one note only.</div>
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Beef tacos - very good</div>
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I had a Victoria beer. Total was about $300 pesos ($21 CAD) before tip. Really can't complain and we couldn't finish the meal. Way too much food for us. No English was spoken here, but we managed okay. We love that, it's like constant charades. </div>
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Unfortunately those beautiful flowers didn't have any scent. We went back to the hotel. We saw a bar by the pool. Just hard alcohol and soda mixers. We got a drink, asked how much and he said free but nodded to his tip basket. So, we gave $20 pesos each. </div>
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The pool stays open till 11pm they said. We sat by it and then retired to bed for the evening.</div>
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<b><u>Monday, November 11th:</u></b></div>
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We were up early and our plan was to walk over to the "<b><u><a href="https://www.chedraui.com.mx/" target="_blank">Super Che</a></u></b>". First I stopped and filled my water bottle. It was by the ice machine. They give you 1 litre of water and then tell you to refill it here. Good idea but it was hot when it came out and I was not crazy for the taste after the first few sips either. </div>
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We were looking forward to getting our "shop on". </div>
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And we did, mine was $2351.72 or $161.16 CAD. Not bad for having 3 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of sparkling wine, 1 bottle of tequila and a 6 pack of beer. Got random toiletries I had forgot. Also had enough food for the week that would fit in the mini fridge, water bottles and fried chicken! (Below). AND, lots of dried chilies and spices to take home. Really great shop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCORoBNGPXCETa10xWAj4TupEJ_Wg9pxAk3T-f7R2yHvb-plHiJkydx7azslrB8FZA7whcwh4VP_WZtCxkF_IiLnRIiq4uGUZeVDEZTNQcXnABJmc3qq3nXcZOkDlIQS3ONBSfqQcKYBp1/s1600/IMG_3880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1447" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCORoBNGPXCETa10xWAj4TupEJ_Wg9pxAk3T-f7R2yHvb-plHiJkydx7azslrB8FZA7whcwh4VP_WZtCxkF_IiLnRIiq4uGUZeVDEZTNQcXnABJmc3qq3nXcZOkDlIQS3ONBSfqQcKYBp1/s640/IMG_3880.JPG" width="578" /></a></div>
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We had to taxi back. Fare was $35 pesos this year. It was $30 last visit. Still a steal! We would always give $50, 60 or 70 pesos depending on the driver or if we had items they helped with. Again some nice gent carried my groceries up for me and they were heavy. I tipped him $50 pesos. We made lunch in my room as it was cool in there. P.S. The WiFi worked fine in our rooms, we had no issues with it at all. We decided, as hot and humid as it was to walk down to the Castillo and have a walk around the shops by the marina. Didn't see anyone we recognized at the Castillo so we continued on. I was beet red, sweaty and our clothes were sticky now. </div>
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I bought my son a T-shirt and got suckered into buying some cinnamon chocolates for $150 pesos ($10 CAD). My friend bought a silver ring that she loved and that shop owner remembered us. Asked us why we didn't come last year. It was so hot it was time to go have a drink. We got escorted by someone as soon as hit the beach area. Below is the view from our table.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFADaLSmBAGOH7n5SaMvXRh2aCQkL24PI8xPs29Ghyphenhyphen3PKDiJM601OIgVwId0eFR46-E5GLl5pwY63zXsTfKAVUMrM4F_REHtEfCUqrWu6ON8YEOKeV2Ek040SjaKgyX5R3Ek3FsTKly0Ms/s1600/IMG_3881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFADaLSmBAGOH7n5SaMvXRh2aCQkL24PI8xPs29Ghyphenhyphen3PKDiJM601OIgVwId0eFR46-E5GLl5pwY63zXsTfKAVUMrM4F_REHtEfCUqrWu6ON8YEOKeV2Ek040SjaKgyX5R3Ek3FsTKly0Ms/s640/IMG_3881.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We remarked how we never went to this beach once when we stayed at the Castillo. But of course, we did all-inclusive so we went to their beach club as everything was included. It was lovely here and we ordered margaritas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85PRgTj3VAUF2A7QyOUG8hfG5brgyYYsT-VsTMRKngMcZJH6wDaEySlMRVGHap3WEXUP8mzzQmuuz-nZ9j7Ub9vNNX_EXlSWpyPfrIU5hObL944K0yTS25UvrDtyhRF6ex_1W_lMk6zR6/s1600/IMG_3882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85PRgTj3VAUF2A7QyOUG8hfG5brgyYYsT-VsTMRKngMcZJH6wDaEySlMRVGHap3WEXUP8mzzQmuuz-nZ9j7Ub9vNNX_EXlSWpyPfrIU5hObL944K0yTS25UvrDtyhRF6ex_1W_lMk6zR6/s640/IMG_3882.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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$150 pesos or $10.30 CAD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_kNARkNAr46iWti4zZ50rnqfiIyHTH8CQfduP7rfoc6diq0FfA7UbiJhgtCe4KJXA2YX8iHzT_IUrFFlXz74rKFPqbT_QAj36rKEmzepSU6BPJAYwBkmSXPZcKz-1xVVB-vrK1ecB8NC/s1600/IMG_3884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_kNARkNAr46iWti4zZ50rnqfiIyHTH8CQfduP7rfoc6diq0FfA7UbiJhgtCe4KJXA2YX8iHzT_IUrFFlXz74rKFPqbT_QAj36rKEmzepSU6BPJAYwBkmSXPZcKz-1xVVB-vrK1ecB8NC/s640/IMG_3884.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A couple got engaged on the beach. He dropped to one knee and proposed. Great audience for it and it was fun to watch. No pictures of it though.</div>
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It was too hot to walk back so $35 peso cab it was. My friend said she was heading to the pool. I elected to sit and have a drink in my cool room instead. I looked at my pool view from the balcony while she was down there, she had the whole pool to herself - waved hello to her.</div>
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We had dinner plans at 7pm for <b><u><a href="http://misiondelosarcos.website/?page_id=1775&lang=en" target="_blank">Terra Cotta</a></u></b> in La Crucecita. $35 peso taxi and we were there. They have A/C which was very welcome. We ordered Sangrita, but liked the way the Castillo served them much better - shot of Resposado. Tomato & orange juice with Tabasco in another shot glass. This one was like a Caesar drink...and they put way too much Worcestershire sauce in my friends. Hers was black! Mine is below and hers was twice as dark as mine. We explained to the waiter as best we could. He finally said "too much mix?". Told the bartenders but didn't bring her a new drink. Oh well, we tried.</div>
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I ordered an appy of shrimp cups. They were very tasty, but before one was gone, dinner was served. I like it when service waits until you finish before setting the next course down.</div>
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220 grams beef tenderloin seared with Oaxacan coffee and chili ancho crust covered in creamy brandy sauce ($279 pesos or $19 CAD)<br />
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Dorado fish fillet covered with creamy mushroom sauce with spinach, bacon and Parmesan cheese ($249 pesos or $17 CAD)</div>
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We were both very pleased with our meals. I had the Dorado. While very good, I just didn't like that it smelled fishy but it tasted fine. We couldn't finish so packed it to go. We headed over to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlfredosHuatulco/" target="_blank">Alfredo's</a></u></b> and had a drink. Not much going on there. Was hoping for live music but no. Pretty quiet around town actually. We stopped at his <b><u><a href="https://thats-amore-italian-gelato-crepes-waffles.business.site/" target="_blank">wife's place</a></u></b> and got a small gelato. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOBsOcrmeb9QGQzKi3kstMB_O-84Epjl9wPzE9gCZFZHmb3TkM3UM7erok-utW7N3CDXqHKY3XZzZsrgPYR-fOSMEjiLvBAHmksd0WPelKJxhIsnR7u0dEmb-_4Dwh0AxR7OtNRqbyHw7/s1600/IMG_3906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1449" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOBsOcrmeb9QGQzKi3kstMB_O-84Epjl9wPzE9gCZFZHmb3TkM3UM7erok-utW7N3CDXqHKY3XZzZsrgPYR-fOSMEjiLvBAHmksd0WPelKJxhIsnR7u0dEmb-_4Dwh0AxR7OtNRqbyHw7/s640/IMG_3906.JPG" width="578" /></a></div>
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Delish. I got pistachio. My friend got "Ferrero Rocher" and I think it was $50 pesos ($3.40) for both of them. It was just the right amount and a nice way to finish dinner.</div>
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$35 peso cab back to our hotel. We went to my room for some drinks. This is the last picture I took...</div>
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Ummmm, a couple of those and much more drinks later, we called it a night about 3am...</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 12th:</u></b></div>
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Well this day was a write off for me. I was nauseous as hell. My friend said she was going to the pool. She kindly brought a Bailey's coffee to my door. I drank that, had a piece of chicken and a Pacifico beer. Then I went directly back to bed with the DND on my door. I didn't mind the bed, I've slept in worse...a little firm but my bones didn't ache from it when I woke up. </div>
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About 4pm, I heard my phone beep with a message. It was from her, checking in. I told her I'd be ready for dinner at 6pm. Shower made me feel almost human again, but I was still very much under the weather. I didn't get up till 5:30 so made it to her room about 6:20 or so. She had got lots of sun and said she spent the whole day at the pool and had crashed for a while there. We had a glass of wine and then walked over to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RocotoHux/" target="_blank">Rocoto</a></u></b> restaurant for dinner. Just a short 5 minute walk from our hotel. Reservations are a must here as it is very small and always busy. </div>
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Love the salsas here. One Habanero and the other Chile de Arbol. </div>
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Margarita</div>
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Below, I had carpaccio as my first course. It was very good - $10 CAD.</div>
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My friend said her poke was swimming in soy sauce and therefore way too salty. $9 CAD.</div>
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The tortilla soup was my favorite item of the night. It had shrimp in it too. Sooo tasty. Highly recommend. </div>
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We only had a few bites of entrees and then got them packed up to go. I had the chop - $14 CAD. Both of us found our dishes seasoned well, but heavy on the salt. </div>
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My friend actually ordered the crab last time we dined here and had it again tonight because she remembered it fondly. However, this time she said there were tiny bits of shell throughout which didn't make it pleasant. </div>
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I had only managed to drink half of my margarita, so I had a coffee. We both ordered dessert. I did not like my chocolate cup thingy below. She had coconut rice pudding and I think that may have been her favorite course of them all, but I forgot to take a picture. </div>
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She enjoyed her 2 Pisco Sour drinks. I figured it out that before tip, it worked out to $47 CAD each. Very reasonable. We walked back to the hotel. We were going to have a drink in the bar, but it was muggy and humid and I wasn't feeling it. </div>
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We retired to our rooms and I went right back to bed.</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, November 13th:</u></b></div>
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Today we were up early and I felt 100% better. At 9:30 we got a taxi to Playa Maguey. That was $70 pesos ($4.80 CAD) before tip. We were first spotted and escorted down the flights of stairs by "Nino" from "El Costeno". He set us up with loungers. The water was very rough on this side of the beach...it was very quiet though - hardly any people at this time of the morning.</div>
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I got face planted coming out of the water here. I walked to the other side and it was much much calmer, so we decided to move. Nino understood and walked us over to our new base camp "El Pescador" and made sure we got looked after. We had a visitor beside us for a while so shared our water with him.</div>
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The ocean was so much gentler here. Just divine and the odd fish or two would swim by. </div>
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By noon this beach was packed. </div>
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Boats started coming and dropping hoards of people as well. The gal beside me had a coconut drink.</div>
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It was time to order lunch. </div>
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My friend ordered tuna salad and I, campechana (seafood cocktail). </div>
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Everything was delicious and we were hungry, but barely made a dent in it. Later, I did buy some mango slices from a vendor. $30 pesos I think? I got them with chili. Very good.</div>
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A full brass band entertained the masses as well.</div>
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The water was rising and we couldn't sit in the loungers any longer, waves were splashing up. We had a full day of sun and fun so we departed. Staff gave us their business card and asked us to return tomorrow. Probably because we had a $1,000.00 peso tab. 😉 We got fantastic service here and enjoyed our day immensely! If we looked at any staff, they noticed and came running over to us. We felt like royalty and so spoiled. </div>
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We walked over to Nino's place to see if there was a cleaner bathroom and to have one final drink before departing. Nino took me over to the baño and paid for my paper - $5 pesos. I walked back and ordered a Don Julio "Sangrita". </div>
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A couple watching me have my first sip of the tequila broke out laughing and imitated me. I guess I did the "shiver me timbers" face and head shake, lol. Nino asked us to return tomorrow too. We said maybe, and we meant it. We climbed the stairs up and taxis were lined up waiting for people. </div>
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We went and showered. Oh, I bought a fan for $70 pesos ($4.83 CAD) from a beach vendor today and it worked like a hot damn! Loved it!</div>
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We walked back over to "Super Che" and had another look around and my friend needed a couple of things. I saw the Bailey's below and contemplated buying it for my son. Didn't this time but the week wasn't over...</div>
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We walked back and had dinner in the hotel. We were started with some pico and guacamole that was very good.</div>
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I started with Caesar salad and my friend had shrimp bisque. The salad would have been great if not for the dressing which dominate flavor was mustard. That wasn't enjoyable. On the other hand, the bisque was excellent. </div>
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For entrees my friend chose some weird "Brie cheese, cabbage salad". I went with one of the "catch of the days" which was red snapper and I chose garlic & butter as the prep for it. My friend admitted the salad was indeed strange but I loved mine. It was simplicity at its best. Service was fantastic and we had a nice bottle of Californian wine as well for about $1,000.00 pesos ($70 CAD) and tipped our server $300 pesos ($20). Nowhere would do separate checks for us. At the most they'd manually separate them. But it was just as easy for me to do that, so I carried my pen with me so we could divide our totals up. Never saw tax on any of the bills so that made it easier...</div>
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They had live music playing tonight too. </div>
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They had a big tip jar that was empty. They were talented, she had a lovely voice, so we left them a little something, $100 pesos. And with that we went to my room for some more wine, then went our separate ways and went off to sleep.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, November 14th:</u></b></div>
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I woke up and wanted breakfast, my friend did not. I looked at the buffet at the hotel, but for $250 pesos ($17 CAD), I wasn't feeling it, I just wanted a simple plate. One of the servers recommended I go over to <b><u><a href="https://www.edencosta.com/restaurant_lechalote.htm" target="_blank">L'Echalote</a></u></b>, which we went to last visit for fondue. </div>
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It was just behind our hotel. I was seated in the A/C and had the whole restaurant to myself with great 80's music playing. </div>
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Below is what I got with coffee and fresh squeezed O.J. for $135 pesos ($9.30 CAD) before tip. Wow and it was delicious. I ordered Chorizo Chilaquiles. </div>
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We decided to go back to Playa Santa Cruz this morning. Took a taxi as it was another warm day. This time we walked along until we saw where we wanted to sit first. That was near the right end, where the ground was flat and we wouldn't have to be sitting slanted which is really painful in those plastic chairs after days. My tailbone always aches when visiting places with bad chairs. It was called "Frente Al Mar". Our server Isaac set up some loungers for us in front of our table. He told us that was $100 pesos ($6.70 CAD) more. We asked him why the U.S. Coast Guard was here and he said "looking for drug smuggling bandidos". He said the Canada Coast Guard also comes for the same reason. </div>
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The water was beautiful and calm today. We ordered wine by the bottle and got some snacks later. The pico de gallo was good.<br />
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We were entertained by more live music. Below, these guys were great. They collected tips after their performance.<br />
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We bought flan from one of the vendors on the beach, and it was delicious. Caramelized top, cold and refreshing. And it wasn't salty. My oh my, did we ever notice how everything was over salted on our food journey this trip! I've probably gained at least 5 lbs in water retention.<br />
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I thought <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cafe-Huatulco-527409467311927/" target="_blank">Cafe Huatulco</a></u></b> came over and I bought beans for my son. We went there every day when we stayed at the Castillo and loved the place and its coffee. However, now that I'm home and I notice it wasn't from them. 😥 Anyway, the beans smell good anyway so we'll see if he enjoys them. $20 CAD for the bag below which I'm guessing is at least 908 grams?<br />
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Another vendor came over selling boat trips. We decided we'd do it and go to San Agustin, and that would be on Saturday, our final day here. I was feeling no pain at this point, so even when he showed me his boat was exactly like "Captain Bruno's" who we chose last visit, I ignored that fact. I would regret that...<br />
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Paco told us to meet at this restaurant at 10am. With that we settled up the tab, which was about $1000 pesos again and tipped Issac well. We asked him about Paco and he said he was fine. He said he just didn't have very good English. With that we invited him to go on our trip Saturday as he had better English than Paco and he agreed. He was smirking though so I didn't think he would, and then he pushed us to come early and have breakfast first so I thought he was drumming up more business...Another glorious beach day was in the books.<br />
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<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lartilleriacafe/" target="_blank">Dinner</a></u></b> tonight was in La Crucecita. I had read this guy did Mexico City street food, so was interested.<br />
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The setting looked like it had a good vibe too, and it did. My term would be "funky".<br />
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We ordered a bottle of wine (vino tinto - we requested that a lot this week. The funny thing is that everywhere always served it cold and the beaches even iced it down before they brought it to us! So strange, but we got used to it and it even helped if the wine was bad.) and then let the owner (Otto) decide our meal. He was a character. His English was excellent and he was full of stories. He served us Mushroom Quesadillas, below.<br />
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He also served us some kind of pork sandwich below. I can't remember how he said it though, so unfortunately don't know the name for it. He did say this was exactly what you would get for street food in Mexico city...<br />
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We stopped after these 2 dishes. My friend liked the pork dish best while I liked the mushroom one. Bill was only around $500 pesos ($34 CAD) before tip. Very pleasant dining experience.<br />
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We strolled around town for a bit, bought vanilla for our friends at home, but that sun and beach were knackering us so we didn't stay too long. Took taxi from main square back to hotel...<br />
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<b><u>Friday, November 15th:</u></b><br />
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Today was <b><u><a href="http://www.seasoulhuatulco.com/" target="_blank">beach club</a></u></b> day, but with an infinity pool. This showed a 6 minute walk on google maps. Asking best way to walk there was another matter, however....<br />
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The map showed it was behind "Elektra" which is really close to the hotel, but hotel staff sent me the other way towards Rocoto. It was a scorcher outside today too. So, we stopped and asked at different hotels, shops, etc. and finally found our way there. We were trying for 10am but got there at 10:30! We took the looooong way there...<br />
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We struggled to find the entrance as well. The owner, Darren came out and said he saw us on the security camera. Thank goodness he did! We paid $500 pesos ($34 CAD) for the day each. That included a $200 pesos credit to <b><u><a href="http://www.seasoulhuatulco.com/?portfolio=clios-huatulco-restuarant" target="_blank">Clio's restaurant</a></u></b> each. Darren gave us towels, showed us around and <b>WOW</b>, we had the place to ourselves pretty much. Pool overlooked Playa Chahue which was rough with red flag as it was last time we visited. He did show us how to get there if we wanted though...<br />
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The pool was cold and refreshing. Only a couple of others were around us the whole day so it was pretty special. It was also my friend's first time being in an infinity pool so I was happy I found this place. They put up an umbrella for us, got us drinks (mimosas) and we were in heaven. The facility itself was immaculate. Beautiful clean bathrooms, showers, all kinds of exercise equipment and gyms around, like a high end health spa. They even do cooking classes too along with yoga, exercise classes in the pool, etc. Below is penis cacti for your viewing pleasure too 😉<br />
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We went inside for lunch as it was quite breezy by the pool. Breeze was welcome but not for eating.<br />
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What makes me laugh is my friend ordered Eggs Benedict and I ordered Huevos Benedictinos, the Spanish one. When served, we both got the same thing - it was then I realized that one side of the menu was English and the other side Spanish, LOL. Eggs Benny sounds better in Spanish, just sayin'. 😊<br />
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Some kind of sweet corn bread cake and watermelon/papaya skewers</div>
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Mine was with ham, below hers is with bacon</div>
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Eggs were poached perfectly as we asked. Faultless dish. However, they did run out of Champagne at this point. We asked what a bottle of red wine cost? They showed us a bottle - wasn't great looking wine (we tried it last visit) and then said they didn't know. They phoned Darren but he was busy, and then came back after we had finished brunch and were in the pool saying it was $754 pesos ($52 CAD)! We declined and stuck to the $80 peso ($5.50 CAD) glasses of it. The most we have paid for a bottle dining out at restaurants and beach clubs is $450 pesos ($31 CAD). </div>
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In the afternoon we had to seek cover. The other 2 people who were there did as well. I was frying. I could feel my skin on fire! I used almost a full spray can of sunblock 30 and it felt like I had nothing on. I turned 10 shades darker today.</div>
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Anyway, our view changed. We settled our tab which with discount was about $700 pesos ($48 CAD) before tip. We tipped all restaurants, beach service or not 20%, minimum like we do at home. We tipped our maid $70 pesos ($4.80 CAD) each day. We left about 4pm and then got a taxi. We realized we were right beside the Castillo beach club and Quinta Bella. WOW, so easy but so hard to get there this morning. The cab drove us back for a couple blocks - right behind the Elektra. Oh well, it was better than walking in that sun at this point anyway... Another lovely day spent. For dinner this evening we went next door to the hotel to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mama-Elsa-Hamburguesas-1481886112034038/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">Mama Elsa Hamburguesas</a>. What a darling place!</div>
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We had been craving burgers since we saw this place earlier in the week. I got mine with chorizo. </div>
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Wow, it was great, all you want in a burger! Service was nice and friendly, welcoming like you are family. With our vino tinto I think it was around $300 pesos ($21 CAD) for all. We walked over to "Super Che" for stuff for our boat cruise tomorrow and I got my son the <i>limited</i> Tres Leches Baileys. Then we retired as we wanted to feel good and rested for the day tomorrow. I was itchy and crispy and all my bones ached now...</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, November 16th (a.ka. Last Day):</u></b></div>
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We met in the lobby at 9:45 and got taxi back to Santa Cruz marina. It was slow getting there today. We learned later because it was a National holiday and on Saturdays they also have the farmer's market as well. We were sorry we couldn't stroll through the market. We saw Isaac right away and he got Paco. I was honestly surprised that Issac was going but he said he was even though he was working today. I'll explain that later... Anyway, it took quite a while for Paco to run around and get snorkel gear, and ice. We left somewhere around close to 11am. As soon as I saw the boat and remembered last trip, I regretted my decision...</div>
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I like comfy seats and clean boats, lol. The life jacket I had to put on was <i>really</i> worn and pē-‘ū stinky. I could barely bring myself to put it on. I am kind of a princess in that way, judge me if you want, lol. My friend loves these boats and has no problem with it or the life jackets that live on the rusty boat floor. We are polar opposites in that way... We were finally off for our day!</div>
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It was really rough going out and after an hour or so I asked where our first stop was going to be? They took us to Playa la India. This was just a beer/pee in the ocean moment and to get off that boat. Sitting in it was killing my tail bone...so not what I wanted to do for that length of time... Issac mentioned that this beach used to be deserted but they now rented chairs (no loungers, no restaurants, no bathroom facilities) and umbrellas and charged $50 pesos a beer ($3.50), which was expensive compared to others...</div>
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Paco had caught a needle fish while we were on the water. Said he was going to make ceviche with it for us. Next stop was a small cove that for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of what they called it. They even spelled it for me. I should have wrote it down. Everything came off the boat and we were going to stay here a while and snorkel.</div>
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We all shared a bottle of champagne here. I had bought a rotisserie chicken from Super Che so we ate some of that as well. Issac had brought music through a blue tooth speaker so we had some 80's ballads as well. We did manage to find shade though there were tons of ants...ewwwww.....Paco reminded of a "Grizzly Adams" of the sea. He was comfortable in this environment and could definitely survive in it...</div>
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Issac found and gave me a piece of coral from the beach which I gave to my friend as I knew she would want it and she did.<br />
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Paco was missing for a bit, then we learned he was scrubbing the boat down so it would move faster.</div>
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I tried to take snorkeling pics, but I had trouble with my camera in the case I had bought for it. I thought I took many, but the only one I have is below and it was before I got under water. I guess when I thought I was pushing the photo button, I wasn't. Snorkeling was good here though the coral slightly grazed my knee when it got wavy and that freaked me out. I swam away after that. Anyway, I love the shot below.</div>
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And then we were off to San Agustin as our last stop. It was beautiful here as well.</div>
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We were seated at a table in a restaurant called "Three Brothers" or Los 3 Hermanos. They brought out the catches of the day and I selected the large red snapper, grilled $400 pesos ($27.50 CAD). I ordered some Pico and Guac as well. Paco went off to make the ceviche after he got our wine from the boat. </div>
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My friend paid $20 pesos to pose with an iguana.</div>
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And then we feasted! </div>
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The pico was made with habanero and baby it had a kick! Whew! The guac was soooo salty</div>
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Snapper was done perfectly</div>
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For the ceviche, he did a nice job with the seasoning though I didn't love the fish itself. Everyone else did though.</div>
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The salad was covered in salt</div>
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Apparently Paco got this shrimp dish comped because he brought our business to the restaurant. Issac had said he works for free and gets commission for what he brings in. He said when we visited he made $250 pesos from our tab and the tip we left him which was about the same. I noticed throughout the day, but especially at this point, that the 2 hombres might have thought they were getting more than a paid day by us tourists - maybe a "happy ending"? There was much innuendo and I was beyond tired of it at this point. I seriously thought about taking a taxi back by myself. I didn't, but I told them all I wanted to leave soon. My friend wanted to snorkel still so I obliged...she said it was fantastic and saw fishes with blue dots that glowed. I insisted I wanted to be back before dark as there was no light on the boat. Issac held his phone up like a flashlight. That did make me laugh out loud.</div>
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My friend and I settled the tab - $700 pesos ($48 CAD) and we left $200. Finally we departed back to Santa Cruz and it was an excruciating loooooong hour back for me. Paco stopped when he caught 2 more fish, black tuna this time. I was in so much pain from sitting in that boat chair. My friend was loving it so at least one of us having fun still. </div>
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It was dark when we arrived at the marina. We went back to hotel and showered. We met at 8 for dinner. We went back to <a href="https://www.edencosta.com/restaurant_lechalote.htm" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">L'Echalote</a>. Both of us were stiff and sore now and covered in aloe vera for our skin. We had a really nice bottle of wine for $380 pesos ($25 CAD). The amuse bouche was a piece of bread cut with a ring mold and cream cheese over top. Some fried beet strips as garnish.</div>
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Nicoise Salad - Tuna was SALTY, omg salty meaning inedible</div>
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Beef Bourguignon</div>
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Seafood Gratin</div>
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Both entrees were tasty but the gratin was ice cold. It had to go back to reheat and even after there will still cool spots. We went for dessert too. She had creme brulee and I had cheesecake. </div>
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I was so tired I don't even remember what the bill was. We both limped back to our rooms. They let us check out at 1pm tomorrow, so we agreed to meet then in the lobby. Zzzzzzzzz...</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, November 17th:</u></b></div>
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We stowed our luggage and checked out. We took a taxi to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cafe.Juanita.Huatulco/" target="_blank">Cafe Juanita</a></u></b> at Marina Chahue.</div>
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It has a scenic setting on the water. Brunch was $200 pesos ($14 CAD) for 3 courses, coffee and mimosa!</div>
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Above was our view from the patio. I told my friend to take a good look at the boats and told her next time we come back, that was the type of boat we were getting on. 😉</div>
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It was so relaxing here, life is good. Food and service top notch.<br />
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At 3:30 we asked them to call a taxi for us. We went back to the hotel to grab luggage and then carried on to airport. It was $200 pesos ($13.75 CAD) this year. It was $170 pesos last visit. </div>
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My luggage was soooo heavy I was worried about weight, but with no brains obviously, I moved the vanilla I had bought for friends at home into my carry on. Well, I watched that go down into a big bin when we went through security. Lucky I could buy it in duty free again though. But that was a waste of $30 CAD. </div>
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I have only good things to say about Villablanca hotel and location, location, location is dynamite. Maid service was always consistent, staff were friendly and very accommodating. I saw no bugs in my room. Room was well worn but clean enough. We didn't pay for luxury so didn't expect it. I spent all the pesos I brought and came home with about 300 of them when all was said and done. It allowed us to do and indulge in whatever we wanted without thought, really lived well for the week. </div>
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Another great trip and we will be back!!! Still so much more to see and do. Everyone, everywhere we went was gracious and friendly. Love it here, sore body and all. With that I will say, adiós por ahora...</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com1Santa María Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico15.8340071 -96.3199488000000215.803454599999998 -96.360289300000019 15.8645596 -96.279608300000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-50035155052438781242019-09-19T20:52:00.002-07:002022-08-15T17:20:20.728-07:00Barbados Trip Report - September 6 - 18, 2019I had a hard time picking this vacation. This was my annual trip with my son (he's 29 - gawd I'm getting old - 54) which we've done together since he was 6. We deliberated over Disney World, Maui, Jamaica and Barbados. We had pretty much decided on Maui because it was a direct flight for us, but when I went to book, I hesitated and wasn't sure I wanted to do it (We've been to Oahu a few times before and while we adore Hawaii, I just wasn't sure...). My friend told me to look at Barbados. It felt right to me immediately once I started exploring but when it finally came down to booking, I struggled between <b>All-Inclusive (AI)</b> or <b>Self-Catering (SC)</b> option.<br />
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AI tends to make me feel tied to the property to get my monies worth and I <b><i>always</i></b> get bored, especially if the price was high like this was for us. And there was a great difference in price. For the two of us, 11 full days (with flights) AI was $6250 CAD. If we chose SC, I found a <b><u><a href="https://www.coralsandsresort.com/" target="_blank">place</a></u></b> I liked for $3000 CAD for both of us. It had a complete kitchen and was also right on the beach. Grocery store was in walking distance and lots of good restaurants in that area (Worthing beach) too...<br />
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Personally, I love to explore the local food culture if possible. I wanted to do SC, but I also didn't want to be bogged down with all the research of it. But, I did it anyway - <i>unfortunately after I booked</i>... I flipped back and forth and forth and back on the decision. Research told me Barbados is expensive! Expect to pay over $20 CAD for an appetizer like soup or Caesar salad at high end place... I was using my calculator on my computer which does a currency conversion with the daily rate. 😲<br />
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Anyway, in the end, I sat my son down (he lets me do all the planning) and showed/explained both sides of our options. He said he wanted to try AI again as we hadn't done that for 10 years together and he wanted to see if he liked it now. He said he didn't mind if we left the resort every day and did something so we didn't feel stuck there. We chose <b><u><a href="https://sugarbaybarbados.com/" target="_blank">Sugar Bay Barbados</a></u></b>. Below pic is from their website.<br />
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The reviews of staff there won me over. We couldn't afford ocean view, so <i>Signature Room, Garden View</i> it was. I booked in March and the travel/cancellation insurance was another $350 CAD for both of us total.<br />
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Pic also provided by Sugar Bay</div>
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After I had done ALL the research, reading the TripAdvisor forum daily, by June, I knew I wished I booked the West Coast or closer to it for our first time - for calmer ocean water and fewer chances of <b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargassum" target="_blank">sargassum</a></u></b> (like rogue seaweed, in a nutshell). Trip was totally non-refundable and no changes allowed - Expedia, so there was no sense stressing about it, but I did anyway because it's my nature...never mind everything I read about humidity in September...I HATE humidity!!! I also was concerned about bugs that bite, as they seem to love me even though their love is unrequited...<br />
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I got some Barbados dollars (BBD) from a foreign exchange place by my office. $400 CAD got me $585 BBD. I also had a new Visa credit card that had no foreign exchange fee and no annual fee. I had about $300 or more of USD so brought that as well. Figured I'd tip with it since they take that currency there interchangeably with their own. At this time of writing two Barbados dollars equals one American dollar. One Canadian dollar equals $1.52 BBD. Well now, that was a longer preamble than I intended though it just skims all the thoughts in my head prior to this trip...Tropical Storm Dorian passed by and I followed it through as it turned to a CAT5 Hurricane - heartbreaking for the Bahamas 😢. With that and all my other worries, I don't remember ever being as anxiety ridden as I was before a vacation like I was for this one... on the bright side, writing it out here seemed to lessen my stress somewhat...we loaded up with "OFF - Deep Woods" and sunscreen and prepared to depart...<br />
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<b><u>Friday, September 6, 2019:</u></b><br />
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We both worked today. We had a red-eye out of Vancouver that left at 11:15pm that evening. First stop Toronto. I really don't like flying through other Canadian cities, especially coming home as they make you go through customs at your first point of entry back in Canada. They also make you get your luggage and go through screening/security again. It is not fun and my flight timelines were close. I only had an hour and fifteen minutes to do this on my return but WestJet insisted that was enough time to make my flight, so we would see...<br />
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I'm not going to lie, this was a tough day for me. Up at 5am and going until flight left. I can't sleep on red-eyes and this was no different...so 4 hours of sitting in the dark.<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, Sept. 7th:</u></b><br />
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Flight to Barbados left Toronto at 8:30am. I managed to doze, so maybe got 2 hours sleep with the 5 and half hour flight time. As we exited, it was HOT & humid, as expected. I felt like I was melting. I found a "red cap" fellow when going in and remembered the travel forum suggesting them, which was a good idea. He really helped navigate what we needed to do and got our luggage as well. Customs was easy and we walked through and handed our form somewhere else. Our "red hat" took us to the taxi dispatch where he gave us a slip of paper that was 37 BDS$ or $19 USD he said. "Red hat" took us to taxi and loaded our luggage in. I asked him his price. He explained it was tips and said $4 a bag was fine. We had 2 suitcases. I gave him $10 BBD. He laughed at the ten for some reason. I asked him why and he said it must be "old". I assured him it had come from foreign exchange so had to be legit. He just said he hadn't seen the bill before and mentioned he wanted new. I had no idea what he meant. Our cabbie Andrea gave us her card and let us know how we could reach her if we needed.<br />
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A bell hop came and assisted with our luggage and offered us a rum or fruit punch. Of course we chose rum. We checked in, had to fill out a form, leave a deposit on a credit card - $400 USD and then she tied our wrist bands which were our door keys. That was pretty ingenious and I quite liked that - all AI's and cruise ships should do it. Desk clerk told us room wasn't ready and to head to Colin's beach bar while we waited till 4pm (about a half hour). We stopped at the Concierge desk and made reservations for the Specialty restaurants. You cannot pre-book them, I tried by email before we left. We were entitled to 3 during our stay. We made one for the steakhouse at 8:30 this evening. Our first view below:<br />
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When we got to Colin's the gentleman behind the bar told us it was closed for the day. I let him know what we had been told and he said we had to go to the main buffet. I told him it was closed. He shook his head when he asked who told us to come here and explained we could get in to the buffet. We went over and it was indeed closed too, but you could get in by the bar. We sat down. Someone came over and asked if we had been helped. We said no and told him what had happened so far, and he said, "so you want to eat then?" I said "yes" and he sort of sighed but did service us. So far, I wasn't exactly feeling that welcome...we got a plate. Food was serviceable but not hot. We had a drink as well. The drinking water is fantastic here. And how nice not to have to drink bottled all the time! I loved that. By this time our room was ready. The bell hop took us over and was extremely friendly. I tipped him $5 BBD for our bags. I unpacked a little and then we dropped to the beds for a nap. I forgot to take room pictures, but will another day. They were done up lovely though with lots of fresh flowers and leaves strewn about.<br />
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We awoke and showered and felt much better. It was pitch black outside. We found our way to the front desk and asked them for help how to get to "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SizzleSteakhouse/" target="_blank">Sizzle</a></u></b>". They had someone escort us over.<br />
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OMG, it was sooooo HOT in here. I felt like a Popsicle in the sun. I can see where they got their name - you will sizzle in here. I could not stop sweating - it felt like having a constant hot flash. I guess only older ladies like myself will understand that. 😉 It took awhile before anyone acknowledged us (another couple arrived at the same time) and we just stood there uncomfortably. Finally a lady came by and waved us to sit at the bar. Service improved from there and we were seated shortly after.<br />
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This restaurant also serves outside customers that aren't staying at the hotel, so the menu has prices. We were offered better steaks for an up charge. We didn't tonight and decided we might at our next dinner. They brought us some bread. The dark one below is oat/molasses. I was surprised the butter was rock hard, but "duh", in a couple of minutes it was soft as can be...I had to go to the washroom to get paper towels to continue dabbing myself dry...<br />
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Son had the mahi mahi taco as his appy and it was fantastic. Probably best bite of the evening.<br />
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The bread below I subbed for my dessert. It was not memorable.<br />
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My appetizer followed. It was okay.<br />
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My entree is below with peppercorn gravy. I chose Bajan rice and corn as my side.<br />
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Everything was good. I didn't love the steak. Perhaps medium rare wasn't the way it should have been ordered, but I found it a little tough. I didn't end up eating much of it. It could have been from the heat too, it was making me kind of miserable. Son got salmon with fries and corn. It was really tasty and cooked perfect. The sauce was to die for. Really loved that.</div>
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I tipped $20 BBD and we headed back to the lobby. It is very, very dark at night in the complex and you have to be really careful while walking and pay attention to the ground and what's on it. I was surprised how poorly lit it is. </div>
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We made our way to the bar. The entertainment was finished, so we had a drink. Son had a "mudslide", below and said it was very good.</div>
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And with that, we called it a night and went to crash.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, September 8th:</u></b></div>
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We awoke early, showered and got ready for the day as we had an <b><u><a href="http://coconutcars.com/Tours/tour/360-tour/" target="_blank">Island tour</a></u></b> today that was picking us up at 9:30am. We went to the buffet for breakfast. Below, those black things are mushrooms. The eggs benny was cooked perfectly with a runny yolk. I think we timed it right as everything was hot and fresh. My son had a made-to-order omelette. We enjoyed it and service was terrific. The bar doesn't open till 10, but they have champagne for mimosas. </div>
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The birds flying around the dining room were a real problem though. Staff were very quick to pick up plates, but the birds were brave and everyone has to wave them off their tables at some point. Staff have to stand at the buffet station or else they would crawl all over it...<br />
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We exited at 9:10 and I was going to use the bathroom by the front desk. As soon as they saw me, they pointed out our tour driver. I told him my email confirmation said 9:30 pick up and he said, it should have said 9am. There was one other couple from England in the van. Our driver was Theo. He was a likable fellow and boy oh boy could he talk! He talked the entire time we were in that van and our day ended up being 7 & 1/2 hours!<br />
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Theo informed us this would be a circle island tour and would hit every parish except St. Thomas and St. George as they are inland. He said we would see every other spot along the coast. He told us Barbados was very religious, as he was and showed us almost every church on it, I think. He also showed us every school, every gas station every restaurant, etc. etc. etc. I can tell you one thing, if there was a Barbados "Jeopardy" game, Theo would kick your ass! He knew dates, names, government, businesses, agriculture, farming, history, etc. etc. You could tell he was very, very proud of his heritage and island. I liked that.<br />
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Our first stop where we could get out and take pictures was at Rihanna's house. He said her parents don't live there anymore, and that's not surprising, is it? He stopped EVERYWHERE, but I'm only going to show pictures where we actually got out of the van.<br />
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Behind that statue was a rum bar that sells the Cockspur "rum punch".<br />
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The next stop was in Speightstown where we had 15 minutes to wander. We went into PRC bakery which is well known for their Caribbean baking.<br />
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I got a "meat roll" (nice touch of spicy heat to it) which is what I'd call a sausage roll and son got a fruit pastry, (below). Both were delish.<br />
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I forgot to mention how impressed I was with "<b><u><a href="https://www.sandylane.com/" target="_blank">Sandy Lane</a></u></b>" when he briefly stopped there in St. James and told us all the history about it. Alas, it will never be in my budget to stay there. Below is a couple more shots of Speightstown.<br />
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Next stop was Little Bay in the parish of St. Lucy. This was stunning and there was a nice breeze. Ahhhh, so needed!<br />
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Then it was drink time; rum punch, beer, water or soda. I took a "Deputy" beer. Theo made a joke about the Sheriff. 😉 I was getting used to his corny jokes now. He also did bird calls, animal noises and was full of anecdotes. Quite a character and sometimes I laughed till tears rolled.<br />
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The beer was good! The next get out of the van stop was Cherry Tree hill.<br />
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The view is beautiful from here:<br />
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Unfortunately my son got nailed by a coconut stand and before he knew it the man had sliced one open for him, and when I came to see what was happening, he cut one open for me too and added rum. I asked him what the price was. He spoke to my son and said, "I'd settle for your mom's phone number". I asked him again. He said, "$20 BBD!". I told him I didn't have enough money and would only give him $10. He was fine with that and even asked me if I wanted more rum. When we managed to escape (neither of us liked them), I told my son, I should have just told him my number was "<b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc5u9NOV4sE" target="_blank">8,6,7,5,3,0,9</a></u></b>", lol.<br />
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Another vendor was relentless so I bought a fridge magnet for $10 BBD and then when we got to the van the other couple said they would have warned me had they known we weren't prepared for the hard sell. Theo just bestowed the virtues of how healthy the coconut was and listed all its medicinal benefits. Told us if we have family in the hospital we should bring them coconut water. 😜 I generally cannot do anything but buy something when vendors start in on me...I'm a sucker that way. I was so bad on the Panama Canal cruise - my tour mates would groan at me when I would buy something and the vendors would flock to us like flies. My house is decorated with all kinds of useless island knick knacks.<br />
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Morgan Lewis Windmill in St. Andrew was next.<br />
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Below is a goat, I think. We saw lots of them today, but Theo explained that they weren't all goats, the ones with long tails were sheep. They all looked like goats to me.<br />
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It was somewhere around here that Theo started telling us about stick shift driving and automatic. He was saying women don't know how to drive stick because they had trouble with the gear shift. The lady's husband in the front seat said, "no comment" and she stated she knew how and was standing up for women. I couldn't learn on stick and had to do auto but I didn't relay that info.<br />
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Anyway, then he gave us a demo on a steep hill about neutral and reverse and how the car won't move, but it was moving, we were rolling down the hill and I wondered if he had taken something up on Cherry Hill because it just seemed bizarre.<br />
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And if that wasn't enough, after he caught the car from rolling, he said, "Ok, let me show you again". And then he did it one more time after that! Traffic was honking at him from behind as he was doing reverse and I briefly thought he had lost his mind...then I wondered if "coconut man" had slipped me something and maybe I was hallucinating because I just couldn't understand what was happening. We made our way to Bathsheba for our lunch stop at Dina's.<br />
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Stopped a few times to watch surfers for a bit first though. My son and I had requested fish. When we were seated, it was boiling hot 🔥 and flies swarmed the table.<br />
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The hot sauce was good. I planned on buying this to take home at some point. The other bottle was salad dressing. I had my first bite of Mac 'n Cheese Pie and fell in love! OMG, soooo mouth-watering tasty! Yum.<br />
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One drink was included so I chose a Banks beer. Very good, very refreshing in the heat.<br />
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The first thing the other couple said was, "What was he doing? He was telling us the car wouldn't move and it was rolling down the hill?" The lady said she was ready to save us and take the wheel. We all laughed until tears ran down. She said it was one to tell the grandchildren about. Theo sat beside us and I asked him what kind of fish it was as I've never had it before. It was meaty like a steak. He advised it was "Bill". I spelled it because with his accent I wasn't sure and he said, "Yes, like Clinton" and then giggled like a schoolgirl. We had a few minutes after lunch to walk around.<br />
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Back on the road, Theo showed us 5 or 6 rock formations in the water and asked what they looked like. The lady in the front said a lion. Theo said yes, but in the water... My son said a sea lion and then I laughed till I cried. Anyway, they were Nefertiti, a frog and some others I can't remember. He informed us that below was the final stop.<br />
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I stayed outside and tried to get a good picture of the church. My son said Theo told them about the altar and how long it took to carve. It was too hot in there for me. Theo picked us some Plumeria which I love the scent of. Brought me back to Hawaii.<br />
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Another view shot. Theo taught me how to read a sundial and a few more gravestones and we were on our way...<br />
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...but not before seeing a beautiful caterpillar soon to transform into a butterfly...<br />
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We went back to Christ Church. We saw Oistins and the Boardwalk. The other couple were dropped off at Bougainvillea and we returned to Sugar Bay. I tipped Theo $20 USD. He told us he highly recommended we see Harrison Caves and St. Nicholas Abbey (we saw that today, but he wanted us to spend more time there). Hugs and handshakes and it was around 5pm. We freshened up in the room and went for dinner at 6. All we wanted to do was jump in the Atlantic ocean, but it was not meant to be today. It was Sunday roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and it was very, very good though my picture below isn't. You'll just have to trust me on that.<br />
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The entertainment tonight was a band called Virgo. They were excellent and really got the crowd up and dancing. We enjoyed the show a lot.<br />
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If you've been reading along, you probably thought this day would never end. It definitely was a long one. We collapsed in our beds.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, September 9th:</u></b><br />
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We slept in a little and just managed to get ready in time for: <b><u><a href="https://www.lickrishfoodtours.com/tour/original-bajan-walking-food-tour/" target="_blank">The Original Bajan Walking Food Tour</a></u></b>. We got the front desk to get us a taxi and she quoted $25 BBD and I tipped him $5 more. He was there quickly and we were in Bridgetown about 10 minutes later. 20 minutes early for our tour. We were to meet at Independence Square at the Errol Barrow Statue, below.<br />
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Chamberlain Bridge</div>
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At about 11:10 and no sign of anyone, I looked across the street to see where I might be able to phone the company. I went into a juice shop. Well it turns out that this place was the first stop on the tour. She showed me a text from them from this morning telling her there were no tours today. She called them for me and we had a discussion. I was talking to one of the co-owners. He explained about a mix up with Expedia. I wan't happy. He agreed to re-schedule and include transportation for free for me so I was okay with that. We walked across the street again and got a taxi. He quoted me $15 BBD back to our hotel! Quite a difference. I accepted and gave him $20. So then we FINALLY got to get into the water.<br />
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There was a bit of seaweed today so could only get out so far and it was pretty rocky as well, but I had read reviews and brought water shoes with us.<br />
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After a while we decided to see what the pool was like. We didn't like it. It was small, not deep (4 & 1/2 ft) and had these awkward steps dividing it into sections. Poorly designed in my eyes. The ocean was warm but this was hotter - like a hot tub hot, just blech. We preferred the salt water to the chlorine and doubted we'd go back to it, at least in the day time. We showered and got ready for dinner. The theme was "International". My food pictures are horrible, so I won't show any but I will say that the Dauphinoise potatoes were the highlight for both of us. My son eats dessert and loved what he chose. Below is apple strudel, chocolate spice cake and something just called "cluster". Son said strudel was one of the best he's ever had.<br />
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I don't remember the entertainment, so I must not have been impressed. I have watched to see if people tip besides me and I've seen a few do it, but it's done very hush hush with a palm slip or handshake, so I've done it the same way. Staff are very low key about it and pocket it very quietly. I tipped the maids $7 - $10 BBD every day. Sitting at the bar, one of the customers told us the "late night bar" had A/C, so we were in! It opens at 9pm so we made our way there to escape the relentless, soul sucking heat.<br />
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It wasn't as cool as I was hoping for, and the staff agreed and fiddled with it. It improved after a while. My son and I play cribbage together on vacation so settled into our 3 games for $5 each match. While were playing we noticed a young couple that sat beside us in the specialty restaurant were there. They had "Congrats" on their dessert plates and received a complimentary bottle of champagne. We learned they were newlyweds on their honeymoon from Edinburgh, Scotland. We talked about how hot it was in the restaurant that night, and we got along well.<br />
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My son taught him crib when we finished, and then we all played pool and started doing shots. Bartender was making these ones called "corn oil" - sounded weird but drank o.k. Well, I can't tell you how much fun the evening was, but it was, lots and lots of laughs. They kicked us out at 1 AM sharp and weren't the nicest about it. No last call notice and they served us a drink a couple of minutes before. They wouldn't let us finish the pool game and we just had to exit. In hindsight it's fine as we all had enough to drink but they could have been a little better at letting you know you can't stay 1 second past 1 AM... We said goodnight to our new friends and went back to the room, and went lights out down.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, September 10th:</u></b><br />
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We rolled out of bed at noon-ish. Heads were thick and foggy for both of us.<br />
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Decided to have lunch at the beach bar and then hit the water as it was hotter than Hades again. Son had cheeseburger.<br />
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I had a breadfruit seafood casserole and salad with spicy mango dressing. It was pretty darn good. Cheesy and carby and ideal for the hangover. I was happy with my choice. I cleaned the plate.<br />
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As soon as the food came, we had company watching from above...<br />
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Then that one and more just jumped on the table one-by-one. They don't even care if you wave them away sometimes, they just sit there and hope you'll give up. My mom made me watch Alfred Hitchcock's "<b><u><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869/" target="_blank">The Birds</a></u></b>" with her when I was in kindergarten and I am still scared shitless of them.<br />
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We went to the water and bounced and swam, back-stroked, jogged, dog paddled, breast-stroked, etc. etc. for 2 hours until we were wrinkled prunes. The hangover was gone though. Another couple had told us about a cappuccino machine and high tea so we decided to head over there. It was just before 4pm and tea starts then. Well, right on cue, a flock of birds flew over just in time.<br />
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It was scenic and breezy here and felt hidden. We just sat there and enjoyed the breeze, it was heavenly. They started white table clothing and getting the cups set up.<br />
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I had a salami croissant and BLT wrap "finger sandwich" and my son had some pastries. They have scones with butter and jam but no Devonshire cream.<br />
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We went and showered. I looked at my email and saw that Expedia sent me a cancellation notice and refund for my food tour! I was incensed. I went to the Lickrish site and tried to chat live, but learned that they don't work for the company. They gave me an email so I sent one asking WHY they had cancelled after the agreement we came to? They replied quickly and said they were comping the whole tour and the transportation. I found that over and above what I was expecting and was very thankful. He said customer satisfaction was his #1 priority and it certainly seemed that way.<br />
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The theme was "Caribbean Night". The food and shows were all about it. When I was selecting my plate, one of the chef's recommended I have the curry lamb. Honestly, I was just going to eat a big ole plate of the mac & cheese. 😋 Below is Bajan Mac 'n Cheese, Curry Lamb, some DRY roast pork that I put Bajan pepper sauce on and 1/2 BBQ chicken wing underneath it. The ball on the lower left was a fish cake and was good. The curry <i>was</i> to die for. He told me I'd come back and get seconds but I just took a big helping and was fine, otherwise I would have. Best hangover day ever food wise...<br />
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The food at this resort is great. I have to say that I could not complain about it at all here. Yes, I could nit pick, but I'm talking in general. They have a small selection but <i>most</i> everything is done well. Some dishes are utterly fantastic, some not so enjoyable, like anywhere. It's like home-cooking at its best. All tastes covered with something for everyone. The food here, to me, is a stand out. I am dreading to get on the scale when I get home...<br />
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The stilt walkers were talented and nice looking men with great bodies. Many of the ladies wanted their picture taken with them. I found the pictures funny as their heads ended up at stilt walker's crotch. I mentioned this to another couple we were chatting with from Washington, D.C. and they agreed. We giggled while watching the line up of ladies get their pics. There were some dancers from the West Indies...<br />
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And then the night ended with "limbo" with audience participation. It was entertaining to watch and we enjoyed the night very much.<br />
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We played crib by the bar and toodled off to bed. The main bar closed at 10:30-ish it seemed, so about then.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, September 11th:</u></b><br />
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We awoke feeling much better than yesterday, that's for sure. This was a down day, lazy day at the resort. We went for breakfast. The birds were waiting for us. We ate lightly and hung around until it was time for my son's massage.<br />
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We went to the room so I could take money out of the safe for him. It had been cleaned. The beds were okay, not that comfortable and of course small. It didn't make for great sleeping.<br />
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Below is the view from our balcony. We only used the balcony to hang our wet suits after washing and use bug and suntan sprays. They have drying racks installed and knobs to hang. Speaking of washing suits, I bought this <b><u><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Fashion-Care-swimsuit-chlorine-removal/dp/B079HPR39N" target="_blank">great stuff</a></u></b> from Amazon that neutralizes chlorine and salt water really well. Soak, swish, rinse and good to go. Highly recommend it.<br />
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I walked with my son to the spa and I paid them. I always treat him as he works hard and deserves it. We also had a $20 USD credit towards it with our booking. It cost me $164 BBD with the credit. My son tipped her $20 USD. They offer 10 minutes free massage to all guests but would not allow it to be combined with 60 minutes he paid for. They told him he could come another time for the 10 minutes. That felt unfair since he actually paid for a service, but whatever... the staff even told us to do that, but the SPA was not having any of it...<br />
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Below she showed me an empty room. This was not where my son was.<br />
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I sat at the bar and watched the pesky birds be a nuisance...<br />
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When he was done we went for a late lunch at Colin's beach bar. I had fried Kingfish and vegetable chowmein. Very good but no way I could finish it, it was huge portion!<br />
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My son ordered a hot dog. When our server dropped it off she looked at him and said, "Repeat after me". He stared intently at her. She said, "I will NOT order a hotdog again at Colin's". She then told him that Colin's makes real food there. 😊 He got coconut cream ice cream for dessert. (And he never ordered a hotdog again).<br />
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And then we finally went and swam. The best part of this vacation has been the ocean and our time in it. It was what we looked forward to most each day. Conditions were good today, no seaweed and we stayed in till sunset.<br />
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We had dinner plans at the specialty restaurant Umi at 8pm.<br />
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We were informed the chef himself is Japanese. We had plans to later meet "Scotland" and "Washington D.C." in the A/C bar after we finished. You get one Appy, one Entree and one Dessert. Service was slow and very unorganized. My son's first course below was a crispy shrimp roll, which was tempura. It had avocado too.<br />
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I went with a sashimi plate. I was nervous, but it was quite good.<br />
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Then service really declined. We received no more water, no refills of drinks. I finally flagged someone for more wine but even when they did that, no one ever refilled water again. And we waited a long half hour between our appy and entree. It was not even busy, 5 tables at most. My entree below is "catch of the day" which was snapper. It was done with teriyaki and I had fried rice as my side. There were 3 calamari rings on top. I enjoyed it but would have liked something other than teriyaki as the sauce.<br />
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My son had some ginger chicken stirfry with bell peppers and teriyaki sauce too. He enjoyed it.<br />
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Dessert took another half hour, still no water or wine now. Then only one dessert came out. The server was very stressed and said the banana one had a problem. I told her not to worry about it. We had given up by now anyway. I gave my son my dessert but had a bite. We got fried ice cream with caramel sauce and fried bananas with chocolate sauce.<br />
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I only tipped $10 BBD and hesitated over that, but I figured everyone has an off night. It was 10 pm. None of our friends were there, so we got some wine to go and went and played crib in our cool A/C room. Then it was off to sleep.<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, September 12th:</u></b><br />
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We awoke super early and went for a light breakfast at 7-ish. After breakfast back in our room, we had a knock at the door and it was half of the Washington, D.C. couple giving us their bottle of Champagne as they knew I liked it and they didn't. We thanked him, gave him a hug and then we were out of friends for now, everyone we knew departed...<br />
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We had the food tour today so had to be outside at 10:30am. Transport was right on time and was friendly. There was another couple in the van on their 53 year anniversary from Pennsylvania. He was in jeans as his hotel advised him his camouflage shorts would get him arrested. Only the military can wear camo. He told them he was former military, but not Barbados because they never called on him. 😉<br />
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We were dropped at Independence Square again. It was insanely HOT today. I was already miserable. Our guide Claudette showed up. I really liked her. She was genuinely nice, funny and was a historian by trade. So she started us off with some interesting history and then we were off to the first stop which I had found Monday, the juice bar. Part of her talk confirmed what I thought, Barbados is not surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, it is all Atlantic ocean.<br />
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The first tastes were a meat roll followed by a berry smoothie. Both were good.<br />
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We wound through the streets in Bridgetown and went through an open shopping market area. Hidden away in a building upstairs was our next stop. No way could a tourist find this easily.<br />
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We were served "pig tails" and breadfruit here with pickled cucumbers on top. Pig tails are vertebrae on the pig, popular in Caribbean cooking. It was fatty but very tasty and the pickled cukes helped cut the fat. The pork was done in a BBQ sauce.<br />
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We left Tim's and continued our journey to an open air food market. It was SO HOT!!!! I thought I was going to collapse. I had a cooling towel in my luggage, but forgot to bring it today when it was needed the most. Claudette helped by finding me shade and we had frozen ice water bottles. I had a little mini-fan (many envious people over it - got it at the dollar store at home!), but in the noon day sun, it just blazes at you...that and pounding the concrete made it tough... Many locals we spoke to mentioned how hot it was too, and that as kids, the island was never like this. I felt so sorry for all working in this heat. More global warming changes...😢<br />
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The proprietor of the stand above made his own vegan fruit juices. When I went to take a picture he stopped me and put the Bajan flag beside it first. 😎 It was Sorrel. I only had a small sip as it was super sweet but was interesting in taste.<br />
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And then it was back to pounding the pavement. We got some fresh mango slices to go. They wrapped them in baggies for us, so we could eat at our leisure and wouldn't get all sticky from the juices. (I had mine later at the hotel and it was delish).<br />
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She tried to buy us some Caribbean plums next, but couldn't work out change/money with the vendor. I asked her if they were ripe, and she said yes, though some more than others. That is what is below...those little yellow/green thingys that are way smaller than plums I know...<br />
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She also showed me "breadfruit" which I have had plenty of since here...<br />
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Next stop was "fishcakes". OMG, no heat relief here, but the fishcakes were great. We had sampled these at our hotel already and my son preferred those as they were smaller (little balls) and less doughy. I could only eat one as it was just too damn hot out to eat more, but he finished what I couldn't...<br />
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From there we went over to a church for more history. Claudette had pictures to show us as she went through stories and was animated and worked hard to bring them to life. She gave me an extra thick paper towel which I soaked with ice water and wrapped around my neck. That helped. Then we were off to a family run restaurant featuring Barbados national dish - flying fish and cou cou.<br />
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First she brought out this shot of something called "<b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauby" target="_blank">Mauby</a></u></b>". Definitely an acquired taste. I asked her if there was alcohol in it and she said no. I joked with her not to waste my time then. 🍸<br />
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I really enjoyed this dish. The cous cous had a resemblance to grits and the fish was good. The husband didn't like it and said it was fishy but the 3 of us didn't agree. He commented that he was hoping for more of a "foodie" tour, not this. I explained it was more about the Bajan culture, but he said he was expecting quality seafood, like lobster and shrimp, etc. as we were right on the water. I bought some Bajan pepper sauce here. Apparently I had "old" money and they wouldn't accept it even though it was legal tender. I guess because they did not have a machine to put it under a light to make sure it was legal. Everywhere else I had no problem, including my hotel. If you go to foreign exchange, maybe make sure you get "new" money though.<br />
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The building below was a hotel. Claudette told us it was originally owned (?) run by a woman who made friends easily and loved to curse.<br />
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Our last stop was a chocolate shop for ice cream. I joked with Claudette and asked her if she wanted old money for her tip. She asked me for USD. So, I gave her the $20 I had on me. I would have given her $50 BBD. My son bought chocolate to take home here and used my old money.<br />
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They made the ice cream with coconut milk. It was good. I had rum raisin.<br />
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The other couple wanted to get a porcelain turtle and were leaving tomorrow so Claudette kindly took them (us) over to the duty free store. When they had finished with their purchase, our ride back was waiting for us. I hugged Claudette goodbye and thanked her. She emailed the pictures she took of us and I promised to write my review on "trip advisor" for her. I think this tour would be great for cruise ship visitors, close to the port and would give them some Bajan insight into the food, people and culture.<br />
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Back at the resort the dinner theme was American. There was BBQ ribs which were fantastic. They were grilling steaks to order and a bunch of fried food was on offer as well. Below was ribs, a ravioli, salad and veg and fried mahi mahi fish.<br />
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They informed it was movie night and "John Wick 3" would be playing at Colin's beach bar on the beach there at 8pm. It was 7:59 when we sat down. I asked how we were supposed to know these things. Our server said we would have gotten an activity sheet at check in. We did not get one, we even re-checked what they gave us. After dinner we retired to our room for some crib playing and went to bed. We had to be up early.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, September 13th:</u></b><br />
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We had booked a luxury catamaran today through <b><u><a href="https://silvermoonbarbados.com/" target="_blank">Silver Moon</a></u></b> and they were picking us up at 8:25am. Driver was on time and another couple from our resort were also going. They were from London. We made our way to the marina and checked in.<br />
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Both of these were theirs, but we boarded the one on the right.<br />
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We also had 3 generations of a family from Virginia join us and a couple from New Mexico. Everyone got along well and it was a nice group to go out with. Then we were off. First place was to snorkel with turtles in Carlyle Bay.<br />
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We didn't wear flippers when we swam with the turtles. I was only able to get one picture of the turtles, though I saw more, but timing is everything...<br />
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We saw stingrays too, below, but my pictures are shit...<br />
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Those needlefish below were so pretty in blue, but I could not capture the colour correctly.<br />
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We were able to wear flippers when we moved to the shipwrecks. We swam over two different ones.<br />
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Next we anchored in beautiful Paynes Bay and had some lunch and as our captain said, "the pool is open". The water was crystal clear and wonderful to swim in.<br />
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They started grilling Kingfish on the boat.<br />
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Bajan mac n cheese and BBQ chicken. It is very apparent they love their BBQ chicken here. It was on our buffet daily and we saw it on offer at all other restaurants we saw so far.<br />
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Lunch was served and everything was perfect. I put the Bajan pepper sauce over my kingfish.<br />
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Some more swim time and then we headed back. Grandson from Virginia rented a jet ski for a bit - they came right over to the boat drumming up business.<br />
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Going back to the dock, they made everyone Pina Coladas. My son said they were better than at the resort. The captain put a tip jar out. I had asked the company pre-trip what the gratuity rate was and she said while discretionary, 15% of the total price was acceptable. That is what I did, and that was $40 USD. We got our ride back and I tipped him $5 USD as well just because he was so nice. Showed me pictures of his young son and said he was taking him to NYC.<br />
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Dinner was French creole at the buffet tonight, and I was looking forward to this one the most. Unfortunately, nothing was very creole about it. We were zapped. The sun today took it out of us and we were crispy and burned. We went to the A/C of our room, played crib and boom boom out went the lights.<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, September 14th:</u></b><br />
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We slept in till lunch time and made our way to the buffet. It made up for the dinner last night. They had lamb chops that were excellent!<br />
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Afterwards I got my cooling towel and a sun hat as we decided to walk down to the Boardwalk. We love to walk far distances but it just wasn't possible in the heat. We walked up the hill to our resort entrance and hung a right.<br />
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Immediately after starting to walk, these mini vans with a red stripe down the middle and a taxi sign kept honking and asking if we needed a ride. It seemed like every minute one went by. The first place we saw where we could get onto the boardwalk was Blakey's. We stopped there for a beer and to cool down a bit. Our server said the boardwalk was a mile long.<br />
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Lots of seaweed around here...<br />
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We continued walking but the boardwalk came to an abrupt end. We turned around and stopped at <b><u><a href="https://www.tapasbarbados.com/DM1/public/default.asp?" target="_blank">Tapas</a></u></b> for a drink and to cool off. They put us on the top floor which had a nice breeze. We weren't very hungry so I just ordered some albondigas (meatballs). Son had a cappuccino and I had a glass of Prosecco. Pricey at $42 USD with tip built in for the bill. <br />
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We walked back to the resort and had numerous beep-beeps from the mini-vans all the way back. As much as we wanted to swim we couldn't because we were so sore and red from the Catamaran trip the day before. We took a nap and just laid low until dinner. The theme tonight was "Latin". They had a whole roasted baby pig at the carving station, with cracklin'.<br />
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They had tacos with all the fixings. Food was very yummy tonight and the pig was delicious. After dinner, we did our usual crib playing in the A/C. We spent way more time in our room than we wanted to, but it was the coolest place to be. The AI charm and appeal was slowly wearing thin and we were becoming bored.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, September 15th:</u></b><br />
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We awoke early and went for a swim. The water felt cool this morning and was refreshing.<br />
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As we made our way to lunch, they had a one man band playing music. This was a first for the day time here, or at least that we noticed.<br />
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We were getting good at cutting out the food on our plates now. From when we arrived to now, the plate portions had decreased a lot. Below is pulled pork (leftovers from last night), saffron potatoes and curry chicken.<br />
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I did some research on those buses and discovered they are called the ZR (Zed-R). They cost $3.50 BBD per ride. This is what we used to go to Oistin's Fish Fry tonight. Another couple said the ZR will get people seated on laps when they are busy, so I was glad they weren't tonight. They do drive fast and crazy, I can vouch for that...we were quoted $20 USD taxi fare so this was much better!<br />
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Oistins was quiet and we liked that. Others had said how busy both Friday and Saturday had been. I liked it like this. The only two places that had customers were Mo's and Pat's so we chose the latter.<br />
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I ordered a small bottle of rum and diet coke which is coke light there. I decided on Marlin because I've never had it before. I went and checked out the grill.<br />
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I got mac n cheese pie, plantain and breadfruit. Did not like the breadfruit at all, but the plantains were good. I didn't love the Marlin either, too meaty and steak like, but glad I tried it.<br />
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Son ordered the grilled shrimp which took 20 minutes to prepare, but they tell you that. He loved it, so much that he made me try one. They had this crazy good garlic sauce on it. We felt a few sprinkles of rain, but nothing more. That is the first since we arrived! Our server was really nice and chatted to us. When we were getting ready to leave she asked us if we were going to watch the karaoke? I winked at her and told her that is why we were leaving - painful to listen to when you're sober. She understood that. 😜 I found the meal reasonably priced, so with rum, 2 soda pops, and meals it was $82 BBD or $41 USD. I tipped her $8 BBD. We got the ZR back. The security guard at night would only let us back in by squeezing through a awkward space by his guard house. The ones in the day would just open the bar and let us walk through but not him, so in the pitch black we had to go up a step, squeeze by the plants and down again. Jerk. We went to the A/C for our usual card games and then sleep.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, September 19th:</u></b><br />
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Woke to rain this morning. It woke me up about 6am, could just hear it pounding outside. Learned there was a tropical depression passing over. As we made our way to lunch, obviously no one was sitting outside.<br />
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I spent a lot of time drinking the Jean Dorsene brut sparkling wine at this resort. It was not bad. All the wines were pretty good which was a nice change from what All Inclusives usually offer - crap.<br />
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They don't really have top-shelf anything. They have a sub for Bailey's, top vodka is Smirnoff, no spiced rum, no Jameson's, etc. etc. We stuck to the Mount Gay rum and I drank the wines. We took it easy today, chatted with another couple from Glasgow, Scotland, and then went to St. Lawrence Gap for dinner. We took the ZR bus again. When we got off it was pitch black and we didn't know where to go so we stopped at the first place we saw.<br />
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Saw they had happy hour till 7 so we went in and asked if it was still on. The bartender rolled his eyes and said, "for 5 minutes more" and then sighed. We got 2 rums. I asked him where Cocktail Kitchen was. We had reservations for 8pm. He rolled his eyes again and said, "almost next door". The lone couple in there were nice and told us a bit about the "gap" and said the food was good and bartender was great where we were going. At that comment, the current bartender left and I never saw him again. The other couple left so we sat there and drank up with another miserable server. Very negative energy in there! We left and found <b><u><a href="https://www.ckbarbados.com/" target="_blank">Cocktail Kitchen</a></u></b>.<br />
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We saw a place called "Crave" which had happy hour till 8, so we went to the outdoor patio there and sat at the bar. We talked to a local and enjoyed the conversation. They had some hippy dude singing (not great) but we stayed till it was time to go. We were seated immediately. I had emailed earlier to make sure they had A/C and they did, but they also had all the windows open. It was not the A/C I was hoping for. The bartender was the same one I saw working at Tapas yesterday. We said hello and he remembered us as well.<br />
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I saw "<b><u><a href="https://barbados.org/barbados-recipes-pudding-souse.htm#.XYUKAkZKi70" target="_blank">Pudding n Souse</a></u></b>" on the menu which is something I wanted to try. Obviously this was a modern version of it. Catch of the day was red snapper. They started us with some addictive popcorn.<br />
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GARLIC AND GINGER POPCORN SHRIMP</div>
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Crispy fried shrimp marinated with ginger and garlic, sweet chilli dipping sauce</div>
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PUDDING & SOUSE</div>
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Sous vide pork shoulder, with pan-fried sweet potato pudding, pickled cucumber and scotch bonnet</div>
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PARMESAN CATCH</div>
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Baked in herbed parmesan crust, garlic potato purée, pesto cream and tomato salsa</div>
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CARIBBEAN STEAMED FISH</div>
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Aromatic steamed catch with citrus scented yam puree, crispy fried ginger, braised spinach and coconut/curry broth</div>
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CARIBBEAN S’MORES 26</div>
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Layers of dark chocolate mousse and ginger/scotch bonnet</div>
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graham cracker crumble, finished with torched marshmallow</div>
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Son said they made the best Pina Colada that he's had yet. We had 2 drinks each, I had Rosé. Bill including tip they added 12.5% was $275 BBD. It's what I expected. We took the meals to go as we could not finish them. I didn't love the pudding n souse but was happy I got to try it. We loved our entrees. Son loved all three of his courses. Very, very good restaurant. Young, vibrant crowd - I was the oldest one in there. We departed, got the ZR bus back and again the grumpy security guard made us squeeze through to get in again. We didn't play crib, just went and crashed.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, September 18th (a.k.a. Last Day):</u></b><br />
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We started with breakfast. We always sat inside in the morning and on the patio for dinner. The view is something I will for sure miss, it was picture perfect.<br />
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While I was looking out, I watched a lady hand her plate to the birds. Yuck.<br />
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The ocean was rough, but we weren't going to miss our last day out there. It was deep and bouncy wavy. Kept us on our toes as the current was strong!<br />
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We stayed in till late afternoon then went to wash the suits and let them dry. Our final dinner was back in Sizzle Steakhouse, the same way we started the trip. There was a little breeze, but still uncomfortable. Those mushrooms below were about as good as they look in the picture. I was disappointed.<br />
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The Catch of the Day Taco was Kingfish tonight</div>
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Son had Filet Mignon with garlic aioli and potatoes with all the sides</div>
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I had the NY Srip with Yam/Plantain mash, grilled veg and garlic aioli</div>
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The steaks were pretty good, can't complain. My mash was sweet and just yuck. The aioli was good and recommended by my fave server who used to work in there. </div>
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The mousse cake was rich and sickenly sweet, not a fave. Service was good again, so we tipped $20 BBD and left. It's hard to sit and relax in there when it's always sweltering. We went by the bar, but same entertainment repeating so we decided to have our final cribbage match of the vacay. Son won $20 in the end, so I paid him off and we went down and out for the evening. </div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, September 18th:</u></b></div>
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We awoke early and went for breakfast. It was time to check out and I'm not going to lie and say we weren't happy. Today felt even hotter than every other day and we both had reached the end of our tolerance with it. We just wanted to get home and be cool, and get to our own beds. I went to look again at my favorite view.</div>
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We had a little walk around to say our good-byes.</div>
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Check out was noon, so we finished packing and I sat trying to get close to finishing my trip report as well. SO MUCH WORK it was this time. If I had left it to do when I got home, I'm not sure it would have got done. So, I plugged away at it as best I could. WiFi worked great here, no complaints at all. While I was doing it, an email flashed across my screen from WestJet saying my flight had been delayed for 2 hours on departure. That meant we would miss our connecting flight back to Vancouver (ours was the last flight out there of the night). I msg'd them and they said they'd provide a hotel and transport because of it. So, we checked out and had lunch while we waited to go. We were bummed out and the oppressive heat was making it worse. $25 USD return to the Grantley Adams airport from the same taxi guy the hotel uses. I tipped him my last $6 BBD.</div>
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We landed in Toronto around 11pm. Got to hotel just after midnight. Booked return taxi for 5:30am. Ended up getting three and a half hours sleep at a Holiday Inn Express after buying and heating up Swanson t.v. dinners from lobby shop. Son said the beds were way more comfy than our resort and he was right. We had a shower and then back to airport. We left for home on our 7am flight. </div>
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Made it to inside our house on the 19th around 11am our time. We went out and shopped, unpacked mostly and then napped. I'm wrapping up this report now. SO - what do I say? I know we picked the wrong time of year, for sure, but in saying that, we would never be able to afford high season. And I liked the lack of people. I would have been miserable if our resort was super busy. I think it's crazy priced for what you get in Barbados. I have been to other beach places spending equal money paid and got more value. Hawaii and Key West for example rate higher to me. Yes, I know, to each their own, that is just my opinion. I can't see us going back...OH, the mosquitoes got me once, but it was fine 🦟 . We did use that toxic spray twice a day though and saw and talked with many who fared much worse than we did. We were anal about wearing the Deet.<br />
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That being said, I did enjoy the culture, the FOOD (Bajan's <b><i>know</i></b> their spices/seasonings!), and it was so nice to have drinking water from the tap. Caribbean food is amazing. The local people are nice, friendly and helpful in general. All of them proud too which I adored. I didn't find the people any more special than any other touristy beach places I've been to. You have good, bad, surly and stellar everywhere you go. We certainly didn't feel unsafe anywhere. Only had one beggar at Oistins and guys smoking weed around there didn't bother us at all, even helped me find the washroom.<br />
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We had a enjoyable time even with the weather hampering it. The ocean was what we were there for and it did its job. In hindsight we both agreed we should have done half AI and half SC. We did get out though, but I think I'm done with my AI days unless I pick a last minute trip up for dirt cheap, I can't see doing it again. Too much excess. I'm waiting a few days before I get on the scale. 🙅♀️<br />
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<br />Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Barbados13.193887 -59.54319799999996112.699176 -60.188644999999958 13.688598 -58.897750999999964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-68330752895481345722019-03-01T16:59:00.000-08:002019-04-07T13:02:44.833-07:00Las Vegas Trip Report - February 24 - 27, 2019I'll admit this "low roller" was surprised when I got an offer for 3 nights comped in a FOUNTAIN VIEW king room at <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/hotel.html" target="_blank">Bellagio</a></u></b>. Hell yes! Normally all I get is the regular, non-view room offers there. I had three choices this time: that one, strip view or this one. I was in!<br />
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I got my airfare relatively cheap from Vancouver (WestJet) for $340 CAD including taxes and got a $100 off that with points from credit card. Lastly, I was lucky enough to return with <b>all</b> the money I brought <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2018/11/las-vegas-trip-report-november-18-21.html" target="_blank">last visit</a></u></b>, so didn't need to worry about that. <i><b>THAT</b></i> was a good thing, as our dollar is sooooo shitty right now!!! I've never been in February either. It seemed like a good time to take a break from the winter doldrums, and <i><b>work</b></i>...I just booked this in December without trying to find company to join me. Love my solo trips and there was a bunch of new "dining" to explore since my last visit... However, when it was time to leave, I wasn't looking forward to this trip. I wasn't feeling it and really didn't want to go - my usual <i>Vegas spirit</i> wasn't there. Of course I had to as my air wasn't refundable.<br />
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This was the FIRST time ever I did "carry-on" only luggage. Figured I could do 3 days in it. I seem to be getting better at "minimalist" things at my age of 54 now. I have to admit I had fun shopping and picking all the toiletries in mini-size. I didn't have fun seeing it all had to fit in a 1 quart/litre ziploc bag which was medium size. Oh well, better than a sandwich bag, I guess. I usually lug a laptop too, so this was like freedom of excess crap. I pre-checked in on my mobile the day before I left and Bellagio said a room would be ready for me by noon. I wrote this report when I returned home.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, February 24, 2019:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>I had an early flight on WestJet for 8am, so took a taxi from home at 5:30am to the airport. I got an email advisory from WestJet that security lines were extra long due to the new enhanced screening for electronics. I received another email prior to leaving which made Lyft my choice of rideshare for this trip.<br />
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Security was easy and I had plenty of time to go for breakfast before departure.<br />
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I arrived and was ordering a Lyft before 11am. Bellagio sent an email saying my room was ready as well. With 25% discount Lyft was $11.19 for private 4 door and I tipped $5 cash. My check-in took minutes and I was in my room.<br />
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Location, location, location! I was only a couple of doors down from the elevator and ice vending room. Loved it! First thing first was to check out the view...<br />
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Nothing to complain about - impressive for sure... The rest of the room was exactly the same as every other room I've stayed at in this hotel. Below is going left to right as far as the window.<br />
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I was unpacked in about 10 minutes and departed to the lobby and summoned Lyft again. Originally I intended to walk to the Palms as it looked like a straight line down Flamingo on Google Maps. On the advice of the Trip Advisor forum, I decided to use rideshare to get there. It was less than a 2 mile (3.2 km) walk but consensus was it was not a "pleasant" jaunt and to only do it in the day. I like walking but not along scary fast traffic, and overpasses, etc. so that made my decision. Same private 4 door car was $6.15 with discount. I tipped the same $5 cash and for my remaining Lyft rides.<br />
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This was my first visit to the Palms. The reason for it was to visit Chef Michael Symon's <b><u><a href="http://www.palms.com/mabels-bbq.html" target="_blank">Mabel's BBQ</a></u></b>. I was really looking forward to eating here.<br />
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I was here for the meat, so I ordered a half pound of brisket and ribs.<br />
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Pork Spare Ribs - Half Slab $18, Beef Brisket $17 & PICKLES, KRAUT & WHITE BREAD</div>
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OMG - I loved it!!! Just yum and wow. Now, where I live, we have zero good BBQ so it's not hard to beat what I'm used to, but I enjoyed every single bite and taste that went in my mouth. Those sweet pickles and spicy kraut were the best I've <i>ever</i> had. So good with the fatty meat. Seriously: Best.Pickles.Ever. No sauces were needed, but all were great in flavor. I tried the Cleveland mustard and Vegas hatch chile on the beef, and the Sweet & Sour on the pork.<br />
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I haven't been eating much meat since the new year started so I didn't get very far, about a third way through the meal. I got it packed to go. I went and played some slots. As I was leaving, I sat at one by the door beside a gentleman about my age. It was one with "dynamite or maybe fire crackers" haha... He was playing 60 cents a spin and I $3. We both hit bonuses about the same time. I barely broke even, but he hit the major jackpot and won $3,000. He was so shocked. He told me it was his first time win. I was so happy for him! I remember how shocked and happy I was on my first and only hand pay. We shook hands, I congratulated him and left him sitting there with a face that was full of bliss and dazed. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, but I really, really was joyful for him. It's nice to see people win. 😊<br />
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I walked over to the Gold Coast next. Sheesh, it was smokey and that was my first thought when entering. I've never been here before either.<br />
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I got my players card (did at both casinos) and went and used my $5 free play on a slot. I hit a bonus that brought me about $60 ahead. I can tell you now, that that is the last time I'd be ahead in gambling for the rest of the trip. I used the Lyft app and went back to Bellagio. Same exact price as ride there.<br />
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Rainbow in the fountains</div>
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I went to the MLife desk and got my freeplay and food/bev credits along with "MyVegas" rewards. One reward was for<a href="http://lilylasvegas.com/" target="_blank"> <b><u>Lily lounge</u></b></a> so I went and had a cocktail ($20 value).</div>
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COLLINS LIKE YOU SEE IT: Ketel One Botanicals Peach & Orange Blossom vodka, watermelon, lemon and club soda</div>
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Drink was delicious and bartenders were upbeat, friendly and kind. It was a nice stop. And then I went to the casino and started to lose, and lose more. I went to Bally's, Paris, and then walked down to Caesar's and lost at all casinos. I had cancelled reservations for <b><u><a href="http://www.cleaverlasvegas.com/home.html" target="_blank">Cleaver</a></u></b> restaurant when I returned from the Palms. I had intended to go for steak/lobster but there was no way I could have more meat today. I just wanted a salad. In hindsight, I wish I would have went to <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/restaurants/sadelles.html" target="_blank">Sadelle's</a></u></b> at the Bellagio, but unfortunately, I chose <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-pub-and-grill" target="_blank">Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill</a></u></b>. I haven't dined at either before, but I've been to <b>all</b> of the other Ramsay restaurants in Vegas. </div>
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I noticed they were doing the same special (3 courses for $75) as Hell's Kitchen with the Beef Wellington. I was seated right at the rail there as in the picture - right in the thoroughfare. Anyway, I ordered soup and salad. </div>
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ENGLISH ALE & ONION $13</div>
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provolone, parmesan crouton</div>
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CHOPPED $19</div>
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grilled chicken, salami, shrimp, chickpeas, tomato,</div>
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English cheddar, pretzel crisp, cider vinaigrette</div>
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So, while nothing was bad, none of it was exciting at all, especially the salad - DULL. Very average/pedestrian for both dishes. Service started off good, but when a large party came in for some reserved tables, I never saw my server again. I understand as she was busy and was trying her best but then they need to add staff. I never got a second glass of wine that I wanted to order. I asked another food runner for pepper and it got dropped off but was empty. I stood up to flag my server down so I could ask her for my bill. Besides that, I had a table behind me that kept having friends come by and they would yell at each other by the rail I was sitting at. One guy from the table would get up and stand at mine and they'd have ongoing conversations, not once, but two or three times (What were they doing later? Where would they meet up? Why was the Caesar's buffet so expensive? And on and on and on). It was like I wasn't even present to them - sitting smack in the middle of their bantering. Anyway, that was annoying, though I did try to ignore it, but obviously not well if I'm writing about it. 🤔</div>
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I forgot I saw that Sadelle's had a chopped salad on the menu and I was sad I didn't remember. ☹ Going there would have let me see what happened to the old Cafe Bellagio (which I loved) as well... I had spent my daily budget so went to my room to retire for the evening. I got to see the fountains at night while I nibbled on more ribs/brisket and drank wine. I walked 16 KM or 10 miles today.</div>
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I took so many pictures of them, it's impossible to pick the best ones...Doesn't that CVS neon ruin the view though? I think so...</div>
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<b><u>Monday, February 25, 2019:</u></b></div>
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I awoke about 5:30 am. I could see the sun starting to rise (below) and it was mesmerizing to me, so I watched it for a while and finished the ribs/brisket! Still damn good. I had a glass of wine (yes, you read that right) and then went back to sleep till about 9 am. I didn't take any pictures of it, but I noticed every morning these little boats and people (which both may or may not have been little) would go out and perform maintenance along the fountain tracks...it was too early yet with the pic below, they came out during business hours.</div>
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I got ready and made my way walking to the Wynn hotel. I entered in the high end shopping area which the picture below is at in one of the stores. I thought the display was captivating. </div>
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I haven't been back to Wynn since we stayed in <b><u><a href="https://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2015/11/las-vegas-trip-report-nov-8-14-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a></u></b>. No reason why, in fact I always think about having a drink at <u><b><a href="https://www.wynnlasvegas.com/dining/bars-and-lounges/parasol-down" target="_blank">Parasol Down</a></b></u> and did today too but got distracted and forgot to go, again. My purpose today was to have lunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.wynnlasvegas.com/dining/fine-dining/cipriani" target="_blank">Cipriani</a></u></b>. I wasn't sure what to expect. Reviews online at all of their restaurants were mixed and the word "pretentious" stuck out to me. It was also hard to find for me at the resort. It was in the "plaza shops" which I don't even know if they were there on my last stay? I don't remember it and it looked new - but that doesn't mean it wasn't, lol. Anyway, the plaza shops are by Allegro restaurant which I <i>do</i> remember from my last stay. </div>
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After I found it, I went back to the casino and gambled. I had an Irish Coffee while doing so, and lost whatever I put into the slots. I made my way back. The restaurant was beautiful but empty. In fact, the whole time I dined, there was only me and one other table. We were on opposite sides so I had the whole side of the restaurant to myself.<br />
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Anyway, while it's not busy and "unknown" I would say to take advantage of the lunch deals here!<br />
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Small carafe (9 oz I think) of house wine - my choice was Pinot Noir - $25</div>
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I got 3-courses for $25! Seems unheard of at a Wynn establishment, no? Service was as as you would expect when dining anywhere at the Wynn as well. It didn't feel any more pretentious as any fine dining place does. I didn't eat the bread basket below, but that did look average compared to some of the ones I've had in Vegas and even at the Wynn.<br />
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Spinach Salad, Mushrooms, Walnuts, Buffalo Ricotta, and Bacon</div>
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Baked tagliolini with ham. Below is to show what it looked like under the cheese</div>
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Seriously, this was one of the better deals I've had in Vegas for lunch. The ricotta in the salad tasted freshly made and salad in its simplicity was perfect. The bacon just made the saltiness right on. The pasta had a crispy cheese topping that was heaven. Underneath, it was rich and dreamy. I left some, but could have easily eaten it all. The dessert was light and whip creamy. I just had a bite or two but it was splendid. No complaints at all. Glad I got to dine here. When I left, I saw that there was an entrance/exit from the shops right onto Las Vegas Blvd. I totally missed that and walked a real, long long way around the resort to find it...I didn't mind the exercise, but just saying...Oh, and leaving out that exit made me forget all about visiting Parasol Down which I really wanted to do. </div>
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My return walk meant donating money into the casinos along the way. Mirage I took a huge hit at, then Cromwell and then Bellagio. I was almost out of daily budget money, so I went drinking on my charge card rather than gambling. I found happy hour at the Vdara. Vice Versa lounge and got in 2 drinks after arriving at 3:20! Not bad. They have early HH from 11 - 3:30. </div>
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They have this really awful dill popcorn that is totally addictive for some reason. The bartender told me it is specially made for them. Just warning you... I went to Aria and donated almost the last of my daily budget. Aria was full of convention people. Tags, tags and more tags everywhere. I went to Bardot Brasserie but it was closed to a private function. Probably all those tags? So, I made my way to The <b><u><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/lounges-bars/the-chandelier" target="_blank">Chandelier bar</a></u></b> at Cosmo. </div>
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I have always wanted to go have a drink there but haven't yet. Today was the day. It was busy and packed by the time I left. A lot more convention tags were in sight (Financial convention I learned by asking one of them).</div>
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<b><u><a href="https://www.waldorfastorialasvegas.com/dining/skybar/" target="_blank">Skybar</a></u></b> lounge at the Waldorf was next. This is a beautiful bar with gorgeous views on the 23rd floor. It was full. I managed to snag a single seat at the bar between the conventioneers. They all had their backs to me and ignored me but that was fine. I'm going to be honest and say that all the conversations I had eavesdropped on so far were very, very boring but yet better than the one I didn't want to hear at Gordon Ramsay's but couldn't get away from... Anyway, I ordered:</div>
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Wasabi peas were good. Bartenders were super attentive and friendly. I just realized I was having a meal of bar snacks! I stopped but drank up and moved on. Eataly at Park MGM was next. I was pretty buzzed at this point so my pictures sucked, but I sat at a nice wine bar with a really friendly server. I had something that was like Pinot Gris and listened to him teach the fellows beside me about "Amaro" (an Italian liqueur). It was interesting. </div>
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I made my way to <b><u><a href="https://www.parkmgm.com/en/restaurants/best-friend.html" target="_blank">dinner</a></u></b> though the casino to Chef Roy Choi's new place.<br />
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When you enter, it looks like a liquor store. Past that and this funky curtain...<br />
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I found myself in the restaurant. The tables are close together so I was dining with others no matter what. Thankfully the diners were really nice on both sides of the table.<br />
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I was looking at the tasting menus but my server tried to talk me out of them. He told me they were too much food and I should order separately, even though it would cost more to do so... then when the young couple was seated beside me asked if they could split one menu then, he told them no and that it would not be enough for two. So, I just went against what he said and ordered the first Chef's menu - the $50 L.A. Love Story but I told him not to bring the dessert.<br />
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OK, remember that all this food below that I'm going to show you, is meant for ONE person...<br />
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The kimchi was great - and had a really nice heat punch</div>
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And that's not including dessert! I couldn't believe it. There is no way possible one person could eat that, though one guy at the table to my left said he could and his lady vouched for it. I gave a couple of ribs to my right side table. They wouldn't accept anything more though. I gave all but one scoop of shrimp to the table on my left. They also got one corn and two tacos. I ended up taking most of everything else to go. I think because I was so over-whelmed at how much food was given to me. It was all tasty but they really need to look and have a re-think about the tasting portion menu. I charged this to my room and I really enjoyed the company tonight. Table on my left were locals and a fun quartet to chat with. I took the tram back to Bellagio which was stupid and much longer than walking to Aria and walking back through Vdara. At least for me. I forgot to mention that in the Conservatory and at Bellagio, the theme was Chinese New Year, so that's what the pig is below. It's kind of what I felt like at this particular moment too...</div>
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If I had any daily budget left, I used it because I woke up with an empty wallet. I was thankful that I use my safe to help me budget. I walked 19.5 KM today or 12 miles.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, February 16, 2019:</u></b></div>
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Not much on the agenda this day. I slept in till about 10. I dumped last night's dinner right in the garbage, I wasn't up for it. Amazingly I didn't have a hangover. I did feel finished with my visit though and just wanted to go home. Like I said, I just wasn't in the mood this trip and it doesn't help when losing. This is the only time I can remember not enjoying being "solo"on a trip. I wanted company which is unusual. I guess I was grumpy at this point? I had free "MyVegas" rewards for Bellagio buffet with unlimited drink pass. The only reason I'm going to show my plate is because, it reflected my mood...a big ole pile of dreary...I thought Aria buffet was better, but like I said then, the only way I'd eat at a buffet is for free...</div>
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The food like at Gordon Ramsay's was serviceable. One plate and done. I try not to waste food but left the slider bun and the pizza crust behind. It took me an hour to finish the rest of it! My server kept my sparkling wine glass full at all times. The ladies that worked there were lovely to me and I enjoyed talking to them. They cheered me up a bit with their jovial moods and trivial conversation. I was seated behind the beautiful flowers at the entrance. They gathered there and included me in their chats. I tipped my server $10 and she gave me a "to go" cup of sparkling wine that couldn't fit a drop more in it. Then I went to gamble and lose...I played this dumb 3-D pirate slot for like an hour. It ended up costing me $100 at $2.40 a spin and the bonus I finally hit on paid me $12. I lost another $100 at Davinci Diamonds in almost the same way. So, I made my way to another of my favorite drinking spots, the <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/nightlife/petrossian-bar.html" target="_blank">Petrossian bar.</a></u></b> Below is looking at the lobby.</div>
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I had a martini and started on those dang bar snacks again. I listened to the piano player. He was looking for attention, adoration and song suggestions. I wasn't the one to give it to him, so I headed out and walked to Vdara again. Below is on the way there...</div>
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I headed straight to the Waldorf 23rd floor for SkyBar only to find out it was closed to a private event.</div>
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I love that they have a champagne machine by the elevator doors too.</div>
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I made my way back to Eataly and window shopped. With carry-on, I wasn't going to be able to get anything home with me.</div>
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And then I went to the same seat as yesterday and had a glass of something <i>dry</i> that I let him pick for me.<br />
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The bartender was from Mexico city so I asked where he likes to go eat food from home here. He said there are different places for different things, but that <b><u><a href="http://www.bonitomichoacan.com/" target="_blank">Bonitos</a></u></b> was consistently good and he is a regular. He said it's close to the Palms. I moved on to happy hour at a bar/lounge in Park MGM called Juniper.<br />
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House Merlot - $5.50</div>
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BUBBLES $10</div>
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Ketel One Vodka</div>
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Fresh Lemon</div>
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Strawberry Caviar</div>
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Sparkling Wine</div>
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I sat here and drank with a retired couple from Wisconsin I met at the bar. I had fun and stayed until my reservation was ready at <b><u><a href="https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/restaurants/nomad-las-vegas/the-nomad-bar.html" target="_blank">Nomad Bar</a></u></b>.<br />
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I felt a sway in my step as I made my way there and above my pictures feel drunk to me, lol. Another empty restaurant at 7pm. One loud table of 3, another solo diner and myself. I ordered a Pinot Noir and then just went with an appetizer that sounded like fritto misto. $35.<br />
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Mixed fry</div>
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THE WORLD TOUR</div>
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A platter of seafood, meat & vegetables</div>
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In the style of Italian fritto misto, Japanese tempura & the american south</div>
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As soon as it was delivered, I realized I didn't want this. I nibbled but wasn't feeling fried food it turned out. There was calamari, hush puppies, chicken, green beans, prawns and some zucchini chips. I didn't like either of the dips- one was soy sauce something and the other I have no idea. I wanted Tzatziki but that wasn't it. The fry was great though and everything was seasoned perfectly. My decision making was poor because of my alcohol state. I asked if I could get it packed up and just have a half Caesar salad. They said no halves so I just got the bill. It was $75 after tip. I brought it to my room and then went to gamble and lost every dollar I had for the trip except for about $20 which I saved for tips tomorrow. I was in my room about 11pm and down and out for the count! I walked 9.2 KM or 5.7 miles today.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, February 27, 2019:</u></b><br />
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I slept until 8. I tried to see if I was hungry. The food looked exactly the same as it did last night. I had a piece of calamari and then it all went in the garbage. What a waste. While I was in the shower, someone tried to come in and I heard the bar I put on at night bang loudly on the door. When I got out I could see it had been jarred. When I went to check out on the t.v. they hadn't applied my $50 credit. I phoned "guest services" and they took care of it immediately. Lyft to airport was $14.16.<br />
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This trip cost me $2000 USD for 3 days. I realize how ridiculous that is and I've decided Vegas and I need a break for a while now. I say that, but I did look at offers when I got home and had the same ones I had this trip from both Aria and Bellagio waiting for me to use until August. I'm not biting though. Then, when I do return, I'll be so excited because I know I'll miss Vegas, I always do. Until that time though, I will say so long for now...<br />
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com2Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-65966942354388646412018-11-22T08:03:00.001-08:002020-04-05T10:55:05.891-07:00Las Vegas Trip Report - November 18 - 21, 2018I was at the <b><u><a href="http://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2018/05/las-vegas-trip-report-may-13-18-2018.html" target="_blank">Bellagio in May</a></u></b>, so I was fortunate to get to go back for an additional quick solo getaway this year. Got 3 nights comped, but still had to pay $39 resort fee. I got my air for $200 CAD return as I had some points on my credit card that I used against the $350 fare. Flew Westjet out of YVR. My offer also included a $50 resort credit. I have always wanted to try Aria, and phoned to see if they could offer the same as Bellagio. They did, and also threw in $40 free play with the resort credit, so I switched. I have always wanted to try their rooms and I've always loved the hotel.<br />
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I usually use "MyVegas" for free slot play - the $50 & $25 rewards, but I noticed the terms had changed to say, "This reward is not combinable with any complimentary room stay..." I redeemed a breakfast/lunch buffet with bottomless drinks at Aria (I've never eaten at their buffet) and then the $50 free play. I'd give it a try anyway and if they said no, I'd just refund it. Nothing to lose by trying.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, November 18, 2018:</u></b><br />
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Happy Birthday to me! But better than that, I am on vacation. Have been off for a week already and don't go back to work until December. I was very excited to try Aria. I love the Bellagio, but I really wanted to stay somewhere different this trip. Because it was my birthday, I planned to spoil myself for three days, why not? Flight left at 9am, so I got to the airport just after 7am. I got up at 5am to drive my son to work and was not feeling 100% as I slept shitty and didn't eat dinner the night before...<br />
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Airport was busy and I was rushed with no time to eat. I brought breakfast on the plane (bought eggs benny to go) and ate it once we were in the air (cold). I hadn't eaten since 3pm the previous day so was starving. Unfortunately it didn't sit well - rich hollandaise sauce? It made me feel bad pretty much immediately after finishing half of it. I tried closing my eyes, tried sleeping and dozed in little spurts listening to the two men beside me talk constantly. Near landing time, I went to the bathroom and got sick. I felt much better after that but it wasn't a great flight and I felt tired and crappy! Not my usual happy self when landing in Vegas...Took an UberX solo to Aria ($12). Tipped him $5. I used UberX solo the whole trip and tipped all drivers the same.<br />
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My room was ready, so just had to go to mobile check in to pick up my key card. I was in the room before 1pm. When I opened the door, the lights and drapes opened automatically for me. That was kind of neat. You could command the whole room controls on an iPad on the bedside table, but if you didn't want to be nerdy, you could use wall switches for everything too.<br />
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Below is my room view.<br />
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I unpacked and puttered and walked down to <b><u><a href="http://wolfgangpuck.com/dining/spago-lv/" target="_blank">Spago</a></u></b> at Bellagio for my birthday lunch at 2:30. I was really, <b><i>really</i></b> hungry at this point which was like 24 hours without food now.<br />
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I wasn't seated on the patio, but did have a nice view of it anyway. I had a better fountain view dining at Lago on another trip. I had a hard time deciding... I ordered this drink below for $21:<br />
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I decided on the Wiener Schnitzel and Grits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA8m4gf8dDzljcHoJHM14u5F-3bwVSsNS1VCaN6zpHCmRv3vw9E07wvUnuSaTuVAWg4kCF38O5Rd6JT33M_hlNNEsAjbivm3kkANQLdWbu_7CXvkgE1td7iATiSl8cpMpG04snoV551Yy/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFA8m4gf8dDzljcHoJHM14u5F-3bwVSsNS1VCaN6zpHCmRv3vw9E07wvUnuSaTuVAWg4kCF38O5Rd6JT33M_hlNNEsAjbivm3kkANQLdWbu_7CXvkgE1td7iATiSl8cpMpG04snoV551Yy/s640/IMG_7199.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Veal "Wiener Schnitzel" $44</div>
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Marinated Cucumbers, Fingerling Potato Salad, Young Mache</div>
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Anson Mills Grits $12</div>
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Wild Mushroom Ragout, Parmigiano Reggiano</div>
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The food was very good. Nothing I can complain about except there was something so awfully acidic on the tomatoes <i>and</i> potatoes, I couldn't eat them. The mushrooms on the grits were wonderful and the dish was perfectly creamy! I'd expect great grits from Anson Mills...and I'd expect "Spago" to make them great...<br />
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Bellagio had a few Christmas decorations up, but the Conservatory was still in "Fall" mode. I waddled back to the Aria, my gait was definitely slower. I went to the MLife desk. The lady who attended to me was sweet. Added my $40 free play and then told me about MyVegas - they don't allow free play for any comped/promotion room stays any longer. I played dumb. But she said because that was a new rule, she would honor my $50 MyVegas free play as a one time gesture. So, I got $90 free play after all. How nice! Then she kindly wished m a happy birthday. I got an Aria breakfast/lunch buffet too, but she refunded my drink pass for it, as it was buy one get one. Then I was off to gamble. I played quarter and dollar machines at max play and the freeplay disappeared quickly. I bounced around machine to machine. I got a champagne and decided I had enough gambling for awhile. I pulled out the TITO and my players card and then realized I had no wallet!!!!<br />
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I immediately went into shock, fight-or-flight kicked in full swing! I saw a card table open and told the lady my wallet was stolen or lost and she pointed me off to security. I was in panic mode. I had $500 US cash in it, a credit card, drivers license, etc. I ended up just running in circles. I went back to her and calmed down and then found security. (It's tucked in a little alcove beside the cashier cage). They saw I was frantic and said they had my wallet!! So lucky for me! They made me wait outside the alcove while they logged the contents and return form. I got it back and everything was there. They told me it had been found by some slots. I remember a machine where I was having trouble with it accepting my bills and was sure I must have dropped it there, as I was trying the bills in 2 side by side machines. Wow. Totally sober and soooo stupid! (I'll blame it on "<i>mentalpause</i>"). My heart was still pounding so I went up to my room and had a drink to try and calm down. I was soooo tired too, but kept on plugging along.<br />
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I walked down to Harrah's for <b><u><a href="http://www.tenorsofrock.com/" target="_blank">Tenors of Rock</a></u></b> show. It was <b><i>really</i></b> busy on Las Vegas boulevard. I was surprised how crowded it was and I have never, ever seen as many young kids as I did today. They were everywhere. Just an observation, nothing more. I went to the Box Office and got my ticket and another ticket for a different show for Tuesday. I played some video poker at a bar there, no free drink but had a good Irish coffee for $10. Went to show...usher moved me to front row (without asking - I just showed him my ticket and he said he wanted to <i>look after me</i>, lol) . I was kind of thankful as I was stuck at a full table in the back and wasn't feeling social. I got a row to the right of the stage (3 seats) all to myself which was nice. He pointed me and said, "go to the front row, to the right and pick an open chair" and then he went off seating others.<br />
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They were good. I wasn't in the mood though and I felt lousy still. I <b>truly</b> did enjoy their tribute to Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody (fantastic!!!) and The Eagles "Desperado". The Bon Jovi "Bed of Roses" was pretty good too. I snuck out a bit early (at an hour and 15 minutes - yes I was looking at the time)? I was starving again and so, SO tired! I walked back to the Cosmopolitan and headed for the new <b><u><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/block16" target="_blank">food court</a></u></b> Block 16.<br />
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I knew what I wanted, in fact, I'd been craving mortadella from <b><u><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/restaurants/lardo" target="_blank">Lardo</a></u></b> for weeks now. Below are the biggest pickles I've ever seen at the Lardo counter!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimgd6W0_m7lDEaWPuDqL-R3NfJupKvu3hRhaQkPQdGQf9FoWwrEB93WrXTZARMuGFdBf3mqfuLahKCCLDz3UO_MNOjsIDulv5o6QBU-e0RBu5uxIrHduRlguw_r6PHSZX1-MmcNLcyvgR/s1600/IMG_7214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimgd6W0_m7lDEaWPuDqL-R3NfJupKvu3hRhaQkPQdGQf9FoWwrEB93WrXTZARMuGFdBf3mqfuLahKCCLDz3UO_MNOjsIDulv5o6QBU-e0RBu5uxIrHduRlguw_r6PHSZX1-MmcNLcyvgR/s640/IMG_7214.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm also a sucker for papaya salad, so I went to <b><u><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/restaurants/pok-pok-wing" target="_blank">Pok Pok</a></u></b>. We have eaten there in Portland. I was happy there was a minimal wait. I got it to go, and headed back to Aria to eat it in the room.<br />
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Papaya Pok Pok</div>
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Spicy green papaya salad with peanuts,</div>
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tomatoes, Thai chilies, long beans, dried</div>
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shrimp, garlic, palm sugar, lime juice,</div>
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fish sauce and tamarind. $9 (that's cabbage on the left)</div>
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griddled Mortadella $13</div>
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Mortadella, provolone, mama lil’s</div>
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peppers, mustard aioli</div>
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Both offerings were fantastic. The spiciness was perfect for me in both dishes, and I loved those peppers on the sandwich. I ate half of both and got to bed and put on a Christmas movie on Hallmark channel. My iPhone said I walked 20,000 steps today or 10 miles or 15 KM. Bed was comfy (like the Bellagio beds) but I tossed and turned for a long while. Probably drifted off after 1am. Below, the night time view from my room is preferred over the day one.</div>
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<b><u>Monday, November 19th:</u></b></div>
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I woke and saw the iPad on the bedside table telling me I could pre-order coffee from Starbucks on the promenade level. I sat up and felt better than yesterday, but still not 100%. I just got rid of this awful cold that lasted a couple of weeks and it felt like it was threatening to come back. However, I was not going to let it dampen my spirit or stride today. I wrote a bit of this trip report, then went in the rain shower. I liked the layout of the bathroom, and I like having a ledge in the shower to make shaving legs easy. The tub and shower were all enclosed in the same space. </div>
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I forgot my shampoo so used theirs and the smell immediately reminded me of walking into the "Mirage Hotel". Same scent. I left my room and set it for "servicing" with a wall switch. You could also set it for "privacy" as well. </div>
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I made my way for lunch to <b><u><a href="https://herringboneeats.com/locations/las-vegas/" target="_blank">Herringbone</a></u></b> restaurant in the hotel. </div>
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I got seated on the patio and thought the weather was lovely. Perfect weather for walking, mildly cool with just a slight crisp in the air. </div>
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Brut Bubbles $15</div>
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Tomato & Avocado </div>
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arugula, cotija cheese, serrano, oregano, lime vinaigrette</div>
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Lobster Roll </div>
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butter poached Maine lobster, fine herbs, lemon</div>
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I got the lunch box and the above items were $40. Everything tasted okay but nothing was special. The four pieces of lobster you see was the only lobster on that bun, there was none underneath so it felt a little chintzy. The bun was just split enough to hold the 4 pieces in place. I just ate the lobster and left the bun anyway as it was dry from being over toasted. Duck fat fries were tasty though a few of them were mushy. I charged it to my room so I could use my resort credit. That made me not care so much though it did make me wish I chose somewhere different...I will say that service was perfect here though, all staff were wonderful. </div>
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After lunch I went to gamble and lose all last night's money that I didn't spend. Above was new since my last visit. I got lots of Blake's but no cash so I went shopping at Ross, Marshall's etc. and did find some Christmas gifts for my son. I was happy I found a Nine West handbag that I liked for myself too. My load was heavy so I had to go drop it off in the room and take today's budget out of the safe. </div>
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I saw that the new PARK MGM had opened in place of Monte Carlo so I went over for a wander and was excited when I saw "Eataly" was there. Alas, when I went in, it was not accessible and staff said it wasn't opening until next month. I gambled and lost $140 in about 10 minutes, so time to depart and go back to my hotel. I had got another MyVegas reward since I couldn't use the buffet drink pass and got a cocktail from Alibi Lounge at Aria. </div>
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It was good for $19. That was the price of their cocktails anyway. I got a lovely drink called "Afternoon Delight". It was totally free with no tax and I tipped her $5. </div>
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I lost more gambling, was almost out of today's money except for five $20's left. I went and got ready, then ordered UberX for <b><u><a href="https://partage.vegas/" target="_blank">Partage</a></u></b> restaurant. $10 for each fare. I heard about this place on food social media (fantastic reviews) and I saw Chef Yuri <b>win</b> on "Chopped". I was seated and it was quite empty which surprised me to be honest. My server, Arthur told me that Monday/Tuesday are quiet with about 25 covers each night. He said the weekend is packed solid and is by reservation only to get in. He said Chef Yuri is always there but because Monday is slow, he took the day off at request of his wife. Can't blame him for that! Below is the view from my table and then right to the wine cellar.<br />
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I ordered the 7 Course tasting menu ($100) with regular wine pairings ($70). It included: 3 appetizers, 1 seafood course, 1 meat course, 1 cheese plate, 1 dessert. I'll tell you how great they were, they wrote the menu out by hand for me so I would remember. I didn't ask about the wines as they were all French and I didn't worry about what they were (I could have taken pictures of the bottles if I wanted). I just want to note here that the pours were 3.5 oz! That is very generous!!! And here we go...<br />
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Amuse Bouche: Blue cheese ravioli with pear and walnuts</div>
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Pot au feu soup with ciabatta toast, mayonnaise, old fashioned mustard and carrots with pickles & celery. Below, is a close up of that toast. It was delicious!</div>
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Deep sea scallop, tangerine butter cream, chives, celery (I remember this wine as it was a Pouilly-Fuissé and that is the first wine I had in Montreal when I visited in my early twenties!)</div>
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Pithivier pheasant tart with foie gras and savoy cabbage</div>
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Corvina fish with leek layers, nori and dollop of smokey mousse</div>
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He asked me to select the one I wanted to use for my next course</div>
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Hanger beef with beet ravioli filled with poached pear, rosemary, beet puree and pecans</div>
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Young Cantal, Truffle Brie, Ossau-Iraty cheeses. These were served with a Belgian cider and it went really well with them.</div>
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The dessert cart came with a glass of port. I let him choose for me and he selected the one on the right.</div>
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White chocolate shell with hazelnut mousse and mango marmalade</div>
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It was two and half hours later and I was done. I was feeling no pain - the wine had caught up to me. He even poured me extra when I had his favorite wine with the beef. I've done <b><i>a lot</i></b> of fine dining and lots of it in Vegas, like at Twist, Le Cirque, etc and those meals ran me $500 for myself. This bill came to $225.00 after tax/tip. I call that a steal! LOVED it!!! Service was fantastic and I'm not going to complain about a place full of French men serving you with their charming accents. I was content and satisfied when I left here. </div>
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Back at Aria, I saw Christmas and I was even happier. It was beautiful!</div>
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I went to gamble my last dollars. I played max bet on a "Goldfish" machine and hit $500! So, I ran around with that TITO after playing max everything and did well for an hour or so, but never got above that. Then my luck started to sway, so I cashed out and now had $400 in my wallet which made my day almost perfect. It only could have been better had I'd been feeling 100%. However, <i>almost perfect</i> is a day I will take! I fell asleep easier tonight too. Was getting used to the bed now.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 20th:</u></b></div>
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I awoke feeling stuffed up and coughing. I stood in the shower for a really long time hoping it would clear my head. Sometimes A/C stuffs me up as well and I had my room set to a cool 62 degrees (16 C). I felt okay, but still rough. </div>
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I had the free buffet so went down. I couldn't believe how BUSY it was. Even the VIP line was long. I went to that line and staff were asking everyone to show their cards as they said people were trying to hop the line, so to speak. She warned people that if they didn't have "Pearl" or higher, they would be sent away. I waited about 15 minutes. There was lots of choice (Asian, Indian, Italian, carvery station, full breakfast station, etc) and I was happy to see Dungeness crab legs at the seafood station. I only went for one plate as I was going for "High Tea" later.<br />
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I had a Hawaiian ahi tuna poke bowl on greens which was quite nice. The crab was great though a little water logged. The chicken looked good but was inedible as it was DRY and hard. The mac & cheese was fresh when I scooped it, but it just tasted processed. I enjoyed looking around at all the food. I never get value at a buffet because I can't eat enough in one sitting to make it worthwhile. I guess I could if I just ate crab. So, "free" is my buffet mantra. Anyway, I headed to the casino. Below, the flowers were all fresh in the vases. Very pretty display.<br />
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My first $40 in and I won again. Since my first trip to Vegas back in 2000, I've had a soft spot for the "Wheel of Fortune" slot.<br />
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I played till time to go, and didn't lose anything at all. I had an extra $300 in my wallet. I walked down to the Waldorf Astoria which is the former Mandarin Oriental. It's a really easy 5 minute stroll from Aria. You can find the stairwell as you walk towards Las Vegas boulevard on the right.<br />
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The tea lounge is on the 23rd floor, and the menu is <b><u><a href="https://www.waldorfastorialasvegas.com/dining/tea-lounge/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. Getting off the elevator, there is a robot, and I got him to dance freestyle for me, lol.<br />
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I was a bit early so went and used the restroom. Below is a view from where I washed my hands in there with a pyramid of hand towels.<br />
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And after I washed my hands, I could not stop smelling them. It was the best hand soap I have EVER smelled in my life!!! I asked Concierge and she wrote it down for me. She said I could order it online. If anyone is interested, the soap is called <b><u><a href="https://aromatherapyassociatescanada.com/collections/body/products/wash" target="_blank">WASH</a></u></b> by Aromatherapy Associates. Below is looking into the Tea Lounge from the front desk.<br />
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I was seated at the window and had a beautiful view of the Strip.<br />
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I chose the afternoon tea (English Breakfast) with unlimited mimosas. She advised me that I had a two hour limit on them. I told her that was fine. She immediately brought them out.<br />
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Scones were served on a warming plate to keep them...ummm...warm</div>
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For the scones there was berry preserves, lemon curd and then the heavenly Devonshire clotted cream</div>
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Smoked salmon tartar Cucumber and dill cream cheese on pumpernickel bread, Chicken Curry with Trumpet Mushroom and Asian pear on sesame cone, Egg salad and chives on croissant, Black forest ham sandwich</div>
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I only had a nibble of each one, not my thingy, below is what I left of those pastries 😊<br />
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I think I floated out of there after all the liquids I drank at that table! It gave me another excuse to use the restroom and wash my hands again! I stayed the full two hours and truly enjoyed the relaxation and change of pace. Such a nice getaway from what Vegas normally is...Bill was $80 and I left a $100 and thought it was a great way to spend the afternoon. I walked back to Aria.</div>
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I freshened up in my room and then walked to Harrah's. Of all the times I've been in there, I've never seen "Winnie and Buck", but I did tonight and they were ready for Christmas.</div>
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I had a bit of time before the show so sat down at a "Buffalo Gold" machine. I won a $2300 hand pay on that machine one trip, but the Buffalo haven't been kind since then, so I wasn't expecting much. I put $40 in, played $2.40 or $2.60 a spin, whatever is left of the $3 button. I hit a bonus, but I didn't think it paid much, I thought $47 but when I cashed out the ticket I was stunned to see:</div>
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I had to go, so I cashed the ticket and made my way to <b><u><a href="http://tapeface.tv/" target="_blank">Tape Face</a></u></b>. I had zero idea who he was or what he did on stage, except that he probably didn't talk... I don't watch "America's Got Talent" and have never "youtubed" him. I wanted to go in without knowing anything.</div>
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And am I ever glad I decided to see this! I thought the show was funny and fabulous! I laughed until tears ran down my face. He is so talented and his comic delivery was impeccable. Delightful. When everyone was exiting the theatre, his opening act was giving out balloons and I politely declined. He made a mean face at me and hit me with the balloon. 😄 It was after 8:30 so I was ready for dinner now. I made my way over to Caesar's to go to <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/old-homestead#.W_ZxCehKi70" target="_blank">Old Homestead</a></u></b>. I knew what I wanted - the burger! It has been on my "to do" list for a long while now. Below is the view from my table.</div>
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I wanted to celebrate my wins today, so started with some champagne. I also wanted to celebrate my last night in Vegas too. </div>
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I thought it was reasonably priced - for Vegas standards... And then the burger arrived...</div>
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Old Homestead Burger $35 - 10 oz. dry-aged Pat LaFrieda burger seared in a 800°F 50-year-old cast iron pan, brioche bun, foie gras butter, aged Tillamook cheddar, caramelized onions, duck fat fries, bourbon ketchup. </div>
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So, I'm always on the look out to try great burgers. My favorite burger in Vegas is at Bardot Brasserie. That being said, this was just as good. I could only eat half but got it packed to go because I was going to enjoy that whole fine meal. I had another glass of champers for dessert and after tip bill was $100. I put $40 in a Monopoly machine and lost immediately so I walked over to Bellagio. I stopped at "Goonies" machine, put $40 in and cashed out $140.</div>
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I walked back to Vdara and then over to Aria. I went to my room and put all the money in my safe in case I got stupid. I took $160 down to the casino to close the night. I hit on a Megabucks (small progressive).</div>
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I went to the room and counted the money. I had brought $1100 USD cash and that's what I was going home with. I had still charged stuff on my credit card and of course had my resort fees to pay, so it wasn't a free trip, but it was nice to win, for sure. I had a glass of wine, finished the burger and went off to "la la land'...</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, November 21st:</u></b></div>
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I awoke early and was watching the news. It made me nervous with the airport warnings about Thanksgiving travel. I decided to leave earlier. My flight was at 12 noon. I ordered an UberX at 9am. $15 fare. Well, geez, I was checked in and through security by 9:30-ish, it was dead - maybe Terminal 1 was busier? Flight was delayed till after 1 so I had a long airport day. Great trip. Short trip! I like 5 days usually. Now that I'm home, it's time to get ready for Christmas!!! P.S. Yes, I ordered that hand soap and a few other items from Aromatherapy Associates Canada. $40 for a 300 ml hand soap is ridiculous, but I loved it <i><b>that </b></i>much. </div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com1Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-16951840884673220752018-09-10T21:22:00.000-07:002019-04-07T12:53:05.937-07:00Pacific Coastal Cruise Trip Report - September 2 - 9, 2018This was my annual getaway with my son. I always look forward to traveling with him and we've pretty much vacationed every year together since he was six. I only had 8 days so this was good as the departure left from our hometown Vancouver and the flight home from San Diego is a short one. I've been on the Celebrity Infinity as I took it for my Panama Canal cruise last year. I had 15 days on it and know the ship well. We liked all the ports too! Lots to do and visit this time.<br />
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We received a free Classic beverage package. We later upgraded it to the Premium package. We also received a $300 USD on board credit and $50 USD loyalty on board credit from the agency I booked with (Crucon). Oceanview room was $999 each. This is in US dollars. Airfare home was $300 CAD each. Our flight was direct on Westjet and left San Diego at 2pm. I didn't buy any WiFi this trip so I did my trip report when I got home.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, September 2nd:</u></b><br />
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We took local transit (skytrain) to Waterfront station which is walkable to Canada Place where we were departing from. Our timing was good as when we left the house our lovely neighbour gave us a ride to the train and saved us the walk. We arrived at the pier about 15 minutes later. Check in was quick and easy. We were on ship having lunch about 1pm. On the "Infinity", I like the patio on deck ten, outside the buffet for views...<br />
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Below is my hometown of Vancouver where I was born and raised.<br />
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We wandered up to the 11th deck after for a walk-around, and saw where they play movies.<br />
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The "Martini Bar" was next. Always a favorite place to stop and I had one of the bartenders from last cruise that remembered me and enjoyed meeting my son. Below were the "Decadence" espresso martini and a "Lemontini".<br />
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We went to the early show which featured a comedian, <b><u><a href="http://comedianphiltag.com/" target="_blank">Phil Tag</a></u></b>. We really enjoyed him and laughed a lot.<br />
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We went for a late dinner at pay restaurant "Tuscan Grille". We got an opening night special of $30 each per person. Below is the arugula, goat cheese salad.<br />
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My son got a perfectly cooked medium rare, melt in your mouth filet mignon steak. He also got a half order of a lobster carbonara pasta to go with it. He loved both dishes immensely!<br />
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I didn't enjoy my meal as much. I ordered the veal Marsala and our server advised against it, but I went ahead anyway. I sent it back as the sauce was horrid! The manager came over and said 80% of them were getting sent back and they had to regroup. I offered the advice that they should start with their Marsala sauce recipe.<br />
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We pretty much called it a night after a quick visit to the casino, to do a "donation".<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>8200 steps or 3.7 miles or 6 kilometres walked today</b></span>.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, September 3rd - Seattle, Washington:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>We awoke early and had breakfast in the main dining room. My son had eggs benny (below). This would turn out to be what he ate every day on the ship. They did them "made to order" at the buffet too.<br />
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I had this horrible thing called a "Greek yogurt frittata" and some chicken apple sausage. OMG...just.say.no, to both. 😁 I decided that was the last healthy food I would order on this cruise!<br />
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I only had one plan for Seattle and that was to dine at <b><u><a href="https://www.junebabyseattle.com/" target="_blank">JuneBaby</a></u></b>. It was the only thing I thought of doing when I knew we were coming and I was excited. Alas, it is not open Monday. 😢 I've been to <b><u><a href="http://pikeplacemarket.org/" target="_blank">Pike Place Market</a></u></b> a few times, but my son has not. I decided to take him there and dine at <b><u><a href="http://www.mattsinthemarket.com/" target="_blank">Matt's in the Market</a></u></b> which I've thoroughly enjoyed on previous visits. I made a reservation for opening at 11:30am. We left the ship and walked over to arrive about 9am.<br />
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Close to here, we could see our ship docked.<br />
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Seattle Great Wheel</div>
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We wandered the market. It was packed already! Below are some of the beautiful sights my eyes saw...</div>
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As I had nothing more than a couple of small bites for breakfast, I decided to get a crab cocktail $7.<br />
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But don't get fooled, because the crab doesn't go all the way down! (I knew this from a previous visit).<br />
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And then it was time for lunch. It filled up very quickly after opening, so I was glad we had made reservations.<br />
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Last time I was here I had an unforgettable lamb burger and saw it was on the menu again, so I indulged again. I chose the seafood chowder as my side. My son also got a burger (beef) with the same side.<br />
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The star today was the pecan pie though. It had a grilled corn ice cream on it. Spectacular!<br />
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We walked back to the ship to work off some of that lunch! My son decided to go for a swim.<br />
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We then went up to deck 10 for sail-away.<br />
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We donated in the casino and had dinner in the main dining room later.<br />
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Duck Pâté was very delish</div>
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Son played it safe with French Onion Soup</div>
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Herb Crusted Lamb Chops medium-rare for me</div>
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Shrimp Linguine for my son</div>
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Chocolate Cake for my son</div>
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A few cocktails here and there and then we called it a night.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>15,800 steps or 7 miles or 11.5 kilometres walked today</b></span>.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, September 4th, Astoria, Oregon:</u></b></div>
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We grabbed breakfast at the buffet and headed out. Our plan was to accelerate down the "Riverwalk" on this beautiful day. We also wanted to find a shop where we could buy a crib board and a deck of cards.</div>
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To give you an idea of our walk, here was the Astoria–Megler Bridge view as we started out, before 1st street. I'll show you the bridge again where we started to walk back. Off we went!<br />
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We left the Riverwalk and stopped at 14th street for coffee, wifi and to find the cards. We were lucky as there was a coffee shop and toy store kitty-corner. Destiny I guess, or just lucky I decided to stop at 14th. And the coffee was fantastic.<br />
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Back to the Riverwalk we went and continued our jaunt. We walked to 36th street and this is the bridge view from where we were.<br />
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Elderberry?</div>
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I don't want to know what spun that web!</div>
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And we turned around and went back. By google maps, it looks like we walked 3.1 miles (5 kilometres) each way. Our legs were feeling it! When almost back at the ship, I saw <b><u><a href="http://bridgewaterbistro.com/" target="_blank">Bridge Water Bistro</a></u></b> which I had seen had crab cheesecake so we went in. I scope out restaurants before we hit the towns in case we want to stop.</div>
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View from our table</div>
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They told me they don't serve the cheesecake at lunch but she would see if the cook would agree. I guess he would have to agree to heat it up? 🤔 Anyway, he said okay and I was happy. It was tasty.<br />
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$14.00</div>
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<b>Dungeness Crab Cheesecake</b></div>
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dungeness crab folded into savory cheesecake, pecan crust, wild mushroom meuniere sauce</div>
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I tried a beer from a brewery we had passed on our walk called Astoria Brewing Company. I tried a half pint of the strawberry blonde ale.<br />
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<b>Hungarian Mushroom-Dill Soup </b>$5</div>
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with fresh dill, hungarian paprika and sour cream</div>
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I also tried a cup of soup as she told me the cheesecake would not make a meal. It was pretty good too. Son had a grilled chicken arugula salad. That was his healthy meal of the trip. 😊<br />
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We walked back to the ship and saw the trolley again. This went past us a couple of times along the Riverwalk. It is supported by volunteers. I stopped and bought a fridge magnet and that ended our day here.<br />
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Back on the ship we stopped for tea. I liked the stem leaf that you used to pull the tea bag out with.<br />
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Below is some of the treats on offer at the coffee bar today.<br />
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We dined at the buffet for dinner. Our highlight of the evening was watching these two Russian ladies. They call themselves the "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lighthousestringduo/" target="_blank">Lighthouse String Duo</a></u></b>".<br />
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They play an electric cello and violin and really rocked it. So impressive and everyone loved them, they always had a large following wherever they were playing.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>22,000 steps or 10 miles, or 16 kilometres walked today</b></span>.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, September 5th, Seaday:</u></b><br />
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Might as well just call this a day of excess! We did sleep in though, slept in until it was time for lunch in the main dining room. We really needed it after all the walking yesterday. My son started with mozzarella sticks and I had gazpacho soup.<br />
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Son had a pulled pork panini that he didn't love at all (pickles he said) and I had a cobb salad.<br />
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We went up to deck 11 and walked some laps. There was good rock music playing pool side so it made it enjoyable. They were playing AC/DC and KISS and stuff like that.<br />
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We went and played some crib in the lounge.<br />
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We had a late dinner at the Tuscan Grille again. I had pre-booked and used onboard credits to pay for this. Again I didn't find it very good, but my son enjoyed his again, so I was happy for that. I just knew how good it had been last time on the ship. I went 3 times that trip. Different crew, different chef... My son said the crab cake below was very good. After that is my heirloom beet salad and it was "meh". My son ate the same steak and pasta as last time as he knew he couldn't go wrong with it.<br />
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Below was my side dish of "Gnocchi". That wasn't gnocchi. OMG, it was terrible. I couldn't even eat it. It tasted like balls of flat dough, and I had no idea what the tomatoes and artichokes were doing there. Just yuck!<br />
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The branzino was very good but there was just too much of it. There was no way I could finish it. Under the top piece was another the same size.<br />
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My son did love the Pistachio Creme Brulee he had for dessert.<br />
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We also tried the lemon cheesecake.<br />
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I had booked a "Porto" tasting that was being held in the wine bar. So it timed good to do it right after dinner. This was $30 each and they added a mandatory gratuity which made just over $70 for the two of us.<br />
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We both enjoyed it. Informative and a pleasant way to spend a half hour or so.<br />
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The tastes started from good to better or cheaper to expensive. The port and chocolate was a nice finish to the evening and were very divine tasting them together. There were extra chocolates too and he gave his an extra glass of the best port too. He said it was about $300 a bottle, but I don't remember which one it was, to be honest...<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>8000 steps or 3.6 miles or 5.8 kilometres walked today.</b></span><br />
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<b><u>Thursday, September 6th, San Francisco:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>It was foggy when we awoke. Chilly too. We put on pants and wore our jackets. We arrived at Pier 27. Below is Alcatraz from Deck 10 on our ship as we arrived. It looked creepy in the fog...<br />
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San Francisco has been on my "to do" list forever. This visit would hopefully let me know if I have to come to back or if I would just say, "been there, done that". Obviously 12 hours wasn't going to be able to cover everything so I just chose a few things. Number 1 and 2 was a restaurant. My food list was much longer, but I had to trim it thin. I have been a big fan of chef Tyler Florence since I found him on Food Network, almost twenty years ago now!<br />
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Pic is from <b><u><a href="http://foodnetwork.wikia.com/wiki/Food_911" target="_blank">Food Network Wiki</a></u></b></div>
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He had a show called "Food 911" and I always wanted him to come rescue my kitchen. Okay, I just wanted him to come to my house, lol, but no, he only went to homes in America...Anyway, his place "<b><u><a href="http://wayfaretavern.com/" target="_blank">Wayfare Tavern</a></u></b>" was the one <b><i>must do</i></b> item on my list. I made a reservation. I also had to have some Cioppino, so before we went to Wayfare, I planned to stop here at <b><u><a href="https://www.sottomaresf.com/" target="_blank">Soto Mare</a></u></b>. I wanted <b><i>crab</i></b> cioppino. Reviews said this place was "the one" for that...<br />
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My son likes history, so for him I booked us tickets to <b><u><a href="https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/" target="_blank">Alcatraz</a></u></b>. We walked over to Pier 33 which was an easy walk from our ship docked.<br />
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I wanted to see the "Golden Gate Bridge" but from what I had read online, we should be able to see it on our ferry ride to Alcatraz so that would do! We used wifi while we waited to board our boat and then we were off.<br />
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Below we could see our ship and then we arrived.<br />
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We were told the hike up is 13 stories. It felt okay to do, but would be tough on a hot day I'm sure. We did the cellhouse audio tour when we got up there.<br />
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I must say, the audio tour was done very, very well. We both felt it was time well spent. I bought my son a T-shirt and a Golden Gate Bridge fridge magnet for me. We walked back down and caught the next ferry back. I had google map directions printed to get to "Soto Mare" so followed them. They were good except it felt like all we did was climb hills. 😄<br />
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And then we saw it in our sights! And it was down hill this time.<br />
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The hostess seated us a little tiny table for two. It is pretty snug inside. We did have the choice of the counter as well.<br />
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They dropped bibs off to us and we wore them. I'm so glad we did as they were needed. The cioppino was absolutely delicious. Yes we were starving, but it hit the spot with its flavors and bounty of seafood. The seafood was all cooked perfectly, none of it rubbery and it was a very satisfying dish. Yum. A delightful stop on our foot travels today.<br />
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I had directions for Wayfare Tavern next. We wandered through the Financial district though I forgot to take any pictures. I remembered that as we arrived at the restaurant. We were early for our reservation, but she said it was not a problem to take us now.<br />
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El Dorado</div>
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Corralejo Reposado, Ancho Reyes Verde Liqueur, Del Maguey Vida</div>
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Mezcal, lemon, agave $14</div>
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The drink was fantastic. We were off to a good start! But then it got even better when they dropped over these complimentary popovers with creamy butter and fresh sea salt.</div>
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We decided to share a bunch of dishes so I wouldn't regret "not" trying something later. </div>
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HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD</div>
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watermelon, Persian cucumber, lemon ricotta, toasted lavash,</div>
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tomato water $13</div>
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I liked this so much, I am going to the farmer's market this weekend to see if I can create it at home! Adding sea salt just took it over the top and that ricotta was insanely good. </div>
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PETALUMA FARMS DEVILED EGGS</div>
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Dungeness crab, avocado, lime $14</div>
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(These were as amazing as they look!)</div>
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ORGANIC FRIED CHICKEN</div>
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(best fried chicken in America list, F&W magazine)</div>
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buttermilk brine, roasted garlic, crisp herbs, lemon $26</div>
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OK, without a doubt, this is one of the best fried chickens I have ever ate! And when you squeezed that lemon over - WOW! I had trouble finishing my 2 pieces, but I ate every piece of skin off it for sure. The chicken was so juicy and tender because of that brine. Just heavenly.</div>
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BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE</div>
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smoked olive oil, chives $11</div>
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I ordered the mac & cheese for my son and he ate it all. I tried it and of course, it was delicious as well. RICH and decadent! We had a very charming server. The food and experience exceeded my expectations. Unlike going to a Gordon Ramsay or Guy Fieri restaurant in Vegas, you will see nothing of Tyler Florence in the restaurant. My son mentioned that to me. No pictures, no self-promoting. The restaurant doesn't need it, the food spoke for itself. There is no happy hour either. It was very busy late afternoon just before dinner. We were sooo happy when we waddled out of here. And then we decided we needed to do some more walking and hit the pavement again. We walked to the Embarcadero and were at Pier 1. The sun had come out and it was beautiful and clear now.</div>
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Our ship was at Pier 27. Luckily it wasn't long blocks between the piers. </div>
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We seemed that we were back there in a time that didn't feel too painful from walking. Saw a cable car.</div>
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We continued on to Pier 39 and had a look around.</div>
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And then we turned around and decided to head back to the ship. We started walking back and I started telling my son about Boudin bakery and about the clam chowder bread bowls. And then I told him to turn around. I told him I didn't care if we couldn't finish one, but I had to try it or would regret it. So back we went. 😂</div>
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The soup and bread were all that was promised. We did not even get close to eating the bowl, but we had a few spoons of soup and a few bites off the top of the bread. Really good, and no regrets. And then we really did walk back to our ship with about a half hour left to spare before sail-away. Son had some apple tart tatin he really enjoyed as his dessert nightcap this evening.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Steps 20,000 or 8.7 miles or 14 kilometres walked today.</b></span></div>
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<b><u>Friday, September 7th, Monterey and Carmel</u>:</b></div>
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We were up early today. My son changed to jeans after we scouted the weather out up on deck 10 having breakfast. Another foggy morning, we could see absolutely nothing from the boat. There were only 2 other couples on the tender over to Monterey about 7:30am. We were taken to Old Fisherman's Wharf. </div>
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I saw this restaurant I had researched that apparently had good clam chowder. It was kind of infamous because it doesn't allow kids in. </div>
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We walked along the Coastal trail to get to our bike tour by "Adventures by the Sea" on Cannery Row. It was not really drizzling, it was more like a constant mist outside. </div>
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It took us about 15 minutes.<br />
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We were early so my son got a horchata drink at the Mexican place and they gave us their wifi password. Just before 9am we went inside and met our guide. He was a young guy. Another person got us to sign our waivers. Guide took us out to the bikes and explained the electric bikes super fast like we knew everything already. I didn't and told him that he would have to explain again and that we don't use electric bikes often (my son never has) and it has been a long while since either of us have been on bikes. So he did. All he kept stressing was that we would have to use the lowest assist setting (1) or we would run out of battery. He kept saying that if that happened we would have to peddle on our own. We understood, at least by the 2nd time he told us that... haha. He said we could use the battery on the way back. We were fine with that.<br />
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We took it for a 10 or 15 minute test ride though he didn't say that. We stopped on a dock somewhere. The seats had to be adjusted again. My feet could barely touch the ground when sitting. We saw a sea lion while he was correcting the seats for the second time. We saw our ship too. He was surprised when he saw it because no one knew it was there because of the fog. He asked if that is where we came from? You could only barely see it...<br />
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We went on our way. First stop was "Lover's Point". He spent a long time here chatting about inane random stuff. He also told us that 17-Mile drive wasn't really 17 miles and only 5 miles in total. Really??? I began to wonder about his guide skills...<br />
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We stopped to see Point Pinos Lighthouse but it was too foggy to get a good shot or clear sight of it, unfortunately.<br />
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Beautiful cypress tree below.<br />
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When we got to Asilomar beach and conference grounds he said that it was time to turn around and go back.<br />
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I asked him if that was half way through 17 mile drive? He said no, that we hadn't even started 17 Mile drive yet. Then I got a little upset. I kept my cool, but told him that tour was for that. I told him I was quoted that Pebble beach was half way and usually took an hour to get to. Then he started to get angry. Said we were already almost at an hour and it wasn't his fault if people can't bicycle up to speed. And then I got more angry and said I didn't appreciate being talked "down to" like that and explained again how my tour was quoted to me. In fact, here's my confirmation of it:<br />
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He then changed his tone and said it was a problem with communication between the staff and the guides. He said "she" told him to drive us to the entrance of Asilomar beach, not to do 17 Mile drive at all. I told him I would not be happy if he turned around now, so he went on and threatened big hills to me and told me I'd have to keep up and shift my gears. 😄 He also warned that the rest of the trip was shared with cars now. He took off like a bat out of hell, lol. I let my son stay with him but I purposely hung back because I was so pissed off now! I shifted those gears and caught up and he asked me if I was "okay". I told him I was fine and he told me were at Spanish Bay now.<br />
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Him and my son took off quickly again and I got behind this time. But I thought, screw it and turned on my throttle and caught up in no time! There, I showed him, didn't I? Then I worried I'd run out of battery on the way back! 🤣 We stopped at Bird Rock next and he told me this was the half way point and we were at Pebble beach. He did offer that we could go further if I was up to it. I told him I was okay (my butt was aching from the seat). It was crowded and there were tourists and buses everywhere (probably on my ship's tours). A lady took the guide's bike while he was chatting with my son and he started panicking a little. She just wanted to pose with it for her husband but I don't think they spoke any English. Then she came over to me and got her husband to take a picture of us with my goofy helmet on, lol. Totally random incident. My son and him went for water and bathroom break and I promised to watch the bikes.<br />
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We went full throttle back and got up to 20 miles per hour, or at least I did. I was about 9 miles per hour on the first leg of the tour. My son and I made it back with a quarter battery to spare. Time was 11:15 so from 9 am tour time, this was only 15 minutes over and that includes the bike lesson and trial run we started with. I tipped him $30 but I was hesitant about it in my mind. I did it because him and my son seemed to get along okay and since he did fulfill the tour, I gave him the tip. My son agreed he was not the greatest guide but said he didn't think he meant to seem/be rude and maybe I was interpreting it that way? I let it go. He told me that when they went to the water break he told him we were doing great and he's had so many "heavy" customers that get so disappointed when they can't ride 17-Mile drive. Then I got mad again. 😏 The guide and I did not mesh at all.<br />
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Anyway, the tour was done and despite the fog and chill, we really enjoyed the ride. I loved all the fresh air and exercise we were getting. I don't regret it and was glad we saw it that way. However, my butt was so sore now. Ouchie! Turns out we biked 13 miles round trip when I google mapped it. My guide tried to tell us it was just a little over 2 miles...anyway, half of that was throttled so no exercise skill was required except sitting on that damn uncomfortable seat!<br />
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We went back to the Mexican restaurant and ordered a Lyft car for Carmel. I was quoted as just under $15. We took it and were soon on our way to the "<b><u><a href="https://treehousecafecarmel.com/" target="_blank">Treehouse Cafe</a></u></b>" for lunch. Carmel-By-The-Sea does not use street addresses, so it was simply on San Carlos Street. Our driver said Clint Eastwood made eating ice cream and wearing high heels illegal in town because of the cobblestones. She said they didn't enforce it, but if someone wanted to sue because of slipping, the law could be used.<br />
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We were seated on the patio and it was lovely. It was gorgeous and sunny and clear in Carmel. I was happy for my shorts now. We were starving!<br />
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My son ordered the Greek burger and I the chicken gyros both recommended by our server.<br />
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The food was good. Service was pleasant. We settled the bill and went on our way walking around the town.<br />
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We bought my son a T-shirt. I bought a beautiful Christmas ornament.<br />
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We kept walking and exploring.<br />
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We stopped for dessert for my son, below, and wifi too.<br />
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He couldn't resist the eclair. After we walked down to the beach. It was beautiful but all down hill, so I knew what that meant coming back...<br />
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We started our way back up the steep hill. When we got back to the bakery we called a Lyft back to the wharf for the same price. It was hot and sunny in Monterey now too. The pier was alive as well, compared to this morning.<br />
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We stopped and shared a cup of the chowder from "Old Fisherman's Grotto" sitting outside on the pier. It tasted very, very rich and was so thick a spoon stood by itself. We enjoyed it. We could see our ship now too.<br />
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We went back with about an hour to spare. It was good we did as it was really rough by the ship and the tenders were bouncy, bouncy. I was waiting for someone to get sick. Even water came in from the waves. It wasn't long for sail-away.<br />
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Then it was time for a casino visit before dinner. We had signed up for a "crab feast" for $35 each at the Sushi restaurant tonight so were just killing time before our reservation at 7pm. Kept a TITO for tomorrow and had tripled my $20.<br />
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Dinner was served.<br />
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The crab legs were not as advertised at all. The ones on display were huge. These were served cold and they were dry. I complained. They brought one more for each of us which <i>was</i> as promised and was hot as well and not dried out. The crab cakes were good I thought. The butter was cold and hardening. The bisque was okay and the coleslaw was good of what I tasted. They also brought complimentary creme brulee. My son had his. I did not. I was WIPED out. We wanted to see the comedian who was on late at 10:45 tonight. We said we'd nap and set the alarm. At 10pm, neither of us wanted to go so just went back to sleep.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>We biked 13 miles or 21 kilometres. Steps were 13,400 or 6 miles or 10 kilometres.</b></span><br />
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<b><u>Saturday, September 8th, Santa Barbara:</u></b><br />
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We woke up at 7am and were ready and having breakfast at 8:15. We knew tickets had to be picked up for the tenders today so when it was announced they were ready, I went down to pick one up. It was for the 2nd tender which surprised me that all the 1st tickets were gone already since there were no people at all. However, I learned they give those to the cruise passengers on tours first. We had a tour for wine tasting that was due to leave at 9:30. I had been waiting until 9 and and asked the gangway staff when tender 2 would be here. They said in about 15 minutes. I asked how long it would take to get to the pier and they said about a half hour. My alarm bells rang and the crew kindly called my tour operator so I could let her know. She said it was fine and would wait for us. The crew let us sneak on a tender that wasn't announced. I guess for more cruise ship tour passengers. We were off. It was cloudy, foggy and overcast again. We sat across from this couple and I heard her phone our tour guide. I asked them if they were on the same tour and it turns out they were. That made me feel better that we weren't the only ones holding up the others.<br />
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I never knew Santa Barbara was called the "American Riviera". Our guide from <b><u><a href="https://www.deetoursofsb.com/" target="_blank">DeeTours</a></u></b> would later tell us that was ridiculous if you'd ever been to the "French Riviera", said there was zero similarities in comparison... We got to our jeep limo which would be our transportation for the tour. The price for this was $150 per person. He told us he couldn't put the top down as it would be too harsh on the freeway for us. Promised he would do it later when got up higher and it was warmer.<br />
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We were given a snack of crackers, apple and nuts and were on our way. Our guide was born in Glasgow but said he has lived in Santa Barbara for sixty years. He was an old hippy who said surfing was life. We liked him. We drove through town first and he showed us some sights. The first was a Moreton Bay Fig tree. It was too big for my picture and we couldn't get out of the jeep.<br />
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It was beautiful. He said you couldn't eat the figs. We drove by the <b><u><a href="http://www.santabarbaramission.org/" target="_blank">Mission</a></u></b> next.<br />
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He showed us a <b><u><a href="https://www.sbnature.org/visit/exhibitions/58/blue-whale-skeleton" target="_blank">blue whale skeleton</a></u></b> next. It wasn't easy to get a good picture as he was driving.<br />
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Then we were off to the freeway for our long drive out to Solvang, to the vineyards.<br />
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First stop was a little winery called <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Shoestring-Winery-140168222726195/" target="_blank">Shoestring</a></u></b>.<br />
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The women were lovely that worked here and it was a great stop. I don't like Sangiovese usually but this changed my mind! It was fantastic and our favorite tasting of the day. <br />
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Next we went to the town of Solvang. The others walked around for 20 minutes. I tried another tasting for $10.<br />
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And then we were off to the next vineyard which was called <b><u><a href="https://www.buttonwoodwinery.com/" target="_blank">Buttonwood</a></u></b>. He took the top down for us on the jeep.<br />
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We had lunch here. We had pre-ordered our sandwiches prior to the tour. They were fresh and healthy and they brought us some California strawberries, which I love. ❤<br />
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The last winery we visited was <b><u><a href="http://andrewmurrayvineyards.com/" target="_blank">Andrew Murray Vineyards</a></u></b>. We had our tasting outside.<br />
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Each tasting was different than the others and I appreciated the thought in that. I enjoyed each place and really had a lovely day. We headed back to the pier. We took a couple of group photos and my son and I tipped our guide $25 each.<br />
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I was only sad we didn't have time to see any of Santa Barbara itself. We didn't even have time to shop for a fridge magnet when we got back, had to get right in the tender line up. I had a nice appetizer of melon and prosciutto tonight.<br />
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There was some excellent stuffed pork belly with cracklin' in the buffet and a great vegetarian Indian curry as well.<br />
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We had an early night. Bought duty free on the ship, gambled a little. We packed and tried to get a good night's sleep.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>7500 steps or 3.3 miles or 5.3 kilometres walked today.</b></span><br />
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<b><u>Sunday, September 9th, San Diego:</u></b><br />
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We self-disembarked at 8:30. Took a taxi to the airport which was only about $12. I gave him a $20 and let him keep the change and he was soooo happy and grateful. Glad I could make his day! Our flight left at 2 pm so we had a lot of time to kill. I planned to start my trip report but my laptop was acting up and it took me almost all of the 3 hours to fix it. By then I didn't have time to start it. We were landing in just over 2 and a half hours. Customs was a breeze and we were home within an hour of landing.<br />
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If this report is badly written it's because I did it all on my last day off (today - Monday) before returning to work tomorrow. It took 12 hours in between other tasks and I'm tired of writing it. 😜 I also had to sort through 500 pictures.<br />
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My son and I had an awesome time together. I was not very social this trip and just chose to spend my time with him. He met a friend who he talked to casually when he saw him. We were polite to all, but didn't spend time chatting with others like we usually do. We kept to ourselves and dined alone. We enjoyed the ports a lot more than the cruise. Our visit to each and every port was a true pleasure, each place special in its own way. The boat felt a little boring and excessive, eating and drinking on the ship all the time. I didn't enjoy it as much as I sometimes do. Just wasn't feeling it this time. I'm scared to get on that scale, even with all the exercise we did! We only saw one comedian the whole trip. We walked out of one show and didn't see another. The Duo with the strings we did see twice as they played in different lounges and they were the highlight, for sure. Until next time...<br />
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0California, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-49643868798289475312018-05-18T08:09:00.000-07:002020-06-16T03:20:34.248-07:00Las Vegas Trip Report - May 13 - 18, 2018I was planning <b>not</b> to take any trips this year. Decided to replace some furniture and work on the home instead. However, I kept getting tempting emails and then I got one I couldn't refuse. <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/" target="_blank">Bellagio</a></u></b> sent me an offer that included 3 complimentary nights, a $50 resort credit and $50 free play. That's pretty good for a low roller like myself! 5 nights is my sweet spot so the other 2 nights were $175 each and then of course the exorbitant daily resort fee of $40. My air was complimentary with my credit card miles plan so it was relatively inexpensive. "Almost Free", you might say...ha ha 😏<br />
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I was having dinner with my usual travel buddy and she mentioned she was a bit surprised I didn't ask her to go. We had a long discussion about why I didn't think she <i>would</i> go. Long story short, she asked one of her friends (first time trip for him) and they booked for the 3 of the 5 days I was there and the same flight out as me. I enjoy my solo trips in Vegas, but it would be nice to have some company as well, even though I could not talk her into going to see "<b><u><a href="https://www.thunderfromdownunder.com/" target="_blank">Thunder from Down Under</a></u></b>" with me. Party pooper...and I still haven't had a chance to go in Vegas (or anywhere else) yet... She was even staying at Excalibur too! Sheesh. 😉<br />
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I'm 53. I got to work with research...picking out where to dine. Wasn't sure whether I wanted all new, old favorites or maybe a combo of both. I had planned I would finally go to Wolfgang Puck's "Spago" which has been on my "to do" list forever. Alas, I found out it was closed and moving to Bellagio but wouldn't be open for my arrival this trip.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, May 13th:</u></b><br />
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Early non-stop flight out of YVR with an 8:40 am departure. It's a small world as I ran into my ex and our co-workers all going to Vegas on the same flight. It was nice to see them though a weird "coinkydinky". I haven't see him for almost 10 years. Flight was fine and we landed just after 11 am. I got a Lyft for $14 and was on my way. When I logged into the airport WiFi, I got an email from the Bellagio saying my room was ready too, so that was great. No line (below) for me at the regular check-in, I just went to the mobile check-in place and I was the only one there.<br />
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Above, I love the ceiling at the Bellagio lobby. I was in the room by 12:15pm. Room #10101 in the West Wing. Easy to remember, but as below, the view from it was easy to forget..<br />
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I unpacked and then walked over to CVS by Bally's and picked up some water and wine. I was tired and had a half hour nap. Then I got ready and walked over to Aria.<br />
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Last trip, I never had a good "burger" and I was so looking forward to that. I remembered my son had a great one at <b><u><a href="https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/las-vegas/bardot-brasserie/" target="_blank">Bardot Brasserie</a></u></b>, so I made my way there for Happy Hour (5 - 7pm). I met my friend and her friend there. Well, that burger did NOT disappoint! Best.Burger.Ever!!!! I ordered mine "medium" and this is definitely in the top five burgers I've ever had. If you get a chance, you should go experience it for yourself.<br />
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LE STEAKBURGER - $18</div>
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prime rib patty, comté cheese, garlic aïoli, watercress, bordelaise onions & salad</div>
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We finished up and walked over to the Cosmopolitan. It was a beautiful night out. Warm with a slight breeze. I stopped at Momofuku restaurant and bought two bottles of the <b><u><a href="https://momofuku.com/ssam-sauce/" target="_blank">SSAM sauce</a></u></b> to take home. I love this stuff. I said good-bye to my friends and made my way to the theatre.<br />
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I had booked a new show called <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpiumVegas/videos/424465134657575/" target="_blank">Opium</a></u></b> at the Cosmopolitan for this evening. I haven't seen "Absinthe" by the same company but thought I'd give this one a try. The price was right. I got my ticket for $49 with an email offer from the Cosmo. However, opening reviews looked absolutely horrible, overwhelmingly bad. I wondered if it would even be playing by the time I arrived. I hoped not if it was as terrible as I had read! It <b><i>was</i></b> playing and the "preview" was over, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best...they of course scoot you into the bar before they seat you.<br />
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My split of Moet was $24 before tip. I asked for some ice water but they said bottled water only for $6 so I passed. We went into the show.<br />
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So, I thought it was good. Basically the story is the Opium spaceship is leaving Uranus for Vegas. The band/music was great. The acts were what I'd expect to see at a circus freak show. The humor was funny at <i>most times </i>(corny and hokey, my son would love it). Being more drunk would probably make it more funny. But, OMG, I cracked right up and laughed so hard at the "banana" act. And I was so grossed out, all at the same time. The show definitely doesn't take itself too seriously. I was okay with going and not mad about what I spent to see it. The theatre is very small and intimate. The performers will engage everyone in the audience pretty much and that was entertaining as well. I had the "banana" guy engage me, lol. Thank god he didn't smell like bananas...<br />
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When leaving the theatre, a woman was flat on her back and the floor of the bar/entrance, and security had to veer everyone to walk around her. I hope she was okay. She was definitely unconscious...<br />
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I made my way to <b><u><a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/restaurants/jaleo" target="_blank">Jaleo</a></u></b>. I've been here before but it was 7 years ago now. I wanted a gin and tonic from there!<br />
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$20.00 - Cítrico:</div>
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Oxley gin, Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water, grapefruit, lemon, coriander, mint</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW5DFKvL4bIqClbVjAV7c5_dIEALmPRXmAv9-S3cqgA2LKjDoUVrq4HUjIhAIhR-7rndnJetU_74-Cqx9Pcy1_8AsVYlqc-_9UzExXw9aGiPGKQ4pe4ZtcY1ww1IQpcKvKEjvCXLb1Gt1/s1600/IMG_1222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="1600" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW5DFKvL4bIqClbVjAV7c5_dIEALmPRXmAv9-S3cqgA2LKjDoUVrq4HUjIhAIhR-7rndnJetU_74-Cqx9Pcy1_8AsVYlqc-_9UzExXw9aGiPGKQ4pe4ZtcY1ww1IQpcKvKEjvCXLb1Gt1/s640/IMG_1222.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pan de cristal con tomate:</div>
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Toasted slices of uniquely crispy and</div>
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ethereal bread brushed with</div>
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fresh tomato $12.5</div>
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Tortilla de patatas clásica:</div>
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Spanish omelet with potatoes and</div>
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onions $12.5</div>
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I can't resist either of the above food items. I LOVE tomato bread. However, I was still full from the burger so after a sampling of both, I got it packed up and figured it would make an awesome breakfast. I walked back to the Bellagio by the exit of "The Henry" restaurant on the first floor. This was easy and took me to where I got the shots of the Bellagio and Paris while on the pedestrian bridge back to the hotel.</div>
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I went to the MLife desk. I got my $125 freeplay ($50 from resort and $75 from "MyVegas"). I also got a dinner buffet (MyVegas). I dropped the food in the room and went back down to use the freeplay. I did okay. I cashed out with $250 exactly and called it a night. It was 1:30am now. I was in bed by 2am which said it was a 21 hour day for me since I got up at 5am. Step app said I walked 15,000 steps or about 12 km.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, May 14th:</u></b><br />
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I slept lousy! Constantly woke up and tossed and turned. The bed was fine, I guess it was just trying to adjust to it. I was up at 8am and wrote the trip report. I had the eggs and tomato bread for breakfast and it was delicious. I showered and walked over to Caesar's Palace. We had reservations for lunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/hells-kitchen" target="_blank">Hell's Kitchen</a></u></b>. It's outside of Caesar's, opposite the main lobby.<br />
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First off, inside the restaurant is stunningly gorgeous. And the service was stellar. If you are a fan, you will want to come here. I was in the beginning, but I don't watch it anymore. I outgrew it... but I am a fan of his food still.<br />
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Below was my drink, "Notes From Gordon", which of course had a note in it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5oHnJMNlDRkxcXXrXzHZUgpYLOaA_2BWR30pHn-MAfiZzPBdVeki6sshuCMs-Dg7Shh6FTMOcwPrxARTVU6Sje36TeyPR3cBIX_O3g4VasgocVGmy5IdjrvkEaGQSL0JBxpV0GT7SmWT/s1600/IMG_1252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1207" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5oHnJMNlDRkxcXXrXzHZUgpYLOaA_2BWR30pHn-MAfiZzPBdVeki6sshuCMs-Dg7Shh6FTMOcwPrxARTVU6Sje36TeyPR3cBIX_O3g4VasgocVGmy5IdjrvkEaGQSL0JBxpV0GT7SmWT/s640/IMG_1252.JPG" width="482" /></a></div>
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$14.00</div>
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plymouth dry gin, green tea, lemongrass, peach, lemon, message from gordon</div>
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I had the shortribs. My friend had the HK Express Three-Course Lunch Menu with wine pairings ($90) and her friend had the HK burger. I'll start with the set menu:</div>
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White Asparagus Soup</div>
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Beef Wellington</div>
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Potato puree, glazed root vegetables, red wine demi-glace. </div>
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Sticky Toffee Pudding</div>
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Speculoos ice cream</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
$22.00</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hell's Kitchen Burger</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bacon, avocado, fresno pepper jam, crispy onion, ghost pepper jack cheese, seasoned fries</div>
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$34.00</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Braised Short Rib</div>
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creamy polenta, baby vegetables, beef jus</div>
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Just before dessert was served, my ex showed up with one of our retired co-workers and friend. I had invited him on the plane as I knew he liked Ramsay. However, he was <b><i>very</i></b> "inebriated"... It was uncomfortable for all, including the restaurant staff but they handled it well. My friends said my face went "<i>white as a ghost</i>" when I saw what condition he was in. His friend handled him really well and got him out of there. Said he'd been a handful so far (my ex's first trip to sin city) and had been up gambling/drinking since early, early this morning. Said last night he was walking around with hundred dollar bills hanging out of his shirt pocket and he had to save him when some hooker was going to roll him. OMG, lol. Anyway, our servers said it wasn't anything they hadn't seen before but I was pissed off, to say the least...Sitting in a fine, refined dining establishment and your ex is yelling that he wants a pitchfork toothpick, and lets not forget telling the table that I haven't changed and I'm still a bitch, lol... I wish he told me how he really felt... 😉 Funny in hindsight, but not in that moment...needless to say, that was the last time I would be seeing him.</div>
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My friends wanted to go to the Forum shoppes at Caesars, so I told them to walk over to the Bellagio after. I walked back and gambled and LOST. Don't gamble when you're mad, lol. I lost three hundred in about an hour. I went to the Sportsbook and took Raiders to win the Superbowl. GO GRUDEN! Then I went to my safe and took out another three hundred. My friends came back and we went to my room for some drinks, got into the Crown Royal. Yikes, and then it was too late - I was <b><i>feeling no pain</i></b>. Next up was my favorite place. The Conservatory! I 💘 this place. It smells heavenly too. The details amaze me, always.</div>
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We went to the Petrossian bar, below.<br />
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We ordered some champagne. Our server misunderstood us when we ordered a bottle with 3 glasses, and instead brought 3 glasses. When we told her, she took them away and then brought them back and asked if we could just drink these and then finish the bottle. We agreed and were glad it didn't go to waste. She brought us some bar snacks.</div>
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Our server than came and filled our glasses up and told us the bartender had opened another bottle and that we could finish it. Wow, that was so nice and unexpected. And by the time we left there, I think I was probably looking like my "ex", lol. I hugged our server, so I know I was pretty <i>happy</i> at this point. I got my friends into an Uber. They were going downtown to Freemont. Our plans were that they were going to get back to their hotel by 9pm and then we'd go see a comedy show at the Tropicana. </div>
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I went to the buffet for my free meal. My MLife tier had a line pass (Pearl) so that was nice with no wait. It hit the spot and soaked up some of the booze and that was a good thing. I ate some stuffing with gravy for that. I felt like I just watched people walking around with huge plates of mile high crab legs. But, it wasn't King crab (I'd call it snow crab), so I tried a few legs. Not bad and at least they were split. I told the man serving them I only wanted a couple, not a plate full like everyone else. He told me with a huge laugh that I was not supposed to diet today! 😊 Um, my food pictures tell you that he didn't need to worry...</div>
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Then I gambled again, and lost another $300. I left a $120 TITO in or on the slot and when I realized, I went back but it was gone. (<i>Stupid is as stupid does</i>). I took a while remembering where I had last been as I was bouncing slot to slot, and I was drunk. Ouchie. I don't think that being drunk and gambling work too well together. I get really stupid and loose with my cash too. My last hundred I was playing $5 slots and it was gone in seconds. It was 10pm and I hadn't heard from them so I went to my room. They <i>had</i> contacted me, but the messages didn't come in until I got on my laptop. The WiFi protected me and made me go to my room, and not out! Haha. I told them I was down for the count and went to the comfy bed...I desperately needed the sleep! Only 10,000 steps or about 7 km walked today.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 15th:</u></b></div>
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I got a good solid 8 hours sleep in and it was better than last nights. Below shows I didn't move much. The pillows were exactly as I arranged them when I went to bed, lol. The night before, a couple of pillows were on the floor, the blankets were off the bed and all over the place from tossing and turning.</div>
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I wrote up the report and nursed my hangover with some Mondavi wine which was not going down too well. Oh well, I tried. I then guzzled water for a long while, lol. That helped. I got in the shower, got ready and headed out for a walk. Very warm today but beautiful - nothing but blue skies...</div>
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Lunch was at the Venetian today. <b><u><a href="https://www.runchickenrun.com/location/las-vegas/" target="_blank">Yardbird</a></u></b>. This was the one I was most looking forward to this trip. I love that their website is "run chicken run .com", lol. </div>
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We were a half hour early but they seated us, no problem. I ordered a cocktail.</div>
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YARDBIRD OLD FASHIONED</div>
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our southern spin on this timeless classic features bacon - infused wild turkey 81, angostura bitters, orange bitters, maple syrup served in a lowball & paired with a 2" sphere ice</div>
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$16</div>
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DEVILED EGGS<br />
dill, chives, smoked trout roe<br />
$10</div>
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BLUE PLATE SPECIAL</div>
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two pieces of Lewellyn’s fine fried chicken (I asked for wing and thigh) chilled spiced watermelon, house-made buttermilk biscuit</div>
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$15</div>
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COLLARD GREENS</div>
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cider vinegar & cracklins</div>
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$10</div>
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The greens came without cracklins which they said they were out of and there was no potlikker either, which I like, but they were good even so. We all had the chicken and it was excellent. No complaints at all, moist (brined), tender and seasoned perfectly. The watermelon was good too, like pickled almost. Biscuits were yummy. We headed out. My friends were going to Wynn & Circus Circus and I headed back.<br />
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I stopped at every casino on the way back and donated $20 in each. I played for about an hour in Casino Royale, but cashed out with nothing. I was getting used to that feeling. 😏 I turned down all drink offers and was feeling pretty damn lousy. Lunch did not restore my health like I thought it would.<br />
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Back at the Bellagio. Concierge printed a 2-for-1 coupon for the Laugh Factory for me. I emailed it to them and then they had me pick it up at the desk in the lobby. I decided to have a drink somewhere. I went to Cafe Bellagio and used some of my resort credit. I ordered a margarita and some french onion soup. The setting is lovely, either looking out to the Conservatory or to the pool.<br />
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FRENCH ONION SOUP</div>
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toasted baguette, gruyère cheese</div>
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I felt better - alive even. The broth and gooey cheese probably did it. I asked my server about the change coming. Sadelle’s, a Jewish-style deli will be in its place. My server said renovations will start in August and it is expected to open for Christmas season. I asked what happens to their jobs. She said they will be laid off. The awful thing I learned is that they won't have health insurance anymore and she said when they come back to work, it will take about 3 months to build the hours up to have it again. I felt so sorry for them, shitty thing to happen...<br />
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Below is another Conservatory shot.<br />
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I gambled, lost more and then freshened up. I walked over to MGM to meet my friends for dinner. It was their last night and they had a really early flight home. We went to <b><u><a href="http://wolfgangpuck.com/dining/wolfgang-puck-bar-and-grill-las-vegas/" target="_blank">Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill</a></u></b>.<br />
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Bacon Blue Burger</div>
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Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Spicy Pepper Aioli, French Fries $23</div>
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Big-Eye Tuna Tartar</div>
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Avocado, Wasabi, Sesame Crisps $22</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OM6NIM3WghyphenhyphenBRm-gRIF0fTeblK_eoX_vOtDWhdDXKc67tRzB_IH2wgxRIV_fChihVylwodLA80xnYVBIKg2ZP9otjcJTVDMuH1OCaP-PHcCqkprhNt5myXezfFWeNLrGsjn36FrZX87t/s1600/IMG_1428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1600" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OM6NIM3WghyphenhyphenBRm-gRIF0fTeblK_eoX_vOtDWhdDXKc67tRzB_IH2wgxRIV_fChihVylwodLA80xnYVBIKg2ZP9otjcJTVDMuH1OCaP-PHcCqkprhNt5myXezfFWeNLrGsjn36FrZX87t/s640/IMG_1428.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Linguine and Clams</div>
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Shishito Peppers, Scallions, Miso-Garlic Butter $28</div>
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He said this was his favorite burger of the trip. She loved her tuna. I thought mine was okay. Clams were good, but it was just luke warm when it hit the table. I ate it all anyway. We walked over to the Tropicana and went to the box office. My coupon got us three tickets for $35 each. We went up to the <b><u><a href="http://www2.troplv.com/entertainment/laugh-factory" target="_blank">Laugh Factory</a></u></b>. </div>
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The comedians were very funny and we laughed a lot. One did a bit on his stay at Circus Circus and I was peeing myself. So funny. When it was over I told my friends I'd meet them by the bathroom which is by the elevators to go down. They were nowhere to be found. So I sent them a message and went and got a Lyft ($5.43 shared but I ended up being alone). Below is a shot while waiting in the rideshare area at the Trop for the car.</div>
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When I got back, I got a message saying they were looking for me. I guess she didn't see my message saying I was going, going, gone. I sent it half an hour before she sent hers. Anyway, I wished them safe travels home. I gambled and lost and retired for the night... Almost 16,000 steps or about 12 km walked today.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 16th:</u></b><br />
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I slept awesomely. I awoke early, felt rested and a million times better than yesterday! I wrote the report. I have no idea why, but <b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOGEyBeoBGM" target="_blank">this song</a></u></b> was in my head. Probably heard it on my elevator or at the Tropicana... So, I had to listen to it and then got in the shower. I turned on that magnifying mirror with a light and OMG, I turned it back off quick. Well, after I plucked a few random hairs I found growing on my face that I didn't know were there, lol. And, Is that what pores look like? Wow, didn't like trying that mirror, that's for sure. I finished getting ready and walked over to the Aria. Below always makes me think of a big penis with Christmas lights on it when I see it, I forget the true meaning of it though...<br />
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I gambled for an hour (no wins of course) and then wanted to have lunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.aria.com/en/restaurants/javiers.html" target="_blank">Javier's</a></u></b>. It opened at 11:30 am and I was seated right away. This is another place that's been on my "to-do" list for a while. Server immediately brought over chips and salsa.<br />
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The salsa I loved!!!!! Perfect blend of heat, cilantro, onions for crunch and fresh. Sooooo tasty and I couldn't stop eating it. I ordered a margarita and it was also delicious. If you love cucumber, you will want this drink.<br />
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PEPINO</div>
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A Blend of Silver Tequila, Agave Nectar, freshly squeezed lime juice and cucumbers. $16</div>
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View of the bar from my table</div>
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ENCHILADA, CHILE RELLENO & TACO</div>
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Chile relleno with choice of chicken, beef or cheese enchilada and choice of beef or chicken crispy taco $28</div>
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I dug in. Everything was lovely and seasoned perfectly. The refried beans tasted like pork fat and I could feel my veins hardening but they were so good. I did a good job (finished three quarters of it!) at eating and then waddled out of there. I needed to walk that off. I went shopping at Ross, Marshall's, ABC store and then walked back to Bellagio. It was a hot one, 92 degrees (33C) today, so I had to cool off in the room for a bit. I freshened up. That usually means <b>wine</b> and retouching my make up. </div>
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I walked over to Harrah's and gambled. I sat at a slot and looked right and that cardboard scared the crap out of me, I jumped in my seat. 😊<br />
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I lost more. I've had zero luck this trip and any bonuses have been cheap. Sometimes it's with you and sometimes no where to be found. This was one of <i>those</i> trips. Well, I won on my last three visits so can't complain. About 6 pm, I went for dinner <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-las-vegas/restaurants/oyster-bar" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>:<br />
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My server told me the clam chowder was the "best in town" so I had to try it. Fortunately he was right. Very, very good traditional New England style soup ($9).<br />
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I really wanted to get the <i>grilled</i> oysters, but when I asked him if they were as good as the ones you get in New Orleans, he said he didn't know and that customers have said they don't have as much on them. I guess that meant cheese and butter? Anyway, I didn't want to risk being unhappy with them so I ordered one of their signature dishes instead. I asked my server what his favorite dish was and he said "a quarter pounder without cheese"...so yeah...<br />
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O.B.’S PAN ROAST</div>
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Lobster, shrimp, crab claws, clams and mussels,</div>
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finished with a smoked tomato cream sauce and</div>
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jasmine rice $35</div>
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The roast was good. Only 2 clams of 6 were open so I had to discard those ones. The sauce was very sweet but the smoky taste was nice. Seafood was cooked well and not over done. </div>
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I then made my way to the show room to see "<b><u><a href="http://www.menopausethemusical.com/" target="_blank">Menopause the Musical</a></u></b>". Let's just say it's age appropriate for me at this time as I head down the road of "mentalpause"... I bought the ticket at a discount before I got here, on Travelzoo, I think. I took the voucher to the box office and exchanged it for my ticket. Below is my view of the stage and I had a good seat. The theatre filled right up and was full, unlike "Opium" the other night. </div>
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Cindy Williams from "<b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJzF8_df1R8" target="_blank">Laverne & Shirley</a></u></b>" was there in a couple of scenes and also was the "host". I watched that t.v. show as a kid and they referenced it in one of the acts. The cast was fabulous and I literally laughed out loud and it was polished and acted well. It was great to giggle about it. Funny and entertaining. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Very APROPOS and just what I needed at this time.</div>
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I walked over the LINQ promenade and had a look around. It was packed. </div>
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I stopped at the <b><u><a href="http://www.honolulucookie.com/" target="_blank">Honolulu Cookie Company</a></u></b> and bought a box of shortbread for my son. Then I gambled at LINQ and lost. It was so gross and smoky in there, says the ex-smoker. So, I walked back to Bellagio. It was packed solid in there and smoky too. So, I just went up to bed...12,000 steps or about 10 km walked today.<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, May 17th A.K.A. Last day:</u></b><br />
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I slept restlessly and woke up early. I typed up the trip report. Getting up early everyday really helped for this. Lots of time to get the previous day written up. I showered and got ready. I avoided the evil magnified lighted mirror, though it called out to me and asked me to look in it, but I wasn't going for it. I walked down to the Venetian. I gambled for an hour, and lost. I went for lunch at <b><u><a href="http://www.chicalasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Chica</a></u></b> which has been on my "to do" list since it opened.<br />
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View from my table</div>
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It was pretty empty. A few more people came over lunch. My server said they rely on convention visitors. I wondered what that meant about the food? Anyway, a couple joined my section and the wife talked on facetime on her mobile, on speakerphone the entire time until their food came. It was annoying. My food arrived.<br />
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MAC CON QUESO - Choclo corn, fresh hearts of palm, blanched spinach topped with Mornay sauce, Parmesan, baked with panko breadcrumbs. $13 </div>
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GRILLED PERUVIAN OCTOPUS - Grilled octopus, crispy quinoa, ají amarillo sauce, blistered shishito peppers, spicy guasacaca pico $18</div>
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The "mac con queso" was like mac & cheese but with Peruvian corn. I can only compare that to hominy. It was very much like that in taste and in size as well. Very carby, starchy and filling. I could only get through half the side. The octopus was delicious. Loved it and cleaned that plate up. My server brought me a dessert bite which was a churro pop (ice cream). She said it was to welcome me to Chica and she hoped I returned. I'm sure its standard for every guest. I don't eat dessert, but it was damn good, and I finished that bite.</div>
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I left the Venetian through the main lobby.<br />
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I walked over to the Mirage.<br />
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I like hanging out there and usually have a good time. Today was no different.<br />
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I finally got my first win of the trip with the bonus round...the "fantasy suite" to be exact. Haha.<br />
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I donated it back, but did stay and play with that win all afternoon. I got really good drink service too. I was tipsy when I walked back to Bellagio. I went to my room and had a nice hour long nap. I had dinner plans at Craftsteak tonight, but I cancelled the reservation. I didn't feel like going back to MGM or having steak. So, I decided to go back to Bardot Brasserie.<br />
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AND GOD CREATED WOMAN $17</div>
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ford's gin, byrrh, st. germain</div>
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lemon, bitters</div>
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ESCARGOTS BARDOT $23</div>
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wild burgundy snails wrapped individually in puff pastry, toasted hazelnuts</div>
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chartreuse-garlic butter</div>
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DOUBLE CUT PORK CHOP $42</div>
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oak smoked duroc pork, bacon lardons, root vegetables</div>
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horseradish pomme purée, grain mustard beurre blanc</div>
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I didn't love what I ended up ordering. The escargots were tasty, but not what I was feeling for. Same with the pork chop. I wished I read the descriptions as while I love pomme puree, I wasn't loving the horseradish in it. The pork was cooked well but was really smoky and I had smoky last night. I got through about half and wished I sat in the bar and had the burger again! I used my express comps which was almost $9, lol.</div>
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And then I went to gamble, and the losing streak continued. Started at Aria, ended at Bellagio. I put my last $20 in after starting the day with $400 for gambling. I won $80 on that so cashed out so I'd have money for the airport. I went back to the room. As I don't have a soaker tub at home, I filled it up and used a "Lush" bath bomb I had brought with me. It was a nice soak.</div>
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I checked in for my flight and packed most stuff and then went to bed about 1 am. 12,000 steps walked or about 9 km today.</div>
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<b><u>Friday, May 18th:</u></b></div>
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I slept shitty. Woke up every 15 minutes it felt like. I was up at 5:30 and finished the report. My hotel room phone rang at 6 am but my wake up call was for 7. But, it was not that, it was some man calling me to check his messages, lol. Said he pushed the message button and it called me. Weird.</div>
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I showered, finished packing and checked out on the t.v. I caught a Lyft to the airport. I was ready to go home. The usual "I need a vacation from the vacation" thoughts. As always, I had a good time, even with all the loss. There's always next time... 😉 That's what Vegas is...hope for that "win" though that <i>win</i> is different for all...</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com13600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA36.1126264 -115.1767050999999910.307637900000003 -156.4852991 61.917614900000004 -73.8681111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-14239783492924980462017-11-16T13:00:00.000-08:002019-04-07T12:53:48.977-07:00Huatulco Trip Report - November 7 - 14, 2017We were very excited to visit a part of Mexico that seemed less commercialized. The word "quaint" kept coming to my mind while researching it. We had a few options but ended up choosing the All-Inclusive (I'll get back to that choice later) option at <a href="http://www.hotelcastillohuatulco.com/en/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">Castillo Huatulco Hotel and Beach Club</a>. This was located in the "old town" of Santa Cruz. Reviews looked good and the beach club looked awesome. I also wanted to go somewhere I have never been in Mexico before.<br />
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I <b><i>detest</i></b> the tour operator we booked through, Sunwing. I swore I would never ever use them again, but time heals all wounds I guess? I had my fingers crossed - on both hands, and my toes too that I wouldn't regret my decision...We chose them because it was a direct flight. I refuse to stop on those charter flights anymore and the price was right for our budget. It was just over $1200 each all in after taxes and medical & cancellation insurance. My friend is 41 and I am 52. We've traveled on a few trips together, I think this is our 4th. The night before, I checked our flight status and it looked okay.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 7th:</u></b><br />
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I got off to a rocky start and my friend phoned while she was outside my house in the cab waiting for me, wondering where I was. Um, I was still in bed sleeping! Apparently I turned the 5:30am alarm off. So, I frantically rushed around and was out about 20 minutes later. I was thankful that I had everything packed the night before. We made it to the airport. A $17 BLT sandwich (that contained processed cheese), later, we boarded. Everything from security to getting the whole row of seats (3) on the plane for the two of us worked beautifully - zero stress. Five and a half hours later we arrived!<br />
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First thoughts: Oh my HUMIDITY. My least favorite thing. As we went through customs, a bird sh*t on a ladies hand. She had to run to the bathroom to clean up. We looked up and it was a thatched roof. We were soon through customs and both received a green light. Our van was ready and we loaded and were off with only one stop first.<br />
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We got to our room and both immediately took turns showering. I desperately needed to since I hadn't had time in the morning. We realized how small the double room was. I felt really cramped so we went back down to the desk to ask about bigger rooms. He (Luis) showed us a couple and we got one with a staircase (below) that had another bedroom upstairs.<br />
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My credit card told me it ended up being $189 CAD for the 7 nights. When I went to pay him (Luis, who we adored - he was so kind) after dinner, he lowered the room rate by another $4 CAD per night. I asked him if I should go away again and keep coming back? Would the rate go lower? 😉 I was fine with the price and we had so much more room.<br />
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We had a couple of drinks before dinner and it was uncomfortable for me in the open air bar...<br />
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Outside looking into the lobby</div>
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Sitting in the bar looking right to the front desk</div>
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...Very sticky. I felt soaked. Dinner was a very simple buffet but there was A/C in the dining room which was very welcome. All Mexican food and we really enjoyed it. It was like they had invited you into their home and cooked for you. Simply lovely. I had Paella Valencia. We had a couple of more drinks. A little boy and his family were leaving and the boy pointed to my friend. The dad said, "Gringas", lol. We called it a night. Travel days are always tough and we wanted to get a good sleep and start out fresh.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, November 8th:</u></b><br />
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We were both wide awake by 5am. When the sun came out, we checked out the view from our room.<br />
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We stayed up until breakfast started at 7:30am. Again it was home cooking and our server even showed me I could get a made-to-order grasshopper omelette or quesadilla. I didn't this morning, but perhaps another day? Next we walked to the "Super Che" which is like a Mega Walmart. About a 10 minute walk.<br />
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We ogled every aisle. Below was chili heaven!<br />
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We picked up some interesting food products to take home and some wine for our room. The wine wasn't very good at the hotel and the bar closed at 11 and didn't open till 11am either. Wine was expensive in Huatulco, compared to Tequila. We got a taxi back and it was $30 pesos.<br />
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We decided to catch the shuttle to the beach club which leaves every half hour. That being said, it's really close and walking is easy. It's not necessary to wait for a ride if you're mobile and it's not screaming hot. It was a 5 minute drive (10 minute walk) and we were there shortly after nine.<br />
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The beach club said it was open at 9am daily, but while there was staff there, they were not interested in helping you. By 11am we were able to get towels (sign them out) and by noon we could get an alcohol drink. On the up side, we had the pool all to ourselves! AND, it was not humid so that was a big bonus.<br />
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Notice that in the sign above, "bathing suits are mandatory". We giggled over that. We moved to the beach after a while. It was a red flag and the waves looked fierce at times, so we just put our feet in.<br />
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Lunch is served at 1pm, so we had 4 hours to wait before food. We grabbed a table.<br />
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The wait was worth it! They brought us over guacamole, which we enjoyed very much. A buffet was set up.<br />
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For lunch I had some seafood cocktail (Campechana, as I know it), a couple of fries, a piece of chicken and some awesome fried fish! It was so good. We had no complaints at all, and like the hotel, it felt like homemade cooking from someone's kitchen.<br />
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The property is landscaped very nicely.<br />
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When we had enough sun, we took the shuttle back to the property. They have towels on all the van seats which is nice too. We showered and made our way across the street to the "Mercado". Had a look around, I bought my son a T-shirt and my usual fridge magnet. My friend bought a dress.<br />
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We walked back to the hotel and had a drink. Below is Tequila Resposado with Sangrita chaser. Sangrita is tomato and orange juices with lime and Tabasco. Very tasty! We chatted with a couple from one of the Canadian prairie provinces.<br />
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We went to dinner. We were delighted to see chicken pozole on the menu! I make pozole at home and its one of our favorite dishes.<br />
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Below was the highlight of the evening for me - the tamale, above the tamale is cactus (napales) salad, rice with some of the taco beef:<br />
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After, I got to meet the female chef. My server translated how delicious I thought the food was to her. She was so gracious and it was a nice moment. There is very little English spoken in the resort. A couple of the staff were more fluent than others but it is 95% Spanish only. We joked that our "charades" were becoming <i>killer good</i>, and we both had Spanish translators on our phone which helped. We made out fine, and it was a lot of fun trying to learn/speak more. We went to the bar for a nightcap and were back in the room shortly after. It was great day!!!<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, November 9th:</u></b><br />
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We awoke early and made our way across the street to the Santa Cruz town square. There was a coffee shop in the middle called <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cafe-Huatulco-527409467311927/" target="_blank">Cafe Huatulco</a></u></b>.<br />
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You order downstairs and if you are going to stay there, they will bring it to you upstairs. The setting is lovely, overlooking the park and marina.<br />
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Coffee was fantastic and I highly recommend it. So much better than Starbucks! I'm sure this place is jam packed full and busy in high season or when cruise ships dock. We were visiting the first week that flights started going into Huatulco for high season. Luis, at our hotel said by end of November everything kicks up into full swing. The cruise ships would start arriving on the 16th so we were happy we missed those too. Pretty awesome, quiet time to visit. We really liked that.<br />
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We grabbed a quick breakfast back at the hotel. It was packed! Luis told us it was a convention of nationals and would be packed full, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then quiet again. Alfredo picked us up for a cooking class. We were learning to make Mole today. I have always wanted to add this to my recipe repertoire and thought there was no better place to learn than here in Oaxaca. Incidentally, the name of his school is "<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Wahaca-Cooking-1424468024442805/" target="_blank">Wahaca Cooking</a></u></b>" which teaches you how to pronounce it. 😊 And we were off. Alfredo, who was born in Santa Cruz told us the history of Santa Cruz, Tangolunda and La Crucecita (the three towns that make up Huatulco) as he drove. He stopped for a scenic shot but I didn't get far enough back to take a good picture. Alfredo told us everything was still green here as they had an intense rainy season this year. One of their worst ever. He said soon it would all turn brown.<br />
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We picked up two more people at "Secrets Resort" and then shortly after we arrived. Alfredo remodeled the place we were at, which was a steakhouse before.<br />
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Alfredo's sister Vicky was assisting in class and made fresh Hibiscus tea to start and gave us all a glass. I guess I could describe it as similar to cranberry juice.<br />
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And then it was off to work and start cooking. Alfredo's tales of his family recipes were heartfelt and I wished I could have met his mother, who passed recently. I couldn't help but like him. He was genuine, enjoyed telling us stories and was very proud, yet humble. A real pleasure to have met him.<br />
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The "black mole" was the more complex of the two we made. There was a long list of ingredients and steps, but it went smoothly along. Below is a picture of Alfredo's that he took of the four of us cleaning the chilies. That was plantain in the bowl, not banana.<br />
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Halfway through cooking, it was beer time which felt refreshing as it was a warm day.<br />
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Below, the moles were simmering on the stove and then we started to make our own tortillas. We were like a little factory, kneading the dough, pressing them out and then putting them on the grill.<br />
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And before everything was served, Alfredo crafted some fantastic margaritas for us. These were really good, as in perfect.<br />
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The table was set and then we all sat down to dine. Alfredo explained how everything was eaten and we enjoyed it all.<br />
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Lastly, Alfredo taught us about Mezcal and then gave us a tasting.<br />
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Cost of the class was $75 USD each or $1400 pesos. I gave him $3400 pesos for 2 of us. It was well worth the money and I enjoyed the class immensely. He drove us back and recommended a couple of restaurants which was nice. We planned to go to his at some point too. Wonderful afternoon. Alfredo sent all the recipes we made in class as well.<br />
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Back at the hotel we went for a swim. Getting ready, we saw housekeeping had left the beds beautifully made, with nice little touches throughout the room. We tipped them $100 pesos every day and they deserved it. They were always smiling and kept our room really clean and neat.<br />
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We were a bit peckish and wanted a snack. We wandered across the street where there was a taco stand.<br />
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Two tacos for $20 pesos which is $1.35 CAD. Wow, at home we pay $2.50 <b>each</b> for the same thing. They were good and hit the spot. We didn't like the one they called "black tuna" though as it tasted extremely fishy. The beef one which you can see below, was great.<br />
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That evening, we decided to try Alfredo's dinner recommendation and made a reservation for <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RocotoHux" target="_blank">Rocoto</a></u></b>. It is very small with only 5 or 6 tables so reservations would be absolutely necessary in high season. It was only $30 pesos ($2 CAD) for a cab. We tipped $20 pesos always, for every cab ride, which were always $30 pesos. Below is when we left and we were the last customers which is why it looks empty.<br />
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We were started with some very good grilled bread and two picante salsas. It was a good start!<br />
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We ordered a bottle of "red sparkling" wine from Italy which was really good. We both liked it. In fact, the chef's mother came out and told us it was her favorite and that she liked us instantly because we ordered it. 😊<br />
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$450 pesos or $30 CAD</div>
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My entree is below and I could not believe the price which was about $13 CAD. What a steal!!! </div>
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Below, my friend's dish, which was about $12 CAD.<br />
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Wow, everything was scrumptious! We were stuffed full and happy. Chef Claudia came out to sit with us. She was full of amusing tales of her culinary adventures and time spent in Chile. We were so happy we got to try this place. We told her Alfredo recommended this place to us and her and her mother had nothing but nice things to say about him. They also said he does a lot of good things for the community.<br />
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Hugs goodbye and we walked back to the hotel. It was 10:30 at night, quiet as in deserted, but yet we felt safe. Can't say that's happened in walking around in strange towns late at night before. It was a lovely evening, cool with a slight hum of a breeze and that ended another perfect day in the beautiful ambiance of Huatulco.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, November 10th:</u></b><br />
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We slept in today and had a hearty breakfast at the hotel buffet. Since the bar wasn't open, we got into a habit of bringing Bailey's with us to put in our coffee. Truth is, the hotel didn't have Bailey's anyway - we asked one night after dinner. BTW, the coffee was very good at the hotel. We always tipped our servers in the restaurant and bar too. They worked so hard and always made us feel special. Below, I had one cactus and one chorizo quesadilla. The refried beans were always good.<br />
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We took a wander over to the marina to look for a snorkeling tour. We encountered Captain Bruno, who's English was decent and his price was good - $1500 pesos for 5 hours ($100 CAD). He told us he'd supply a cooler, all we had to do is bring what we wanted to drink. Told us he would take us wherever we wanted to go. He told us his boats were named after his daughters, so we decided on him and gave him a deposit of $500 pesos for tomorrow at 9am. Walking back, we saw a different taco stand today, but we didn't stop.<br />
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We went back to the beach club for the afternoon. We spent all our time at the beach today. I sat in the sand to catch some waves, and <i>oh boy</i>, did I ever! The waves rolled me over and stripped my bathing suit off. Luckily I got it back on before the wave rolled out! 😄 I had sand everywhere in my body. I decided to stay out of the ocean. We took showers to cool down after that. I also gave my head a big whop on one of the poles of the palapa roof and that hurt - I saw stars!!! I am always clumsier on vacation though as I don't look where I should be looking, I get distracted easily...<br />
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We didn't have lunch today, though they did bring us some guacamole to the beach without us asking for it which was very thoughtful.<br />
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We went back to the hotel to clean up. While we were walking, the hotel shuttle drove by, pulled over and picked us up which was also kind and thoughtful. We showered and I got sand everywhere! It felt like buckets full were falling out of my swim suit. But, I survived it, though I felt horrible for it being all over the bathroom.<br />
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That night for dinner we were going to celebrate our birthdays which are both in November. We chose <b><u><a href="http://www.edencosta.com/restaurant_lechalote_eng.htm" target="_blank">L'Echalote</a></u></b> because I saw it had fondue! Luis at the front desk kindly made the reservation the previous night for us, as the menu said 24 hours notice was needed. It was a $30 peso cab ride. All the rates are set, so you know before you ride. We had an early dinner as we were going to go to Alfredo's bar later in La Crucecita as there was live music tonight.</div>
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It was pleasant sitting inside and wasn't uncomfortable with humidity or heat.</div>
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We ordered a bottle of wine and the fondue. We chose the "bourguignonne". Again, for two people it only cost $13 CAD each. It was mind-blowing to me!</div>
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Below is the beef. The sauces from top to bottom were: Blue Cheese, Sweet & Sour, Mustard, Chili and Mayo.</div>
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A side salad was also included.</div>
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And fries (which were great with the mayo!) There was a lot of food, so three skinny stray cats got a nice meal of filet mignon with the beef we couldn't eat.</div>
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We ordered Irish Coffees for dessert and were surprised that we got a table side presentation with the flaming whiskey.</div>
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We chatted with Canadians that owned a house in Huatulco. They invited us to join them somewhere called "Rick's Place" which they said was for Canadians and ex-pats but we had <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlfredosHuatulco/" target="_blank">Alfredo's</a></u></b> on our mind and said we'd try to get there after. Taxi was - guess? Yes, $30 pesos.</div>
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We sat at the bar, met Alfredo and his lovely wife Chiara who owns a gelato shop next door and is from Sicily, I believe. We ordered a bottle of wine and the band came on. They were fantastic! They played a mix of music and were very talented. We had a lot of fun and a nice evening.</div>
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We knew we had to get up early, so like good girls, we went home after our wine was finished. Took a taxi back and went to bed. Another awesome day in the books.</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, November 11th:</u></b></div>
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We got a quick bite in the buffet and headed over to the Marina for 9am. I felt marginally okay after our evening out last night. We found Bruno (at the left below) and he took us to his boat "Cecilia".</div>
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It was then we learned that Bruno wasn't going on the trip. Our boat driver (Hernando?) didn't speak any English at all. We asked where the cooler was and Bruno told us that he had one, but it had no ice. I think when he saw the look on my face, he said he'd get some but wasn't happy about it at all. </div>
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We took the boat over to a store. Bruno dropped the bag of ice in the cooler and jumped out. My friend and I looked at each other in shock, and then off we went...I really wish Bruno had told us what to expect before he left, as all we told him yesterday was that we wanted to snorkel for about 3 hours...we picked him because his English was good.</div>
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Our driver took us to see a few bays... We understood the names as we had read them, but little else. For sure, he took us to Playa Maguey and Playa Organo. It was a game of charades between us all again. My friend did much better at figuring out what he was saying. It was really wavy and my stomach was kind of wonky from last night's wine. I stared straight ahead and looked up and I was fine. I didn't want to barf over the side of the boat! </div>
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His first stop was at "La Entrega Beach". He used charades to show us the fish, and that we would snorkel there after he took us around to show us the other bays. You could see lots of fish in the water. Below is a shot of my camera looking down from outside the boat.</div>
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Lower right at the bottom looks like a woman in there, to me</div>
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Above was funny. Our driver stopped and was saying "mask" to us. My friend thought he was saying we were going to get our snorkel gear somewhere near. Then he said "rock" and kept pointing. Ha, we finally got it, the face in the rock or "Cara en la Piedra". Then back to Playa La Entrega. </div>
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Here we didn't know what was going on either. He pulled into the beach area and some men were there and helping us out of the boat. They kept asking how long we would stay and we said 3 hours. Then our driver was leaving with our cooler stuff, so we had to get them to get that and then he left. We had no clue what was going on. A couple had reasonable English so they brought us to a table in a restaurant and said they would take us over for snorkel gear when we were ready. We sat down and collected our thoughts.</div>
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View from our table</div>
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They took us over to a hut where we got our snorkel gear for $100 pesos each and that included a locker. They handed us vests that had "Gigantica" written on the back. I said to my friend, "he just picked our size, I guess". She giggled and showed me a little girl who also had a vest on that said "Gigantica". It was the company name. 😃 We locked up our purses and went to sit down to finish our drinks before we snorkeled. As I was standing on the beach, a man named "Willy" who said English was his specialty offered to take us on a snorkel tour for $100 pesos each and told us we would see "thousands of fish". We talked it over, and said we would in a half hour. My friend has never snorkeled before, and its been a while for me too, so we thought it was a good idea and it was...</div>
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Willy cleaned our masks, put our fins on and tightened our vests for us. He apologized while putting them on as they have to be done up like a corset so they don't ride up. I said, something to my friend about my boobs being squished and Willy said he didn't know all the English words but he knew <i>that</i> one. Of course, he did, <i>haha</i>. He asked us if we were "Brokeback Mountain" or just friends? We assured him we were just friends.</div>
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He was able to tell us all the fish names in English and lead the way. We loved it! Such a good time and it was so clear and beautiful and lots and lots of coral. He told us when it would be shallow and guided my friend through a cave (I have claustrophobia so didn't want to). It felt like we got some good exercise too. He kept us out there for an hour. We tipped him an extra $100 pesos and just had time for lunch before our 3 hours was up. Below is a picture of Willy.<br />
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And then below gives you a view of what we saw underwater on this amazing day!<br />
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And then we went back to our table...<br />
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Top left was Margarita and I had a Michelada</div>
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They brought us over some tortillas and salsa which he said was habanero and it was super "picante" great. Loved it.</div>
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Below are my "Con Carne Quesadillas":</div>
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Below is my friend's "fish soup" which was pretty bland and she didn't like having the whole fish. I took the head and tail and put it on my plate but she still said it was staring at her...food wasn't very good and we just nibbled. At least the drinks were tasty.</div>
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We got the bill and this was expensive. It was $600 pesos or $40 CAD for 2 drinks and the two plates compared to the other meals we've had. But, we understood "why", you pay for the setting... </div>
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They called the "Captain" and soon the Cecilia arrived back to pick us up and then back to the Marina. We tipped our boat driver $200 pesos. We walked to the hotel. As we sat poolside, I sprayed more bug spray on me (OFF). I have got quite bitten while here. I guess I sprayed my foot and saw that it literally ate the toenail polish off 3 toes! We imagined what it was doing to my skin...</div>
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We were quite hungry so ordered a clubhouse to share. </div>
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That filled us up. When we went back to the room, housekeeping again had left us a welcoming entrance. They did yesterday too, but I had to rip the towels apart because of all the sand I was tracking in so no photos.</div>
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Because the hotel was full, we figured it would probably be a special "locals" meal tonight and it was. The first thing I saw was:</div>
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I took pictures, but I didn't indulge. But when I was taking a picture, I couldn't help but notice how many were taking plates of the grasshoppers. We joked about it while eating dinner, saying we would probably regret it if we didn't at least try...</div>
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Below was my favorite dish of the night. Yum. It's like a good beef stew.</div>
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Okay, and then it was time...I went back and got a plate:</div>
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Our wonderful server tonight was "Freddy". He had pretty good English and was super friendly and sweet. I tried a few times to pick one up but couldn't do it. I'd go in and then stop. My friend was laughing so hard at me she had tears. I finally asked Freddy if he ate them and what they tasted like. He said yes and that he liked them. Then he said they tasted like they are stir-fried in salt, lime and spices. It was good enough for me. I ate one. AND...it was TASTY! I'm not lying. It was like a snack food, crunchy and salty. My friend ate the little piece on the right (the wing, I teased her). I don't think she liked it as much as I did, as she said she would never eat it again. Hey, I credit her with being adventurous, so many I know, are not...I ate the other one too. Add grasshoppers to my list of strange of foods I've tried.</div>
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After dinner, we thought we'd go outside the hotel/bar and have a drink or two. We heard there was "Guns N Beers" down the street so went there. </div>
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I'm guessing the dumb name is because they are a "rock bar", not cocked and loaded, lol. </div>
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The music was good, the Eagles were ending as we came in and then a "Journey" marathon came on, but it wasn't live or anything. We had cocktails but they were super sweet (pre-mixed) and were giving us both heartburn so we left them. My Cadillac margarita was absolutely horrible. Back at the hotel, it was packed. Everyone was having fun, drinking and dancing but it wasn't our scene tonight. There was even live music with a 2 man Latin band. We retired to the room, dropped and rested the eyeballs until morning.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, November 12th:</u></b></div>
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We awoke and went back to Cafe Huatulco. I had a wonderful "Cafe Con Leche" and my friend bought some coffee. </div>
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I was sure I had a picture of the beautiful Banyan tree nearby somewhere in my photos, but I couldn't find it, if I do.</div>
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It was "Caliente" today. Saying that reminded me that you don't use that word for hot sauce. That's "picante". We used some words that got "lost in translation" and had some very funny results, but honestly - you had to be there and I'll leave it at that ... Today was maybe the hottest day so far? We had decided to shop in La Crucecita, so it figures we picked a day like this. We took a taxi instead of walking because of the heat and got off at the Church in town center. Then we walked around taking us wherever our feet found us.</div>
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I did find a nice Xmas tree ornament, hand crafted. We noticed that they didn't barter much in Huatulco. For us, the most they dropped price on anything was $20 or $30 pesos. We didn't care much anyway. We didn't even try to bargain mostly, but this was certainly different than other parts of Mexico we have visited. </div>
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The guy we bought our ornaments from took us to his store too and when we left, we told him we needed to stop for a drink so he took us next door. I had a Shrimp Michelada and my friend had a Sangria. They put the fan on for us, though the bartender at my hotel said they are in "cold" season and we did see women with scarves and jackets on. We were frying like bacon and the heat was draining to us, but was it better than being at work? Um, I think you know the answer...I seriously could see spending some time in Huatulco when I retire...</div>
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After our drinks, the shop owner came out and walked us to the "Loom" factory. It was pretty neat to visit, and we could have took pictures, but I was uncomfortable with the blatant tipping basket for it and I chose not to. In another moment, I probably would have but I didn't today... I didn't buy anything either though my friend bought a shawl that she liked.</div>
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I wanted to go to lunch at "La Crema" which was a wood fired pizza oven bar but they weren't open. </div>
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So we went downstairs to a coffee shop. I had a Cortado and it was very, very good, and only $30 pesos. There was some really fine coffee we tasted, on our travels in Huatulco.</div>
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We got a taxi back to the hotel as we had enough sun and decided to go for a swim. I hope everyone sees the beauty that <i>I see</i> in Huatulco so far. 😊</div>
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Tonight for dinner we walked across the street to the town square to <b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mercader-Huatulco-1611014645782933/" target="_blank">Restaurante Mercader</a></u></b>. I was honestly all "Mexican fooded out" today. I wanted something different. When we went over, she told us they were booked until 8:30 that night, which was fine for us. We went back and had more drinks in the lobby bar until they could accommodate us.<br />
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We were seated at a 2 top table outside and it was a comfortable evening. Cool with a very slight breeze. We both had margaritas and they were really delicious. A little girl came by trying to sell us something. We said, "no, gracias" and she moved back and just stood there and sang songs. OMG, so I gave her 10 pesos and then she left. Then the boys came. I bought a key chain for $20 pesos and then more boys came over. My friend bought 3 key chains for $50 pesos. Then the mother came by with necklaces. LOL. We stopped and they didn't come back until later. I told them we had already bought from them and they left. My friend said the boy was pointing me out to the others. MARK on my forehead. 😊<br />
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My friend had the "Summer Roll" which she said was great.<br />
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I saw they had croquettes on the menu, which I LOVE, so I got them. These were "salmon tartar" and I devoured them. So good!<br />
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I had Pad Thai also:<br />
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It was interesting that they didn't ask how hot I wanted it, but brought the heat on the side. It was good, but probably not the best I've had.<br />
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We had another margarita each and the bill was $510 pesos ($35 CAD)! The owner/chef talked to us a bit about how they opened up here and they actually didn't intend to do Thai, but their business partner promoted it, so they had to. They were planning to do contemporary Mexican food. It was all good and I recommend this place and making a reservation. As we walked back, it looked like a wedding or something was going on in the town square. We went back to the hotel and soon retired for the evening.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, November 13th:</u></b><br />
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When we got to the lobby, Luis was there. He always looked genuinely happy to see us and I liked him so much. If he was busy or occupied, he would stop and always take the time to say hello and wave at us. We asked when check out was tomorrow and he said 1pm. Then he asked when we were leaving. I told him about three, and he told us it was no problem to keep the room until then. That was sweet! I thanked him profusely. We decided to spend the day at the Beach club. We slept in and got there for lunch. It was nice being lazy with nothing to do today. Below was lunch but I didn't like the fish. I don't like fish that tastes fishy, lol.<br />
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They had a hammock hut that was inviting.<br />
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We went in the pool, but there was tons of dead bugs. My friend didn't put her head in, but it was too late for me. I saw a grounds worker in the hammock hut so used my Spanish app to tell him. Immediately, he went around with a net and fished out the bugs. I'm guessing someone forgot to do this in the morning today. Anyway, it was much better in the pool now and I told him "muchas gracias". Below are the flower petals housekeeping used on our beds each day. Facebook friends said they were "Ixora Coccinea" when I asked.<br />
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And the beauties below are "Bougainvillea".<br />
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We went back to the hotel and got ready for our last evening. We decided to go back and try "<b><u><a href="http://www.lacremahuatulco.com/index_en.php" target="_blank">La Crema</a></u></b>". I had a margarita and my friend had a mojito. Neither were very good, and felt sugary sweet and heading for heartburn.<br />
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She got a burger and I ordered a small "La Crema Special" pizza.<br />
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Mushrooms, Ham, Pepperoni, Green Peppers, Sour Cream - $120 pesos or $8 CAD</div>
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I could only eat half, so packed it to go. We shopped for her boyfriend and then took a cab back. Our regular bartender made my friend a drink he called "Manuel's Special". Yes, that was his name. It had a bunch of stuff in it, like vodka, melon liqueur, daiquiri mix, OJ, etc. I gave Manuel my pizza and he gladly accepted when I told him it was from La Crema.</div>
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We sat for a while and laughed at our "lost in translation" encounters. Tears were streaming down on our face. Then we called it a night and went for a final sleep here. I was looking forward to getting home to my own bed. And comfortable chairs. My tail bone was achy from all the bad seating we encountered. As for the all inclusive - we wouldn't do it again. We barely used it at the hotel and we would just buy our own meals and alcohol next visit. I loved the food at the Castillo and the wonderful employees and service. It's a special place. I would probably rent a condo though next time and stay longer, much longer...<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 14th:</u></b><br />
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Today was our day with Federico. He was usually our breakfast server but said he would be doing bar this afternoon as well. So we just hung out with him. He took care of us fantastically. We tipped him well and enjoyed our day and a lot of drinks before leaving. We said goodbye to Luis (pictures and hugs) and the lovely Montserrat at the desk. Federico got us a great fan and then we were able to stand the open air and sit. It was a scorcher of a day again. We went up to shower and then checked out. We took a taxi to the airport for $170 pesos or $12 CAD. Plane left on time and arrived home 15 minutes early. First time I haven't encountered an issue with Sunwing. Other than I had signed up for texts for any flight changes and when I got home, it started texting me EVERY flight of theirs! Saying "STOP" did nothing, so I had to block them.<br />
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Plumeria, which we also found on our beds some days</div>
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This was my friend and I's best trip ever together. We had such a good time and just fell in love with Huatulco and the people. What a special, memorable place it is! We will be back, for sure. OH, and as Canadians, we say "sorry" all the time, so that is "lo siento" in Spanish. 😉<br />
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com6Santa Cruz 303, Santa Cruz Sector A, 70987 Huatulco, Oax., Mexico15.756063 -96.132264700000007-37.5665015 -178.7494522 69.0786275 -13.515077200000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-14811138948424904252017-09-11T08:49:00.000-07:002019-04-07T14:22:52.001-07:00Las Vegas Trip Report - September 4 - 11, 2017I've missed Sin City so much and I'm always happy when I get a chance to vacation with my son. He's 27 and I'm 52. I did try to get him to go to San Francisco this time, but he wanted Vegas instead. So, we chose the <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en.html" target="_blank">Bellagio</a></u></b>. Luxury when I go with him, and downtown when I go by myself. That's the great thing about Vegas - each trip is a new/different experience. We chose between Bellagio, Aria, Wynn or Cosmopolitan and I got the best rates for Bellagio. It was $1600 USD all in, after taxes and inclusive of the $39 per day resort fee for 7 days. That was for two beds in a "Resort Queen Room". Staying here also let us use some "MyVegas" rewards too, so we each got $50 & $25 free plays at the Bellagio, and a dinner buffet. Any little bit helps. My favorite part of Vegas is always planning where to dine. This was no exception and I thought I could do it all with 7 days this time, but alas, there were many restaurants on my list that didn't get any love - always a reason to come back. There are also many I would have liked to repeat from past trips but didn't do because there's too much new to seek out...<br />
<a name='more'></a><b><u>Monday, September 4th:</u></b><br />
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This travel day was very easy. Flight left just after 11am and we were at LAS 1:40pm. Luggage came quickly and we used Lyft to pick us up. We chose a shared ride (4 of us) and were gone in 5 minutes. I chose $5 off for 2 rides as my sign up bonus, so it only cost me $5.43 for the fare. I tipped him $5. We did mobile check in at the Bellagio the day before so had just a short line and our room was ready. Lovely room and the view was okay, at least not of a parking structure or something. We were on the 27th floor in a non-smoking room (West Wing). I had a "Crown Royal" I had bought from duty free, but it wasn't going down very well, so I left it.<br />
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We unpacked. When you check in, they tell you if you move anything in the mini bar, you will be charged and they leave this reminder too. <br />
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We walked to the Vdara hotel entrance and then over to Aria. We gambled a little. We played some Buffalo Grand machines and son was up $70 and I $100... and that took us to 5:30 Happy Hour at <b><u><a href="https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/las-vegas/bardot-brasserie/" target="_blank">Bardot Brasserie</a></u></b>. <br />
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FRENCH 75</div>
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calvados | gin | cognac $7</div>
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I started with some salmon tartare.<br />
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ORA KING SALMON TARTARE $8</div>
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fresh & smoked salmon, chive mascarpone, everything brioche</div>
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My son had the burger and said it was the best one he's had in a long, long time.<br />
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LE STEAKBURGER $21</div>
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prime rib patty, comté cheese, garlic aïoli, watercress,</div>
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bordelaise onions & hand-cut fries</div>
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ROASTED CHICKEN FRENCH DIP $19</div>
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cheese fondue, mushroom bread pudding, haricots verts,</div>
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vin jaune au jus, petite salade verte</div>
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The chicken dip was splendid! Loved everything about it. This meal really hit the spot. The breads were all fantastic which you would expect. After tip, it was about $80. We walked over to the strip and did some shopping. I wanted to buy some work clothes at "Ross" and "Marshalls". I was successful though it took some time to root through the racks. My son was very patient with me. We walked back and dropped it of at the hotel. </div>
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We went to the Mlife desk to get our "MyVegas" rewards. When I booked the buffet, the only black out day was Sept. 4th but she told me Sept. 1 - 10 was now blacked out. So, we didn't get it but got the $75 ($50 & $25) in freeplay each. I cancelled the buffets later. We were now getting hungry again and decided to end the night with <b><u><a href="https://www.giordanos.com/locations/las-vegas-nv/" target="_blank">Giordano's</a></u></b> pizza. I have never been to Chicago and never experienced "authentic" deep dish so was really excited to go. It was over at Ballys and the whole area was new since our last visit. Below is a picture of it when it was daytime.<br />
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We went to CVS and picked up some water and wine for the room. That was new too and convenient, if not expensive though...</div>
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It takes 45 minutes for it to be done, but it was a sight to see when it came out!</div>
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CHICAGO CLASSIC $23.95 (small)</div>
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Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers and onions</div>
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Our server showing us his best cheese pull (their slogan, not mine)</div>
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This was good stuff. We both enjoyed it. Dinner was $45 after tip. We took our leftovers with us. We walked back to our hotel and were soon in bed, just before 1am. The beds are sooo comfy at Bellagio. I even bought what was supposed to be "their bed" at Sleep Country after my last visit, but as it turns out, it wasn't the same. My "step app" on my phone said I had walked 7.2 miles today or 11.5 km. It was all I could use as I had roaming off on my phone and couldn't use GPS.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, Sept. 5th:</u></b></div>
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We awoke about 9am and had pizza for breakfast poolside. It was cloudy and comfortable to start but by noon had become raging hot. I had a couple of glasses of champagne and a few dips in the cool water. It was so relaxing and felt like vacation. </div>
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We returned to the room to get ready for the day. This was our one and only "no plans" day with nothing booked, so we were looking forward to it. We had originally planned to go to do the Bellagio buffet for dinner but since it was cancelled, it opened up whatever and that was kind of nice. After we got ready, we decided to go gamble our $75 freeplay away. And we did. We decided to walk over to Caesar's Palace and try our luck there, and found we didn't have any. We walked back to the Bellagio and went through the Conservatory. Always beautiful and smelled wonderful as usual.</div>
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Above was my favorite to see - float like a butterfly, sting like a bee...</div>
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It was after 3 now and we were starving. We decided to go to <b><u><a href="http://bobbysburgerpalace.com/locations/9/las-vegas-strip" target="_blank">Bobby's Burger Palace</a></u></b>. We took the tram to Crystals Mall and walked down. </div>
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This place has also always been on my "to do" list. I have been to a couple of his restaurants (Mesa Grill & Bar Americain) and have always been pleased. Unfortunately, this place was just average. I was disappointed. Everything we had came to $50. As it is walk up and order, I left $5 for the servers as they were nice. We "crunchified" our burgers for free. Below is a picture of him doing that - adding potato chips to it.</div>
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Above - unfortunately that statement was not true at all...</div>
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BRUNCH*</div>
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Fried egg, bacon, American cheese</div>
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NEW MEXICO*</div>
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Queso sauce, roasted green chiles, pickled red onions</div>
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THE UNDECIDED</div>
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Combination of any two sides (onion rings & fries)</div>
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So, above, my son got the "shake of the month - $7" which was chocolate coconut and he raved about it! He said it was the best part of his meal. He said he'd go back to have just that, it was so good. We both liked the fries too. The burgers were ordered medium but were well done and DRY! No flavor, and honestly hard to finish (I didn't). At least my son had a runny egg on his to get it down. I had a frozen margarita ($7) and it was pretty good - frozen was good on this scorcher day. </div>
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We walked back to the Aria for a bit, tried our luck and were soon on our way back to the Bellagio. We played back at "home" for a while until about 7pm. We decided to go back to the room. I wrote the trip report and had Crown Royal (better today). We decided to go to late Happy Hour for 9pm at <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/restaurants/harvest.html" target="_blank">Harvest</a></u></b>. </div>
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So, we got seated and they had 3 cocktails for HH all for $7. We selected and when the drinks were brought over, I asked about the HH food which was supposed to be a "snack cart" with $7 items. Below is a cucumber concoction.</div>
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She said the cart would come around shortly. HH is only from 9 - 10pm. She brought regular menus and dropped those. Twenty minutes later I asked again, and she said the cart would be by "soon" and that all it had was chips and breads and maybe we wanted to order from the menu? I said I'd wait. By 9:35 I just got the bill and left wondering if the "snack cart" exists. We decided to go try <b><u><a href="https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/gordon-ramsay-fish-chips/" target="_blank">Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips</a></u></b> at the Linq. </div>
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On our way, in the hotel, I walked the wrong way on auto-pilot and went to our elevators. I saw the "elevator guard" who checks keys was preoccupied. So I looked to see why and it was Tommy Lee of Motley Crue. I told my son, who didn't know who he was and we kept walking. But then I wanted to make sure, so I went back to the guard and asked him. He said yes, and then I decided I needed a picture to show my friend. I had so many opportunities, but I kind of lost my mind (half-cut at this point) and then Tommy Lee and the 2 girls he was with noticed me following them. My son got embarrassed and told me I was stalking him. So, I like ran ahead and hid behind a plant! 😃 All I got was this blurry picture below, but my son was relieved I gave up trying to get a better one! My son kept calling me "fan girl". I told him I thought Tommy Lee looked terrible and he remarked that he certainly couldn't tell by the women he was with. Then he reminded me that I chased after him so how terrible looking was he?! LOL.</div>
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We crossed the bridge to Ballys and walked down to the Linq. </div>
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Our orders coming up</div>
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The fish was really good, as were the fries. Cooked perfectly, lots of fish and not too much batter. That with 2 drinks was $50. We gambled our way back to the Bellagio with no luck. Once back we stopped at a pair of "Rolling Stones" machines. </div>
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I won nothing but listened to the song, "Shattered", which is still in my head. My son got a bonus and won his daily budget back ($120) and another $40 on top of it. We quit there and went to bed. I was feeling no pain... My son said I was out cold as soon as my head hit the pillow. My step app told me I walked 6.4 miles today or 10.2 km.</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, September 6th:</u></b></div>
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I felt a little pain today. I think it was all the drink mixing I did yesterday, so I declined the pool and decided to sleep in. Still felt shitty when I woke up at 9am. Today was going to be busy and no rest for the wicked. The first item on the agenda, was to eat so we headed off walking to the Wynn. </div>
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My reason for booking lunch at the <b><u><a href="http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Dining/FineDining/CountryClub" target="_blank">Country Club</a></u></b> was for: <i><b>THE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER</b> - The sensational Impossible Burger, found only at a handful of restaurants in America, recently made its debut in Las Vegas, available exclusively at Wynn. The Impossible Burger is 100% plant based and looks, cooks, smells and tastes like ground beef, but is better for the planet and completely cholesterol free</i>. That's directly from their website. I've never heard of it anywhere at home either. And then we get there to find its no longer on the menu! 😞 I wanted to leave, but stayed because I was starving now. My mind was fixed on that one item only. The restaurant setting is really serene, classy and quiet. A lot of business suits were dining around us. It overlooks the golf course. </div>
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Our server said that after winter, the golf course will close permanently and a lagoon is going to be built with a beach, jet ski rentals, etc. She said a Boardwalk would join it with new restaurants and shops. She said they hadn't been told whether the lagoon would be for hotel guests only or not yet.</div>
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Blueberry infused Gin & Tonic ($16). In the background was a drink called "Old Blue Eyes ($16) Cocktails were delicious!</div>
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Complimentary warm bread basket</div>
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Open-Faced French Dip $22</div>
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Shaved Prime Rib Au Jus, Gruyère Cheese, Mustard, Caramelized and Crispy Onions</div>
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Son upgraded to fries with his beef dip $5 (too salty!)</div>
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Below was a lunch special of the day which was a crab cake sandwich with candied bourbon bacon. I chose Parmesan Truffle potato chips. The ingredients were all quality but lunch was just okay. Good but not exciting. Visually pleasing but nothing knock out in taste. I liked the pickled veg the best that came with mine. Bill came to $113 after tip.</div>
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Looking at a Waterfall from inside the hotel</div>
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We put $20 in some slots and I cashed out $60. We walked to Caesar's Palace. The sun had come out and it was really hot again. It was much better walking when it was clouded over this morning. We got to Caesars and found the Colosseum box office. We picked up our tickets for the <b><u><a href="https://www.jeffdunham.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Dunham</a></u></b> show this evening. We gambled a little and then walked back to the Bellagio and went back to the room for a rest and glass of wine for mom. I also had another bottle of water (3 down so far). Hangovers are not easy when you get older! I was beat now and from the walking too. Already my "Steps app" said we walked 4.4 miles or 7 km, though I think it's <i>generous</i>. I guess it was possible with all the walking inside the casinos though. </div>
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At 4:30 we walked back to Caesars for Happy Hour at <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/raos" target="_blank">Rao's</a></u></b> for 5pm. This has also been on my "to do" list. I wanted a meatball!</div>
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We chose seats at the bar and had great bartender/servers. They treated us fantastic and brought us bread right away.</div>
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Fig, Procuitto, & Buratta Salad $10</div>
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Young Arugula, Balsamic Vinaigrette and Balsamic Reduction</div>
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The salad was terrific. Buratta was delicious! The whole combo was a perfect sweet, salty, tangy and crisp. Yum. The HH meatballs was a sandwich, which didn't seem necessary as we had all the bread we needed in front of us, so we chose them off the regular menu, below.</div>
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TRADITIONAL RAO’S MEATBALLS</div>
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Ground Veal, Pork and Beef,</div>
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Italian Breadcrumbs & Seasoning,</div>
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Marinara Sauce</div>
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$19 </div>
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These were about the size of baseballs and were exactly what I hoped for, tender and flavorful. We loved them! We enjoyed one more HH dish.</div>
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Fried Ravioli $9</div>
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Fried Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli over Bolognese Sauce Topped with Ricotta Cheese</div>
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My son saw this dessert going to another customer and then decided he needed to have it too. As good as you would expect at an old school Italian place.</div>
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TIRAMISU</div>
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Layers of Espresso Soaked Lady Fingers,</div>
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Mascarpone Mousse& Cocoa Powder</div>
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$14</div>
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With 2 drinks each and after tip, bill was $127. We left very happy and really enjoyed ourselves here. Highly recommended. We walked over towards the Colosseum for the show. We sat down to gamble before we entered and I got lucky on a bonus and cashed out $210 richer on my first $20 in.</div>
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We entered and got to our seats. I bypassed the bar area inside as drinks were $20 each and a soda was $8. We had bottled water with us so were fine with that.<br />
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The show was really good. At times I laughed so hard, I was crying. We enjoyed it a lot. Afterwords we made our way over to Bally's. I stopped at CVS for some more wine for the room and then we went to gamble. I got lucky again and cashed out another $170 so it was a good night. It was almost midnight and we thought we'd end with a trip to <b><u><a href="https://www.wahlburgersrestaurant.com/nevada/" target="_blank">Wahlburgers</a></u></b>. <br />
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O.F.D. Originally from “Dorchestah” 1/2 lb. burger, Swiss cheese, bacon, sautéed mushrooms & HOUSEMADE tomato jam $12.95</div>
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I had one bite and that was enough. It was disgusting. The bun was so soggy, it ate like pasty mush. The mushrooms were grey and had grey oil running everywhere. The burger had zero taste. They did take it off the bill and even offered to give me anything else on the menu on them, but I declined. My son's burger was good. He liked it but did say that the burger at Bardot Brasserie had all others beat so far...</div>
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BBQ BACON 1/3 lb. burger, white cheddar, bacon, fresh jalapeños, HOUSEMADE BBQ sauce & avocado spread $12.95</div>
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Our server was really nice though and provided great service to us. I walked over <b><u><a href="http://blueribbonfriedchicken.com/las-vegas-grand-bazaar/" target="_blank">Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken</a></u></b> and got myself a couple of pieces to take back to the room. </div>
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It was very good, though salty but my snack craving was solved. It was 1:30am and we went to sleep. My "Step app" said we walked 7.4 miles or 11.9 km today.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, September 7th:</u></b></div>
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I awoke at 8am and wrote the trip report. I felt great today! So much better than yesterday morning. I let my son sleep and I showered and got ready before I woke him. First business of the day was lunch at <b><u><a href="https://vegas.momofuku.com/" target="_blank">Momofuku</a></u></b>. We walked over to Vdara and then down to the Cosmo from there. We slotted around for a bit and lost quickly and then went to lunch.</div>
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The "Milk Bar" is right beside it and has sweet offerings. I haven't been to a David Chang restaurant yet and had high expectations. I was hoping they would be met. I have really admired him since I saw him on <b><u><a href="http://www.pbs.org/food/features/the-mind-of-a-chef-season-1/" target="_blank">Mind of a Chef</a></u></b>. We have some excellent "ramen" in Vancouver, so I have high standards. I started with the cocktail below for $18. It was very good, and very smokey tasting which was quite interesting.<br />
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Mezcal Mule – mezcal, passion fruit, ginger, cucumber, chili</div>
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Pork Belly Bun (Bao)– hoisin, scallion, cucumber $7</div>
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Shrimp – spicy mayo, pickled red onion, iceberg $8</div>
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The buns were very tasty. We enjoyed them, especially with the Ssam sauce. That was so good I bought a bottle to take home for $7.50.</div>
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We both ordered the pork ramen. I got mine with shiitake mushrooms for an extra $2 so it cost $20.<br />
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Pork Ramen – pork belly & shoulder, slow poached egg</div>
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I asked if the noodles were made in house but our server said they are not. The broth was extremely flavorful. I liked it a lot and it was not too salty. This dish did not disappoint. It still didn't beat my favorite ramen spot at home, but it was very impressive. We couldn't finish the noodles, there were a ton of them in the bowl! Bill was $112 after tip. Son bought a cookie from the milk bar for later. We walked over to the Miracle Mile shops and made some purchases with my winnings from last night. We headed to the Planet Hollywood casino and found the Mandera Spa. <br />
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I dropped my son off as he was getting a massage. I went down to the casino to wait for him. <br />
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I sat at a quarter machine and put in $20. I thought it was $.75 for max bet but it turns out it was 9 lines and I cringed after I hit max bet. But then, on that first spin I hit something and credits were rolling in. I couldn't see what I won in cash, only credits so I cashed the ticket out to see. I was shocked...and happy! My luck continues.<br />
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I played a bunch of machines for the hour - ended up about $60 down. I then went up to meet him. He said his massage was great and I was glad for that. We decided to go back to the hotel and swim but a wind was swirling and it was looking ominous and dark outside. Drops were spitting on us as we made our way back to the Bellagio. We went to the room. I gave him a $150. He said, "when I win, he wins". I had a glass of wine and wrote the report up while he showered again. We went down to the casino to gamble again. And my luck continued.<br />
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Thanks to Uber, we went off strip to dine. <i>A tip to know is that the Bellagio WiFi does not work where Uber picks up, so if you're using that, order the Uber in the lobby before you go down to wait.</i> It cost me $9 to go to <b><u><a href="http://hobakkoreanbbq.com/" target="_blank">Hobak</a></u></b> on Spring Mountain Rd. They do Korean BBQ and cook it for you at your table. They also use Black Angus beef & Premium Heritage Pork. My son and I are not exposed to Korean dining often and are kind of novices at the food, but I've been learning more as I go along. Like that Jap Chae (glass noodles) is my favorite dish! I ordered it tonight as below and we both thought it was fantastic.<br />
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We ordered a family combo for 2 and that gave us 4 cuts of beef and pork for $59. Numerous bowls arrived and they kindly explained what everything was and how to eat it. <br />
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From the top down, radishes, bok choy and kimchi</div>
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Left to right, Cheese which was melted to be a dip, Green salad and a Shredded Green Onion salad</div>
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Green Onion pancake and Pickled Daikon (I think)</div>
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Steamed Egg</div>
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Soybean paste soup</div>
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And then they brought the meat over. It was kind of overwhelming. 😋 Below was the marinated skirt steak they started with.</div>
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The other meats left are below. Clockwise from the bottom left was spicy Angus boneless short rib (our favorite of the evening), aged pork ribs and aged short ribs.<br />
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It was a lot of meat. I bailed at the end, but my son was a trooper and finished most of it. He even managed to eat the free dessert he chose which was chocolate ice cream sandwiches. <br />
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Bill after 20% tip was $102 and that included 2 drinks. When we left, there was a long line up of people waiting to get in. It was smart going earlier in the evening. It was 8pm when we departed. Well worth it and we enjoyed the experience immensely! Uber was the same fare back. We gambled for a while. I lost the $190 from earlier and about another $60. We called it a night. I felt like I barely walked today. My "step app" said I walked 4.9 miles or 7.8 km.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, September 8th:</u></b><br />
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We set a wake up call for 7:45am so we could go to the pool. We were there shortly after opening (it opens at 8am). We stopped to get two coffees and croissants at Palio, the place beside the pool. I was shocked when she told me it was $28! The ham and cheese croissants ($8.50 each) were yummy though. I guess I should be used to the prices by now. I paid $18 at the pool for a Bloody Mary too and didn't flinch at that...<br />
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It was a pleasant morning, cloudy but warm when the sun came out. <br />
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I had lunch reservations for <b><u><a href="https://www.venetian.com/restaurants/chica.html" target="_blank">Chica</a></u></b> at the Venetian, but we decided to cancel and just stay poolside. I noticed that these two guys on loungers beside us had their T-shirts wrapped around their feet. below...<br />
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I told my son I wondered why and he remarked, "Maybe they want something nice to smell, for later". EWW, lol. I think he was getting me back because I told him that I always tip the maid so she doesn't use our toothbrushes to clean the toilet. 😀 We stayed till noon, when thunder and lightning started. They announced the pool deck would temporarily close. We made it in just before the sky opened up and POURED. It didn't last long and was over in a half hour. We went back to the room though and got ready for the day. <br />
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We made our way over to Bally's as we had tickets for <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/ballys-las-vegas/shows/paranormal" target="_blank">Paranormal</a></u></b> this afternoon. We picked them up at the box office there. I cashed out $90 on my first $20 that went into a slot, so we went and got a snack before the show at <b><u><a href="https://www.caesars.com/paris-las-vegas/restaurants/burger-brasserie" target="_blank">Burger Brasserie</a></u></b>. I used my winnings to pay for it.<br />
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We liked the Garlic Parmesan wings. After we finished, it was time to get to the show. I guess I had bought "premium" seating though I didn't remember that I did or why.<br />
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When we got seated, he moved us inside by 2 seats and told us the better two seats were "reserved". I said to my son that they were reserved for the "plants" and to watch if they made it into the show. The people arrived just as the show started. The front row, also had the same thing and they arrived a couple of minutes after the show started. Sure enough, one person from both of those sets of people made it on stage. Makes you go hmmm. Nevertheless, the show was entertaining and we enjoyed it. We made our way to Paris and gambled and lost, then back to Bellagio to get ready for dinner. It was raining pretty hard.<br />
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Always on my "To Do" list, but not yet done was <b><u><a href="http://lotusofsiamlv.com/" target="_blank">Lotus of Siam</a></u></b> Thai restaurant. This time it would be a reality. I have read so many <b><u><a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Vegas-Lotus-of-Siam-Restaurant" target="_blank">reviews</a></u></b>, food boards, articles, etc. and I was excited to finally make the dream come true. Uber/Lyft made this easy for us. When I stay downtown I am close but always by myself so never can go as I want to sample more than one dish. Fare was $12. I used Lyft tonight as the app told me it was only a 1 minute wait, whereas Uber said 20 minutes and that would make us late. So, I got $5 off again. I tipped each driver $5 no matter what the fare.<br />
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We arrived in the pouring rain and found a huge line up to get inside. We made our way to the hostess and checked in with our reservation. We were asked to sit at the bar while we waited for our table. They have a huge wine cellar and feature German wines. The bartender told me I should get a split of Sparkling wine rather than the glass as it was better value. My son got a Thai iced coffee. That was $27 before tip and we paid when were served.<br />
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We got a text that our table was ready so made our way back to the hostess. We were seated in front of the wine cellar. I had spent some time looking at the menu before we came as it is huge and would take a very long time to sort through it! I knew what I wanted to order. My son added a dish that he liked with some peanut sauce. Below are the two appetizers we ordered. We ordered our food at "5"on the scale of 1 - 10. They said Tabasco sauce would be a 3.<br />
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STUFFED CHICKEN WINGS</div>
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Chicken wings stuffed with ground pork, deep fried, served with homemade sweet and sour sauce.</div>
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NAM KAO TOD</div>
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Crispy rice mixed with sour cubed pork sausages, cilantro, green onions, grounded dry chilis, ginger, peanuts and lime juice.</div>
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I used the washroom and noticed that the ceiling was leaking... As we were finishing up our appetizers, one of the servers came to our table and told us the restaurant was closing due to the rain and leaking. He advised that their roof was in the middle of being repaired and that the silicone had been done today, but now the rain was ruining it and the kitchen had to close. He told us our bill was comped and set it down at the table with $0 owing. Our two apps were $20. </div>
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Our other server came by and brought our next two dishes. I was confused but we were happy. The restaurant was clearing out fast and steady now.</div>
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NORTHERN LARB</div>
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A completely different dish from the Issan larb, this northern style larb (ground pork) is cooked with northern Thai spices without the lime juice; garnished with fresh herbs and vegetables.</div>
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THAI FRIED RICE</div>
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Stir-fried with eggs, onion, tomato and chicken</div>
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Homemade Peanut Sauce</div>
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They informed us that our last dish of KHAO SOI w/shortrib would not make it to the table. Of course, that's what I was looking forward to most, but I understood. They were so apologetic and kind. They brought us over some complimentary coconut ice cream and got my son another iced coffee.</div>
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I offered to pay the bill again but they wouldn't let me, so I tipped $40. I had to turn on my data roaming to order the Lyft back as they don't have WiFi and we stepped back outside into the rain. The food tasted amazing at what we had, and we both said we will have to return next trip. Fare was $12 going back and we gambled (no wins, just losses) in the Bellagio for an hour or two before falling to bed about 1 am. We didn't make 10,000 steps today. "Step App" said I walked 4.1 miles or 6.5 km. That was hard to believe. Felt like I only took a few steps today at most!<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, September 9th:</u></b><br />
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Today was going to be another busy day. The roads still looked wet but the sun was out. We got ready and walked to the Venetian for lunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.venetian.com/restaurants/sugarcane.html" target="_blank">Sugarcane</a></u></b>. It was cloudy and pleasant to walk so we put on a good gait and got there pretty quickly. This establishment was at "Restaurant Row" and we found it okay after asking security to point us in the right direction. <br />
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We were seated near the kitchen where all the orders came out. I enjoyed watching that.<br />
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goat cheese croquettes membrillo marmalade / $12</div>
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One of the croquettes cut in half - these were heavenly!</div>
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smoked bacon $6</div>
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buttermilk waffle berries, vanilla crème / $13</div>
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I tried to order the Oxtail Benedict but she told me they were fresh out of oxtail...I ordered sausages but they were raw inside. My server had disappeared so I had to flag down the food expediter and he told the manager. The manager came by and told me he would get proper cooked sausages done immediately, but they never arrived at all.</div>
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housemade sausage $6</div>
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I guess I got distracted and forgot to take a picture of my dish, but I ordered truffled toad in the hole brioche, sunny side up egg, melted robiola, truffle oil, honey, black truffle (2 teeny flecks) / $14. It was pretty good though the egg was slightly under cooked and slimy. I just scooped the raw parts out. I never saw another person to ask about the sausages so I just asked my server to take it off the bill as we had finished eating and had been sitting and waiting for attention.<br />
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Eventually the manager came over and apologized again. Said he took another 20% off as well and said if I came back tomorrow he'd give me something else for free. Lol. He dropped the bill. It was $50 with deductions. I waited forever for our server to make change and finally just scraped $60 up and put it in the bill holder. She arrived just when I did that. Service could use a little improving, but the food was tasty. We gambled at Venetian & the Palazzo and I lost quickly. I lost my daily budget. Son was up about $80. We walked over to the Mirage. We played a Zorro machine for two people and had a lot of fun on it. We enjoyed great coffee drinks (Baileys and Irish) as well. We cashed out with $50 each so I made back almost half my money. We walked back to Bellagio and I lost more as did my son. <br />
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We got back to the room, freshened up - I wrote the trip report and had a drink. We took the tram to Crystals. I saw this on the Trip Advisor Las Vegas forum and <i>had </i>to do it. I phoned a month and a half ahead and was able to get a reservation for the day I wanted. It was for <u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.gensler.com/projects/james-turrells-ganzfeld-akhob-exhibit" target="_blank">Akhob, by James Turrell</a> (</u>please click the link to see what it's about). This is in the Louis Vuitton store at Crystals Mall. <br />
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I'll be honest, I've never stepped foot in a Vuitton store before as it is far out of my price range for shopping, so why bother torturing myself with what I can't have? The art intrigued me, and best of all, it was free! How could I not go? I have been through Crystals Mall many times but always felt way out of my element there. I felt that way once we checked in still. Our hostess asked how much I knew about Louis or the artist and I was honest and told her "nothing". No pictures are allowed at all. She showed us different art throughout the store and told a little about Louis. We finished with the Turrell display. You sit and sign a couple of pages of waivers before you enter. That made me nervous. The link above describes it best. It was very interesting and I enjoyed the colors and feelings of "infinity". A unique experience for sure! <br />
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We walked to the Tropicana next. We had reservations for dinner at <b><u><a href="http://www2.troplv.com/dining-restaurants/chef-irvine-restaurant" target="_blank">Robert Irvine's Public House</a></u></b>. <br />
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We also had to go pick up our tickets (Groupon) for the <b><u><a href="http://www.laughfactory.com/clubs/las-vegas" target="_blank">Laugh Factory</a></u></b>. We always do this when we come to Vegas together. We love the stand-up comedians. <br />
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This place was huge (like Irvine's biceps) and the setting was comfortable.<br />
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HICKORY SMOKED CHICKEN WINGS</div>
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bbq spice rubbed, Robert Irvine’s Signature Blue Flame Buffalo Sauce, celery, ranch dressing $14</div>
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PROSCIUTTO</div>
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fig jam, goat cheese, arugula, lemon, parmesan $18</div>
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CHICKEN FRIED DUCK CONFIT</div>
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maple & sherry vinegar, braised kale & chard, buttery sriracha sauce $26</div>
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ENGLISH BANOFFEE PIE</div>
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banana, toffee, espresso ice cream $8 </div>
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I had the duck. The duck itself was delicious (high five on that)! I did have a problem with the sauce as the vinegar was so overpowering it made the veggies inedible. I noticed broccolini in mine more than chard or kale. The sauce did cut the richness of the duck but destroyed the rest of the plate. After 3 drinks and coffee, the bill was $136 after tip. It was all good, but nothing outstanding...well, maybe that duck qualifies...</div>
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We went to the comedy show and had a fun time, as always. We walked over to the Excalibur and then NYNY. I couldn't find how to get back on Las Vegas Blvd, so we just called a Lyft. I always started with Uber first, but the wait times were much longer. Lyft was always immediate, so we used them most this trip. It was there within a minute and was $7 back to Bellagio. We played some quarter slots and both stopped when up about $150 each and decided to leave the TITO for tomorrow. "Step App" says we walked 8.3 miles today or 13.3 km. It actually felt like this was true for a change! We crashed about 1:30am.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, September 10th (a.k.a. Last Day):</u></b></div>
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Today was designated "lazy day". We slept in. Had bubble bath to start the day. Wish I had a nice tub like this at home...</div>
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I caught up on the trip report and we got ready for brunch at <b><u><a href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/restaurants/lago.html" target="_blank">Lago</a></u></b> inside the hotel. Seemed interesting - Julian Serrano doing Italian... We went and gambled a bit before. We played the Sharknado machine yesterday but only saw it at the Bellagio (not that we were looking hard for it anywhere else). It was always busy, though we had more fun on Zorro.</div>
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This restaurant is gorgeous with a capital G! </div>
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Looking left from our table</div>
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Looking right from our table with fountain view</div>
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It was a "<span style="color: red;">Hotter than Hades</span>" type of day so I was not interested to sit on the patio in the slightest but they have one overlooking the fountains. I chose to do unlimited drinks which was between Mimosas, Bloody Marys (or Caesars) or Bellinis for $28. I started with a Caesar. Below, the squirty things are Horseradish, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.</div>
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Complimentary pastries</div>
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The brunch menu was two courses and then a dessert bar for $38 each. They did offer a couple of other selections for $18 each like lobster benedict which you would swap out for one of your courses (not dessert). Those that like sweets would enjoy this a lot. They had a combination of fresh juices, like smoothies, but were not doing them on this day. My son drank coffee instead.</div>
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MAC CARBONARA</div>
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pancetta | egg yolks | pecorino | black pepper </div>
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CRUDO DI TONNO</div>
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raw ahi tuna | citrus colatura di alici</div>
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ITALIAN SAUSAGE FRIED EGG BURGER</div>
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house made Italian sausage | fried egg</div>
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LASAGNA</div>
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meat sauce | poached eggs (perfectly poached, I might add)</div>
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I tried it all and everything was on point and what you would expect at a fine dining place. The only service flaw I saw was that the food was dropped with dirty dishes from the previous course not being picked up first. No problem, just an observation. Other than that, all was spot on. I had 2 mimosas more (one peach, one orange). We went to the dessert bar.</div>
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Bill was $140 after tip. We were going to go to the pool, but I derailed that plan when I had an hour nap instead (Carb overload?)! I awoke and <i>then</i> we went to the pool for a couple of hours. It was packed, as you can imagine when so hot outside. </div>
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We did get an umbrella around our favorite spot though, so felt lucky. We got back to our room and got ready for the evening. We walked over to Bally's again. Tonight we had the Travelzoo voucher for <b><u><a href="https://bltrestaurants.com/blt-steak/las-vegas/" target="_blank">BLT Steak</a></u></b>. I paid $115 and then received a $210 credit. I liked the idea a lot and hoped the food would be what you expect at a good steakhouse. Service was nice and everything started well. The popovers and complimentary duck pate with port were very tasty.</div>
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For appies I chose a special of the night which was Kale, Sausage soup $15. Son had the bacon, below.</div>
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So, the soup had zero kale in it, not a speck. It was like a potato soup with sausage. I told my server and got it removed from the bill and he gave me a free glass of wine. The kale was why I ordered it. We decided to order the Wagyu steaks. I got the filet mignon and my son got the ribeye. </div>
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AMERICAN WAGYU FILET MIGNON 6 oz / $65 (med rare)</div>
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AMERICAN WAGYU RIBEYE 12 oz / $92 (med rare)</div>
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The filet was tender but a little more rare than medium rare. My son loved it, so I gave it to him. I usually order ribeye but knew I wouldn't eat much steak. Unfortunately, it was grisly and rather chewy. For almost $100 you would expect a melt in your mouth tender steak, not what we got. The taste was good but it was really hard to slice. It was cooked properly though so I don't know why it was so tough to chew? We left about half the steak.</div>
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Mac N Cheese / $12 </div>
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Stuffed Mushroom Caps / $12</div>
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Warm Chocolate Tart</div>
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Pistachio Ice Cream $11</div>
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The sides were good, I didn't care for the mushrooms that much, probably because they were so visually unappealing. I was disappointed overall, mostly because I wanted the final dinner in Vegas to be a great one. Can't win 'em all, can you? Bill would have been $275. It was $65 after the deduction and I tipped $55. </div>
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We made our way back to the casino for a bit and then back to Bellagio to end the night. We went up and down but ended up down a couple of hundred each. I saw I had $9 in comps so we went to the snack bar and I got a hot dog! It was good too. Son had a shake and we called it a night. "Step App" said we walked 3.3 miles or 5.3 km which didn't seem possible again and very, very generous.</div>
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<b><u>Monday, September 11th:</u></b></div>
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Our flight goes back at 1pm today so I am just finishing the trip report before we check out. We're puttering and packing up. It always is great time in Vegas and we both enjoyed ourselves, as usual. However, I am done with all the "Excessive" carrying on of eating and drinking and look forward to getting back on track with diet, etc...need a vacation from the vacation now. Gotta love it though! Until next time Vegas...💖</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com23600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA36.1126264 -115.1767050999999914.773294400000005 -156.4852991 57.4519584 -73.8681111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-54515197760814262092017-05-17T14:29:00.000-07:002019-04-07T12:55:07.472-07:00Westbound Panama Canal Cruise - April 30 - May 17, 2017I wanted to go somewhere I have never been for this trip. I got really lost in planning and couldn't choose anything - I was going in circles. I don't even remember how I ended up stumbling across this cruise, but it really fell into place for me. After a couple of months of looking, I finally decided that this was it.<br />
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The dates worked well for my vacation time booked. The price <i>worked</i> (our dollar is still terrible to the USD so that hurt), though it was still very pricey for me. I thought the perks were good and I accepted the deal at the end of 2016 (Dec. 30th). I paid $4300 USD or $5800 CAD at the time of booking, so call it $6000. My credit card also added 3% on top of that since it was billed in USD. My price was doubled because I was solo, but I understand that. I wanted to be alone for this trip. I sometimes enjoy that and this was one of those times. My flights costed me $450 CAD for both legs all inclusive, and I got a <b><u><a href="http://www.ramadafortlauderdaleairport.com/" target="_blank">hotel</a></u></b> in Ft. Lauderdale for $100 CAD all in. It also included a free airport shuttle, free full breakfast and a free shuttle to the cruise port. I thought this trip was a positive thing to look forward to in 2017 and hopefully, a good way to get rid of the previous <i>bad</i>, <i>trying </i>year's memories...<br />
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I chose an Ocean View room for myself and was assigned #3005. My perks included an <b>Unlimited</b> Internet Package - YEAH!!!!, an Unlimited <b><u><a href="https://secure.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/media/celebrity/shared_assets/pdf/Classic-Premium-Bev-Pckgs.pdf" target="_blank">PREMIUM Drink Package</a></u></b>, and a $350 USD Onboard credit.<br />
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Below is the itinerary. I booked this on the <a href="http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=196" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Celebrity Infinity</a> through <b><u><a href="http://www.crucon.com/" target="_blank">Crucon</a></u></b>. $50 of the onboard credit was "return customer loyalty" from Crucon. <br />
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<b><u>Sunday, April 30th:</u></b><br />
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I had a red-eye out to Toronto. My flight time was 11pm here arriving at 6:30am local time in Hogtown. I managed an hour or two of sleep.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, May 1st:</u></b><br />
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We were to be off to Ft. Lauderdale at 8:30am, however, because of bad weather, construction and low visibility in YYZ, we were delayed an hour. I didn't mind. I had a fire exit seat and no one beside me so I was able to stretch a little and catch Zzzzzz's. We got to FLL about 12:15pm. I called the hotel shuttle and they were there within 15 minutes. They weren't far from the airport and I was all checked in to my room an hour later. I arranged for the shuttle to take me to the cruise port at 10:30am the following morning.<br />
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There was a "Tiki Bar" outside of my room! <br />
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My first trip to Ft. Lauderdale in the late 80's for "Spring Break" was where I encountered my first tiki bar. I drank "Rum Runners" then, today I just had a glass of Pinot Grigio. I had lunch and chatted with a couple that were on my flight and also going on the cruise. It was edible, but I knew I was going to leave the premises for dinner. I had a Falafel plate which is below, served with Feta, Tzatziki and Hummus. It was quite muggy and humid today, but certainly not as humid as some of those Florida days can be. I was fine to sit outside. <br />
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I stayed for 3 drinks and went to my room. I needed a nap. The pool area was nice too.<br />
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The room was perfectly functional and clean. The A/C worked awesome and I was down and out in no time. I awoke three hours later, freshened up and decided to go have dinner. I saw my lunch friends back at the tiki bar. They told me they had dinner at the hotel and said I was smart for making other arrangements. The place I chose was just down the street at a resort on the marina and just a couple of minutes of a walk away. It was called "<b><u><a href="http://www.therendezvousbarandgrill.com/" target="_blank">Rendezvous</a></u></b>". <br />
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I was seated outside and the setting was lovely. <br />
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I eat <b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch" target="_blank">conch</a></u></b> a lot when in Florida and all types of preparations of it. They had an evening special of "cracked conch" so I ordered it. When the manager dropped it off to me, he told me I had made a very wise choice and said it was fantastic. He did not lie. Honestly, this was the best I've had so far. Just like fried clam bellies in New England. <br />
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YUMMO! I couldn't stop eating eat and after 3/4 through, I was full, but still had dinner coming. Below is the Mahi.<br />
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Stuffed mahi $26</div>
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8oz. mahi filet stuffed with crab meat and topped</div>
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with roasted red pepper cream sauce. </div>
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For my side, I got the garlic smashed taters. This dish was also delicious! The mahi was moist, broccoli crisp tender and steamed. The crab inside and sauce was perfect. I got most of this to go, and took the conch too. I figured I'd forego the free breakfast tomorrow and have this instead. The room had a fridge too. I was planning to iron my wrinkly clothes, but instead, just wrote this trip report up and went back to bed.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 2nd:</u></b></div>
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I awoke early. I showered and started ironing. I was told be checked out and ready to depart by 10:15 so I was and left the room at 10am. The shuttle ride went smooth and easy. I was checked in and on the ship by 12:15pm. I went to the bar and had a cocktail.<br />
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Our rooms were ready really quick too, so I went and dropped my heavy stuff off. <br />
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By the muster drill, my luggage had arrived too.<br />
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We were sailing by 4pm. I unpacked everything and went to explore the ship a little. I found the martini bar and had a "Sapphire French 75" martini before the early comedian show. He was funny and I had great laughs. <b><u><a href="https://www.jimcolliton.com/" target="_blank">Jim Colliton</a></u></b> from Boston.<br />
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I met my new friends from the hotel and we decided to go to the main dining room for dinner together at 8pm. We didn't have to wait and were seated immediately. Two other couples joined us. We had a really enjoyable evening. Food was good to very good and I think everyone was quite pleased. Below was a beet salad.<br />
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My shrimp louie salad with guacamole</div>
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My jerk chicken was really tasty</div>
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The rest of the table all had prime rib though one had salmon and said it was cooked perfectly. All but two of us went to the lounge as one wanted to karaoke. He was very good. A lot were not, and I bailed and went to bed. I was asleep pretty quickly. </div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 3rd (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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I awoke early and by 8am went to the gym. It was really busy. I got on a treadmill.</div>
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The view was really nice but OMG, it was soooo HOT in there. I was dying. There was no A/C and it felt horrible. I only lasted a couple of kilometers and I was soaked and had to get off. I felt like I was going to pass out. I went back to the room and showered. After that, I went to the jogging track and managed to power walk a couple of more kilometers. 40 minutes of exercise would have to do for today. I went for a light breakfast in the buffet. Everything was good. I wandered the ship, stopped by the casino and left a small donation. I saw other Canadians who I met when we were at the cruise terminal so I had buffet lunch with them. I had a piece of coconut fried chicken and salad. It hit the spot. Then I went and read a book on the same deck as the track. Well, I only read a sentence, but I laid and got some sun for a couple of hours on my whitey legs. I loved having the unlimited internet package - so great!<br />
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I wandered more and spent time at the martini bar again. I talked to a lot of nice, fun people. The bartender was from Bali and took very good care of me. Below is a Dirty Grey Goose martini.<br />
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I had dinner at one of the pay restaurants which is called the "<b><u><a href="https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/eat-and-drink/restaurants-and-cafes/tuscan-grill" target="_blank">Tuscan Grille</a></u></b>". I used my onboard credit to buy a package of 7 dinners which was $219. I planned to dine at one every seaday.<br />
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The setting was nice with many tables getting a view over the ocean. It was still light out at 7pm.<br />
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I started with the pork belly appetizer. The bring you fresh basil to mix into the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, though my waiter forgot my vinegar. It was okay as the oil was delicious.<br />
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I had the pork belly as my appetizer. This was heavenly - I ate every last piece and could have licked the plate!<br />
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Black Pepper Bacon Berkshire Pork, Sweet & Spicy Glaze</div>
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I asked my waiter if I could have a very small portion for the pasta course and he said no problem. He showed me a plate that was probably a quarter portion and it would be perfect. I got the lasagna.</div>
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It was perfect and if I had been given a larger portion, I would have ate it all. I cleaned the plate again! The "wine guy" came by and recommended a pinot grigio wine that would go with my pasta and fish course, so I agreed.</div>
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Grilled Branzino Lemon, Thyme, Rosemary, Spinach, Olive Oil</div>
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It was amazing as well. I polished it all off. They offer to remove the skin if you don't like it, but love that so I ate it. I could not have been happier. There was a server there from Bosnia and he was so fun to watch, just charmed the pants off everyone there. Had service polished to an art form. Very impressive. For dessert I had a Café Brûlot. They did this table side. I tipped her a few bucks for that.</div>
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She used Sambuca and Amaro Montenegro which was different than I've had with brandy. It was very good nonetheless and that finished dinner, a couple of hours later. I tipped $20 and told them I would return again.</div>
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They brought me a complimentary limoncello before I departed.</div>
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I went back to the martini bar for one final drink and then took it to the late comedian show. Below I was waiting for him to take the stage.</div>
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Again, he was entertaining and funny. After that, I went to my room and slept. I was exhausted.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, May 4th (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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I awoke early to rough seas. I was at the front of the ship this time and don't know if that is why I could feel it so much. I felt a little nauseous but that could be with all the drinks yesterday as well. I have to be careful with martinis. I wrote the trip report as I hadn't done it since getting onboard. I decided I would go have lunch in the main dining room today at noon, and then go for a walk on deck after. </div>
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Lunch was nice - service was good and the portions were right. I had the mushroom soup which was really good.</div>
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Below next, I had the salad with white balsamic vinegar dressing.</div>
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For my entree I had the seafood brochette (2 prawns and a scallop in the middle). All was very good.</div>
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I took the picture below, to show how the water was like a wave pool. Obviously, I missed the wave, lol. At least I knew it wasn't just the previous nights martinis making me feel motion sick...</div>
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When I exited the dining room, I went out on deck 4 and thought that it would be perfect for walking. A few others were already doing that, but it was nothing like upstairs and it was the whole length of the ship. A lady told me that sometimes it goes all the way around and that would be perfect. It was still fine and I power walked for 45 minutes. There was a great breeze too, loved it. I felt better! I went for "Afternoon Tea" in the buffet. Below is smoked salmon sandwich, a veggie sammy, quiche and a chicken empanada. All good.</div>
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I met my hotel friends for dinner at <b><u><a href="https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/eat-and-drink/restaurants-and-cafes/qsine" target="_blank">Qsine</a></u></b> tonight. I was glad they agreed to join me as the dishes are meant for sharing. It would be hard for one person to get the enjoyment of sharing many dishes... </div>
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They ask to have a captain at your table (I was elected) and made our selections on the iPad. It was difficult as there was a LOT of choices. We chose two each to start as it was suggested to order between six and eight dishes for us.</div>
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The opening "pull apart" bread, yummy & warm</div>
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Sushi Lollipops with squeeze bottle Wasabi Mayo & Soy. The side dishes were Ginger and Salmon Tartar</div>
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Tres Ceviche - I liked nothing about any of them. To me, worst dish of the evening</div>
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These were escargots stuffed with lobster swimming in garlic butter. The cones were the bread for dipping. How could one NOT like this dish?</div>
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Salad Greens with Goat Cheese, and this was fantastic - everything about it, including the dressing but the cheese was the star!</div>
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Salmon Catapalana - We all enjoyed this very much. </div>
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At this time we heard another table getting lamb chops, so we ordered them, which was something called "M's Favorites". They told us they would hold the sliders and see if we wanted them after.</div>
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This was a Mediterranean feast! Little samples of everything like Falafel and Hummus and Tabbouleh. Above was the lamb chop and Chicken Kofta. This was probably my favorite course of the evening. We never had the sliders, but one did have dessert. The menu came on a Rubik's cube thingy. </div>
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He chose the "surprise" on the top right and got some citrusy, chocolatey mousse or something like that. He said it was lovely.</div>
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Their charge was $35 each. This was dinner number two of my package. Of course you tip on top. I tipped $20 for both dinners. And then, it was off to bed. Had to get up early tomorrow.</div>
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<b><u>Friday, May 5th (Cartagena, Columbia):</u></b></div>
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We arrived and were clear to leave about 8am. My wake up call was for 6am. I had breakfast delivered to the room to save time. Very convenient - though cold, but I didn't care. I knew there was no lunch on this tour. The guide's directions were precise and easy to find. I was excited. First time on the continent of "South America" and a new sight to see! I arranged this through a couple on "Cruise Critic" and they happened to be on the tour too. I thought that was great and was happy to meet them. Nice, nice people too. They were with a friend and she was also very convivial. Below is how my ship looked while walking to the shuttle<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.cartagenatour.com/" target="_blank">Dora</a></u></b>, had 2 tours today. Dora in fact, turned out to be our guide too. I recommended my "hotel friends" to do this and they ended up on the second tour. We walked through a bird sanctuary first on the way to her van(s).<br />
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Our first stop was supposed to be "<b><u><a href="http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/caribbean/cartagena-de-indias/activities/la-popa-hill" target="_blank">La Popa</a></u></b>" but it was closed due to a "slide" I think she said and had to be repaired first. I still got a shot of it (below) as she pointed it out while driving by. This apparently had the best views in Cartagena. <br />
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We went to a fort called "<b><u><a href="http://www.ticartagena.com/en/things-to-do/sights-attractions/live-the-legend-at-san-felipe-castle/" target="_blank">San Felipe</a></u></b>". I engaged the "vendors" and had them swarming over me like flies. Very aggressive like the markets in Mexico. My tour group totally blamed me and I guess they should have. I felt sorry for them - the vendors. I got a magnet and T-shirt for $8 USD. I was happy. The vendor blew me a kiss when we were leaving. We walked <i>around</i> the fort...she gave us the opportunity to walk up, but no one in our group of fourteen was interested as it was hotter than Hades with the humidity and I didn't even want to be outside!<br />
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Like I said, we did a "walk around" first. Lots of people and traffic. <br />
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Big Ass Avocados!</div>
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Below are some shots of Castillo San Felipe.</div>
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Dora took us for a pee break and a drink. I chose a Colombian beer. It was cold. I am not a beer drinker...<br />
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And then we were off to "Old Town". I love banyan trees as below.<br />
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The streets reminded me of San Juan, Puerto Rico or New Orleans in the French Quarter.<br />
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This statue is called "Fat Lady". It was created by sculptor Fernando Botero, a famous artist from Medellín, Colombia. He specializes in creating people with exaggerated shapes. Rubbing it is supposed to bring good luck (I didn't, lol). <b>OR</b>, perhaps, it is a sculpture of me after I finish all the eating and drinking I've been doing on this cruise! 😜</div>
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Below, the ladies with fruit baskets on their heads, want you to take a picture with them for money, of course.</div>
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A man walking with his "burro"</div>
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Performers in the park, by donation</div>
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Every street was pretty</div>
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The Pope. Dora said almost everyone in Cartagena was catholic.</div>
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The green one is called Guanábana. The red ones are Tomato de Árbol (Tree Tomato) which apparently taste like kiwi & tomato.</div>
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Dora was pointing at the Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit). She said it was very good if you are constipated...</div>
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Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa - 5 stars for this one</div>
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And then we were off for a drive through the "new city". Dora said that people no longer had siestas during the day because a lot commute to the new city for work and businesses didn't shut down anymore. She dropped us back to the bird sanctuary and we were on our way back to the ship.</div>
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The couple from Cruise Critic called my room when we were back and invited me to dinner with them and their lovely friend that evening, so I gladly accepted. </div>
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Tuna Tartare - it was okay</div>
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Ham & Split Pea Soup - I liked this</div>
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Lamb Kebab - it was a little tough</div>
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Dinner was a "miss" tonight overall. However, the company was so much fun, I didn't care at all. I was happy and had such a good time. They had late seating and we were there till after 10pm. We were all tired so exchanged hugs and went to bed.</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, May 6th (Colon, Panama):</u></b></div>
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I had my wake up call for 7am. I had time to go have breakfast in the buffet before my tour left at 9:30am. </div>
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Don't let this picture of the port fool you, the area was <b><i>very seedy</i></b> around here</div>
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I chose a ship tour for Panama City and Gatun Locks. Our guide was a local Panamanian and told us lots. We went to <b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks" target="_blank">Gatun Locks</a></u></b> first. Being honest, I didn't know much about the Panama Canal, other than it was a narrow passage. I learned that it is a 80KM waterway that transports goods between the Atlantic & Pacific oceans. The "locks" are water elevators. These raise the ships to allow crossing the Continental Divide, then lowers them back to sea level on the other side. I was very fascinated. I was also miserable from the HUMIDITY. It was horrible. More than once over the last couple of days, I felt like I was going to pass out.</div>
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Gatun Locks started in 1913. Our tour guide told us that the visitor center will close permanently after our visit today. The locomotives tie up to the ships and guide them through the passage. The water rushes in and raises the ship. The ships go through the passage way. </div>
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The canal is on the left, the locomotives go up on those tracks on the right. You could only marvel at the engineering of this, I was so impressed.</div>
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And then we were off to Panama city which is on the Pacific side. It was an hour long drive away. Our guide told us there is no welfare there so if you don't work, you don't eat. She also said that is part of the drug problem with the Caribbean sea being right there. She explained 20% of the population is unemployed. She said there is a stark contrast in the population there - people with too much money or not enough... She said they have no bills but only coins. Their currency is called the "Balboa" and looks like a Canadian "Toonie" and is in fact, made by Canada for them. I got one in change and it looked just like our toonie.</div>
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Panama City </div>
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We sat here for 15 minutes first. We were given a bad sandwich and ate in the small van. I understand it was because it was so hot outside, but this felt really uncomfortable. She had said seconds before that right across the street a beer and ceviche could be had for $5 USD. I would have liked that choice. We walked through Colonial Panama. There is also a Chinatown nearby as well.</div>
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So about this time, it was kind of creepy - there were vultures swarming in the sky everywhere. I felt kind of weird, as my mom had me watch Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" when I was like four or something and I've been terrified of <i>birds</i> ever since...</div>
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I didn't hear the guide. Everyone was rushing up to listen to her as we walked along and I ended up just hanging back. That was one part of the tour I didn't like - the only way to hear the commentary, was to be right beside her...we stopped for pee break, but had to pay $1 USD or buy something from a store. I bought a fridge magnet and was able to go first. </div>
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Below is the memorial for the 22,000 French people who lost their lives in the construction of the Panama Canal back in the late 1800's.</div>
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The building beside the memorial below, was apparently once a prison. A young girl was having a photo shoot there now.</div>
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We finished the tour with 25 minutes to shop. Earlier I bought a vulture feather with some painted parrots on it. I elected to sit and have a glass of wine. My friend from home had given me a cooling towel. You wet it, snap it and it's supposed to bring your body temperature 30°F lower. Anyway, it really saved me! I truly loved her today. 😎</div>
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And then we left for the long ride back to the ship. I had an early dinner in the dining room. It was the best meal so far from there. I had slow braised lamb wrapped in phyllo with potato puree and roasted vegetables. </div>
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I caught the show in the theatre which was an illusionist. Then I called it a night and went to sleep. The humidity and heat was draining me.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, May 7th (Cruising through the Panama Canal:</u></b></div>
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I woke up bright and early at 7am. I did not want to miss going through going Gatun Locks at 9am. We would also be going through the east lanes of Pedro Miguel Locks and finally Miraflores Locks. I had breakfast in the main dining room and then went outside on deck 4 to watch. Below is a shot of the lighthouse at Gatun Locks.</div>
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We got closer to the Locks.</div>
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The locomotives secured themselves to the ship.</div>
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Below are good shots (and a video) showing how snug the canal passage is. This is after the water has come in to raise us and carry us through...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx_T0iozSkPUPouUznQbl-a6bOr18rvH8jRwVFmpD443fBNhPBYgOj0hc8z8T4gzFeeSliMLbKnto9IKzYXaw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Below is a ship crossing in the opposite direction. The second was another ship where we all waved at each other as we passed each other by in the canal.</div>
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And then we were through! This took about two hours. We passed through the last set of locks about 5:30 that evening. I found this part of the trip really special. I was blown away by it and am so happy I did this. Unforgettable...</div>
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This was getting near the end of Miraflores locks</div>
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I got a LOT of sun today. I met my "hotel friends" for dinner in the main dining room. We were so exhausted. We all ate and then went to bed.</div>
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Duck Rillette</div>
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Gorgonzola & Grape Salad</div>
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Shortribs and Polenta</div>
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<b><u>Monday, May 8th (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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I enjoyed this seaday. I woke up, had breakfast and then went for a one hour power walk on deck 4. One lady got up and said to me as I walked by that I had motivated her and she was now doing laps. That made me feel good! </div>
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In the afternoon, the "cruise critic couple and their friend" were having a meet & greet for our Guatemala tour. This was nice and we all just hung out and ended up at the martini bar and then the four of us went to the casino. </div>
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I had dinner plans at Tuscan Grille again.</div>
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Starter Meatballs</div>
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Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad</div>
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Side dish of Eggplant Parmesan</div>
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Veal Marsala</div>
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Wow, so when I got to the main course I got really full. Kindly, my server packed it up for me so I could take it to eat later. He poured me a nice big glass of wine to take with me too. I ended up just falling asleep in my room.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 9th (Puntarenas, Costa Rica):</u></b></div>
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We arrived early. I was glad I had the leftovers so didn't have to rush and have breakfast. </div>
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I was out just before 8am and was first at the van for <b><u><a href="http://www.odysseytourscr.com/" target="_blank">Odyssey Tours</a></u></b>. To my surprise and delight, the three from Cruise Critic were also on the tour and we had a comfy van of 8 of us. There was Wifi too, which was awesome. We first stopped to see some monkeys. "Kikee" was the driver. He didn't have good English but he was amazing at finding and calling wildlife and birds, etc.</div>
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We then went to a fruit stand for some samples and also a taste of sugar cane juice.</div>
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Back in the van, our guide Andy showed us the fruit which houses cashew nuts. There is only one nut per fruit, which is why they are expensive.</div>
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We then left to go for a "view" picture.</div>
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We went off to resort next and had a nature walk. Lots of bugs around here, lol. I had a few bites from the ship. I should have been using bug spray there too. Some were itchy and some hurt and they liked my legs for some reason. 😠 My cooling towel was really helping here too.</div>
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Breadfruit</div>
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Then we were off for a "Crocodile Tour" on a boat on the river.</div>
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They call this one "Osama Bin Laden" because he's hard to find. They say he is 50 years old. Crocs live for about a hundred years. They are nocturnal and rest during the day. After this, we went for lunch. (There was no crocodile on the menu).</div>
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We were given a "local plate lunch" called a "Casado". I chose fish which was striped corvina. We also received some yummy mango. After lunch we walked over to the ocean. I put my feet in and it felt wonderful.</div>
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We went and saw some Macaws next. I had a hard time getting pictures as they were up so high, but I did manage one.</div>
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We stopped at a souvenir shop and had a look around. There was some lovely wood work being done there. I quite liked this chest. I bought some coffee and a hand painted Macaw fridge magnet for $15 USD.</div>
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We saw some "howler" monkeys. They asked us if we wanted to get out while Kikee went and called them, but no one wanted to. We were all getting tired now. We could hear and see them though, they sound like dogs barking almost. We stopped to look at some crocs again and then had a city tour of Puntarenas. Back to the dock we went. I went for dinner in the main dining room, chose random seating and was the last person in a full table of eight. I had turkey dinner, it was not very good or exciting.</div>
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When I got back to my room, I found this certificate on my bed. I thought that was great!</div>
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I drifted off to sleep...</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 10th (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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I woke up and wrote my trip report up to date. I was days behind and had to do it<b>. </b>I had hundreds of pictures to sort through and had to get it done before everything in my memory faded away. I finished in time for lunch in the main dining room. <br />
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Broccoli Cheese Soup</div>
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Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing. (I was full after this!)</div>
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Mahi Mahi with Quinoa & Carrots</div>
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I did my hour long power walk on deck 4 after. I only lasted 45 minutes though. It was the most HUMID day I experienced so far! I did outlast all the other usual walkers on that deck though, so for me, that felt good. I was so red, people were looking at me and wondering if I was okay but I always look that way when I finish walking...I stopped and got a drink and then went back to the room and put the cooling towel on before I showered. I love that towel!!! The evening was with dinner at Tuscan Grille again with the single lady from "Cruise Critic Friends". It was nice to have the company and dinner was a leisurely evening with interesting conversation.<br />
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Antipasto for Two. The top left is Fig Jam.</div>
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Calamari (Delicious!)</div>
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My side dish of Cacio E Pepe (spaghetti with pepper)</div>
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We split a Rib Eye Steak (Medium Rare), they cut our portions for us - above is my portion. So as you can see, if you have a whole steak, you will get a LOT of meat!</div>
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We split some Tiramisu for dessert</div>
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And then we went to bed. We had to get up early for Guatemala and were both very tired.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, May 11th (Guatemala):</u></b></div>
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We arrived early and were at the port by 6:30am. It was rainy and humid. Just felt yucky.</div>
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Let me just say, today was the best tour and the best day of my trip so far. I can only rave about it and felt uplifted by the time I experienced in Guatemala. A big thanks to Carlos from <b><u><a href="http://guatemalanguide.com/" target="_blank">Guatemalan Guide</a></u></b>. This is close to being the best excursion I've ever done - so not commercial and opposite of what the ship would offer. HIGHLY recommended!!! I also thank my "Cruise Critic friends" because without them, I wouldn't have known about it or done it. This day will be long in my report, as I want to remember everything about it...</div>
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We had about an hour or more drive to Antigua, but Carlos told us a lot of history about his developing country. Drug trafficking and gangs abound, the same as in the other countries that surround the Caribbean sea. He said corruption in government also slows his country from progress He has 10 dogs and 14 cats because there is no spaying or neutering and there are so many stray animals where he lives. He takes them in and tries to find them homes but said more often than not ends up keeping them. I saw so many dogs I just wanted to take home with me that day. 😢</div>
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We were let off in Antigua to catch the "<b><u><a href="http://www.transportguatemala.com/guatemalan-chicken-bus.php" target="_blank">Chicken Bus</a></u></b>". </div>
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It is uncomfortable because of short leg room and the drivers are like maniacs but it was a great experience riding around with the locals and school kids. We got off at the market. I loved it here and took a lot of pictures. As someone who loves to cook, this was the place for me. The sights and smells were intoxicating though not all smells were good, lol. There was a lot of Mayans here and Guatemala has much Mayan influence.</div>
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Making Tortillas</div>
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This was lard in the big bowl here</div>
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The radishes were huge!</div>
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Pacaya Palm (a delicacy in Guatemala)<br />
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And that was it for the market. Carlos bought some bananas for us all later. We went to wait for our ride and saw this below, which is a form of taxi.</div>
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We were off to "Central Park". We started at the Sanctuary. This was a colonial section with cobblestone streets, partially restored. We walked around quite a bit, saw a few churches and sites. Carlos took us to a coffee shop and bought us all whatever we wanted. The coffee was very good.<br />
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He took us to this "shop" but told us we were not there to shop, but that he wanted to show us a "Mayan God" altar. Upon looking, the "god" had a bottle of booze in his hand and apparently there were cigarettes too. Worshipers were welcome to sit and bring these items and pray for whatever they needed (good or bad) and have a bevvy and smoke while doing so...<br />
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No one was at the altar while we were there. 😀<br />
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These were for sale in the shop and took me back and reminded me of a computer "Adventure" game by Lucas Arts I played in the 90's called "Grim Fandango". Hi Manny! Anyway, I digress...</div>
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And then we were off to the best part of this day. We were told we were having lunch at a local coffee farmer's house. This was prepared by his family. It doesn't look like much in the pictures but it was delicious! Stewed chicken with a wonderful sauce, rice pilaf, homemade corn tortillas, homemade hot sauce and simple guacamole. YUM! We all sat and ate together and it was delightful.</div>
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Okay, enough about the food. We ALL loved it though, so good. Nothing like home cooking and simple food, is there? The next thing was to learn about coffee. Now, I could go into the story, but I highly recommend you just look at the <b><u><a href="http://www.dlgcoffee.org/what-we-do/" target="_blank">website</a></u></b>, it explains the cooperative way of helping Guatemalan families become self sufficient. We were at Fredy Gonzalez Vasquez' home and coffee farm.</div>
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As we walked to the coffee fields, I noticed a bamboo fence along the way. It was an uphill walk and probably took us about a half hour. Here and in Antigua it was not humid as we were so elevated. </div>
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I got a good shot of the active volcano here. It is called Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire).</div>
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Below are the coffee fields and Fredy explaining how the process works. All of the machines are solar powered and the coffee is organic. </div>
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Above are three of Fredy's nine kids! The whole family works and helps out. They are all learning to speak English too. Then it was back to the house to taste the coffee. Fredy's wife roasted the beans for us. The beans do not smell like coffee until they are roasted.<br />
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The coffee tasted fantastic. I bought some for $8 USD and you can see, there is a sticker of Fredy on it! They ship to the USA and Canada, so please check it out if you want some wonderful coffee, supporting a great cause. Then we made our way back to the ship. Today had a really positive, emotional effect on me. Fredy and his family were so proud and so friendly and welcoming. I had tears in my eyes. I will always remember this. I had dinner in the main dining room with my "Cruise Critic Gang".<br />
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Spinach & Artichoke Dip (Meh)</div>
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Glazed Pork Chop with Apple. (Good)</div>
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<b><u>Friday, May 12th (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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Today was very uneventful and relaxing and I welcomed that. I had breakfast on the deck outside. I was under cover and it was spitting rain a little so had no one in front of me. Very nice, though humid.</div>
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About this time I started to have some stomach discomfort. Every one I spoke to on the trip yesterday said they had no issues, so it was possible I ate something on the ship that disagreed with me? Anyway, my friend gave me some Imodium and I slept the whole afternoon. I was just glad this wasn't a port day. I felt fine when I woke up. I went to dinner at the Tuscan Grille.</div>
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Crab Cake Cracked Pink Peppercorn Aioli, Salsa Di Pomodoro</div>
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1/4 portion of Lobster Alfredo (Fantastic!)</div>
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Broccolini Aglio E Olio</div>
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Perfect Medium Rare Broiled Filet Mignon (9 oz) with Rosemary Peppercorn Sauce</div>
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The steak was melt in your mouth. This really was the best meal I've had so far. It was as good as a steakhouse meal could be.</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, May 13th (Seaday):</u></b></div>
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Today was a day filled with drinking and eating and more drinking. I had lunch in the main dining room. It was BBQ chicken and buttermilk grits. It was okay but I would have preferred bone in and a better BBQ sauce and not so much of it.</div>
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I met my single friend for dinner at QSine on Deck 11 for dinner. She remarked that the decor reminded her of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party setting and I agreed.</div>
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Unfortunately food and service wasn't very good tonight. They would put a course in front of us, and as we were talking, they would come back and ask if we were done, sometimes two or three times. I found it annoying.</div>
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This was my half portion of "Lava Crab": Alaskan King Crab, Sweet Yellow Corn & Scallions, Kataifi with Old-Bay Lobster Sauce (This was pretty good)</div>
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This was a very strange dish that was like baby food...Vegetable Du Jatour and there were 8 different types You just spooned it on your plate. I disliked this very, very much- just weird.</div>
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Our server mixed up some Guacamole for our Tacos which were next.</div>
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Taco Royale: Black Angus Sirloin Steak, Unordinary Tacos, Caramelized Onion-Poblano. These might have been good except the beef was chewy, it was hard to palette. Really tough!</div>
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Slider Party: Grilled Angus Beef Patties, Aged Wisconsin Cheddar, "Qsine Slider Sauce", Brioche Buns & Garnishes. Our server said these were to taste like McDonalds...enough said.</div>
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So, that meal was pretty disappointing, along with the service. I was supposed to dine there on the last evening with my "hotel friends" but I found them and asked to switch to the Tuscan Grille. They were fine with that. I sat out on deck until almost 1am.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, May 14th (Puerto Vallarta):</u></b></div>
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My alarm went off at 6am. My breakfast room service arrived a half hour later. I put it aside and went back to bed. I decided I didn't need to get off the ship. I've been to Puerto Vallarta a few times so didn't feel like I would miss anything. My only plan was to go to Walmart and buy some Tequila. We were only in port from 7am to 2pm anyway. I felt a little hung over today. My shots below were taken from the deck.</div>
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I had lunch in the main dining room and it was really delicious. It was lamb stew with root vegetables and mashed taters. The lamb has been really good on this cruise.<br />
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I had dinner at the buffet tonight and sat outside talking with various friends I've met on the cruise. <br />
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I had the stir-fry which is made to order. Later, I did my nightly donation to the casino which has not been kind to me. My "cruise critic" friends got me to enter a slot tournament which was a lot of fun but I never made it to the finals. Then I actually won a little on some slot play but stayed until all of it went back into the casino. I went to bed early.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, May 15th (Cabo San Lucas):</u></b><br />
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We had to tender to get to Cabo. I went with my "cruise critic" friends. He had got us "Tender" tickets for the first boat at 7am. It was really windy and the water was choppy. The ride over was fine though.<br />
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It was a wonderful day and had no humidity at all. I was in heaven and I loved the wind! <br />
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It was perfect for walking and we walked a solid hour and a half before we stopped. We guessed we walked about 5 miles. We went to a Mexican Costco type place called "City Club". I got a day pass and a bottle of Tequila for $8 USD. I was happy. We walked to Cabo Wabo next. I wanted to say "I've been there and done that".<br />
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We had some beers, chips, salsa and guacamole and then wandered back to the marina to see if we could go on our boat tour to Los Arcos. Unfortunately all water activities were postponed due to the wind. <br />
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We went to Senor Frogs and had another round of drinks. Below was our view while sitting there - very commercialized.<br />
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Then we tendered back to the ship and went to Deck 10 to watch sail away. We were hoping to see Los Arcos, and we did...<br />
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And then, we sailed away from Los Cabos...the ocean color was so beautiful...<br />
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I joined my friend's table for dinner in the main dining room and the food was really good tonight.<br />
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Cod (Baccalà) Balls</div>
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Mediterranean Lamb Shank</div>
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Crab Crusted Grouper</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 16th (Seaday a.k.a. Last Day):</u></b><br />
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I didn't have much going on today. Finishing up my trip report, packing and puttering AND losing in the casino again. I basically just ate and drank and drank and ate. I said goodbye to all my favorite staff. Below was my favorite bartender from Bali at the Martini Bar. I couldn't pronounce his name and always called him "Ijigidee". 😊 <br />
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I had my final dinner at Tuscan Grille with my "hotel friends".<br />
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Beef Carpaccio - Sun-Dried Tomato And Kalamata Olive Tapanade</div>
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Classic Caesar Romaine, Pecorino Cheese, Focaccia Crouton, Caesar Dressing</div>
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1/2 order of Shortrib Pappardelle Ragu Braised Shortrib, Tomato, Fresh Herbs, Mushroom, Truffle</div>
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I ran off to see the Comedian show - finally a comic! He was not bad. That took me until 10pm and I went to find my "Cruise Critic friends" in the casino. We waited for the final draws to see who won (not us) and then I went to bed! </div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 17th (San Diego):</u></b></div>
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I awoke at 5am as I was expected to be ready for immigration at 6:15. The process wasn't bad. I got assigned to a group number. They called it, I picked up my passport and then went to customs. My immigration officer didn't ask me anything but made a funny joke about my last name. It was a nice day in San Diego.<br />
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I went to the buffet and grabbed breakfast and brought it back to my room. I did all that by 7am. I left my room just after 8 and went to deck 4 where I would wait until 9:30 for the ship shuttle to the airport. Below is deck 4 and is where I did my laps on the ship too. I was standing mid-ship when I took this picture.<br />
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The called me at 9am and I walked off and was on the ship shuttle to the airport. I couldn't check in unfortunately as my flight didn't leave till 4:30pm so was told I had to come back at 1:30pm. A volunteer shuttled me to Terminal 1 and here I sit in a restaurant finishing my trip report.<br />
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I had a very good time and was glad I did the trip - I enjoyed all that I learned and experienced. That being said, I was ready to get off and get home. I met some great people, like I always do on cruises and had some very memorable days and moments. </div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com2Panama Canal, Panama9.1079899000000015 -79.7240524999999718.6063334000000022 -80.369499499999975 9.6096464 -79.078605499999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-33956360460718301562016-11-11T23:08:00.001-08:002019-04-07T13:46:11.335-07:00Orlando Trip Report - November 5 - 12, 2016The last time we were in Orlando was when my son was 8. He's 26 now. We decided it was time to return. This sojourn wasn't for Disney though (<i>gasp</i>!). We had missed International Drive and Universal Studios last visit so this is what we chose to do this trip. My son was a huge fan of the "Harry Potter" books when he was young(er). I read him the first one and when we got to the second, he asked me to read more each night, meaning more than one chapter... I told him that he knew he how to read himself and it was now that time for him to start reading on his own. He read all the books from that point on and saw all the movies too...I'll admit that he nudged me at one movie while we were on vacation because he said I was snoring. :) I admit I am not a "die hard" Harry Potter fan. My youth was spent reading C.S. Lewis books like "The Magician's Nephew" (I read this to him), "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe" & the series of Narnia...<br />
<a name='more'></a><i>I'm also going to admit, the closer we got to leaving, the more I started questioning my thoughts not to visit WDW... If you're interested, you can read <b>my</b> Disney obsession <b><u><a href="http://christineinvancouver.blogspot.ca/2014/01/disneyland-anaheim-trip-report-january.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. However, I stood by my decision as I knew it would be too much for me and I'm too old and impatient for those long, hard, waiting-in-lines, grinding days now...</i><br />
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When we went to Orlando in 1998, our dollar was only worth 50 cents to the US dollar then - so that trip cost me double in my Canadian money . This time, one US dollar cost me $1.35 to buy. I chose to stay at the <b><u><a href="http://www.thepointorlando.com/default-en.html" target="_blank">Point Orlando Resort</a></u></b> . About a month after I booked, I got a facebook notice from Universal Studios about booking a hotel and getting "4 day park to park" tickets through them. This turned out to be $400 CAD cheaper for me so I did it. We ended up at <b><u><a href="http://roseninn7600.com/" target="_blank">this hotel</a></u></b> instead. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about it, but the savings won in the end. Also, the Point Orlando had a daily resort fee that would have been about $120 CAD more for the week for me too so I saved on that. The factor that decided my change was that the Rosen Inn got raves about the location and I like being in a good location, especially since I never drive on vacay... Below is pictures of the hotel I took while there.<br />
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The hotel and park tickets were $900 USD which was about $1170 CAD at that time. We got our air for $450 CAD return, all in, for each of us. I booked <b><u><a href="https://shuttles.mearstransportation.com/" target="_blank">Mears shuttle</a></u></b> return for both of us to/from the airport and that was $59 USD. That included a 10% web discount.<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, November 5th:</u></b><br />
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We caught a taxi to the airport <i style="font-weight: bold;">early</i> as in about 4:30am. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30am. We had one stop in Chicago. At 7:30pm local time we arrived in Orlando. I had sought out the Mears counter and redeemed my confirmation for tickets. Our shuttle left within 10 minutes. <br />
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Upon check in, the front desk tried to get us to move us to sister property by the convention center and said they would pay our cab to get there. Said they were renovating and didn't want us to be bothered with noise. I declined the offer - the reason being is I hadn't done any research on the property so didn't know what we would be getting. It was called the Rosen Plaza. He tried to sell me on the 4 stars and said it was in the "heart" of International drive. I still said "no" but can't help wondering if we should have done it???<br />
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There was no elevator to our section but only stairs. We were close to the pool. The room was okay - like your standard motel but old and well used. We always wore our flip flops as the carpet looked and felt grungy. This really was only a room to sleep and shower. There was nothing else that made you want to be in there. We unpacked a little, we were exhausted and starving. I had read that there was a place a called <b><u><a href="http://gamechangersfla.com/" target="_blank">Game Changers</a></u></b> close by that was a sports bar type place It was right next door. We went and sat outside on the patio. It was about 11pm local time now. We ordered some wings and an appy platter (below). <br />
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The onion rings were really good! We went back to the hotel room and both of us were out like lights.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, November 6th:</u></b><br />
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We went to Universal Studios today. I was up at 6am and trying to sort stuff, finish unpacking etc. The beds in the room were comfy so that was a good thing. I got an "amber alert" for Broward County on my iPhone and was baffled about that. It freaked me out, as I thought it was something in the room that was setting an alarm off. I googled it and found how to turn those notifications off. We had Bailey's coffees in the room and then decided to go have breakfast before we headed out. I picked <b><u><a href="http://www.perkinsrestaurants.com/" target="_blank">Perkins</a></u></b> on Sandlake road.<br />
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I don't like going to chain places we have at home like Denny's or IHOP, so Perkins it was. I rarely eat at chains and not at home either unless someone else is buying. It was just a couple of minutes walk from the hotel. We had to wait about 10 minutes. They had WiFi which meant I could order Uber after we ate. I ordered a breakfast scramble with egg beaters. <br />
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It was quite good. I could only eat about half but my son polished his off without a problem. I got an Uber and he showed up almost immediately. Fare was $5.85. I tipped $5 for all my Uber rides. I tipped our hotel maid $5 each day as well. This guy was very nice and conversational and we had a great drive there.<br />
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He let us out at the Guest Drop off by Citywalk and told us that is where they pick up too.<br />
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Universal has free WiFi throughout their whole resort and theme parks which was great! Loved that. We lined up to get our tickets, so that we could line up for rides and proceeded into Universal Studios...<br />
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Wait times were about a half hour to 50 minutes it seemed. <br />
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The weather was about as perfect as I could ask for. Warm but not hot and zero humidity. Just lovely. I was very, very happy about that. We started off with "Shrek 4D".<br />
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By the time we got down to the "<b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Rip_Ride_Rockit" target="_blank">Rockit Rollercoaster</a></u></b>", wait times were averaging 20 minutes. I braved it and went on this...<br />
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They give you free lockers to put all your items in and you have to or they won't let you on. The lockers are done by fingerprints which was kind of cool - though I was slow at figuring it out, lol. Anyways, we did it. I'll admit I closed my eyes more than a few times and it felt like a looooong ride but I was happy I did it and thought I would like to ride it again - but just not today...I was dizzy when I got off with a mild vertigo feeling...<br />
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We did "Revenge of the Mummy" next and it was basically walk on, but said 15 minutes. The queues take that time pretty much. I was disappointed. To me, it felt like a complete "copy/ripoff" of Indiana Jones at Disney and was a very short experience. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed. <br />
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We stopped for a snack/drinky break at Finnegan's Irish pub. They bring you some complimentary Irish soda bread with butter and apple jam. <br />
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I ordered a cocktail called "Revenge of the Mummy". Unfortunately it was really sweet. I tried to drink it but couldn't so pressed my son to try and have it. I ordered a glass of wine instead. My son ordered the "Dublin Chicken Sandwich". I think it was $12. I had a bowl of their split pea and ham soup. $5.<br />
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Both were okay and typical of pub or theme park food. Nothing to complain about. What was really nice, was when our server brought the bill, she took off my drink saying, "I know you didn't like it, so I removed it from your bill". I thought that was so nice! Service has been excellent since we arrived and everyone at Universal has been great so far.<br />
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My son and I loved the "Transformers" ride. In fact, it may have been our favorite of the day. <br />
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We caught a parade as we were walking around...<br />
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Then we went to ride the "Minions" ride...<br />
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So when we were entering the theatre, my sandal got caught on the cement stair as I was walking <i><b>up</b></i> and it tripped me. My bottled water flew down and hit the ground. My son looked behind but thought I just dropped it and was picking it up, but OMG, I smashed my toe. I got mad at him for not helping me up, lol. I barely enjoyed the ride as my foot was screaming in pain at me. Major ouchie, but also very typical of my clumsy self. Many of my trip reports report my clumsiness. :)<br />
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"The Simpsons" town was next. The ride was walk on and I noticed my toe was turning purple.<br />
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We both enjoyed the ride. We finally made our way to "Diagon Alley". <br />
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I had to buy my son a frozen "Butterbeer", which was like $7.50! I was curious for a taste - but, lol, it tasted like butterscotch - duh on me! :) <br />
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We ended our day with a walk on ride of "<b><u><a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/Universal-Studios-Florida/Harry-Potter-And-The-Escape-From-Gringotts.aspx" target="_blank">Escape from Gringotts</a></u></b>". Those seats were uncomfortable for me and my son. My knees hit the bar in front that is level with your knees and my feet barely touched the floor. Maybe all tall people feel that way. I'm 5' 9". My son said same thing and is 6 ft. I think I was all "3-D'd or 4-D'd out by this time and was not appreciating it as much. Anyway, when we got off, staff were just blocking everything and everywhere and guiding you out of the park.<br />
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Our plan was to eat at "<b><u><a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/Restaurants/CityWalk/Toothsome-chocolate-emporium-and-savory-feast-kitchen.aspx" target="_blank">The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium And Savory Feast Kitchen</a></u></b>". Below is a picture I took of it when we arrived at Universal Citywalk in the morning.<br />
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We checked in and were told they would text us when our table was ready. ETA was one hour and forty minutes! Oh well, we were on vacation, but my body was tired! I'm not used to 10 hour "theme park" touring anymore. I WISH they had told us they had a bar, but they didn't, so we walked over to "Margaritaville" for a drink. My toe was throbbing in pain. Our reservation took exactly that time. <br />
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We were escorted upstairs and sat by a small 2 seater table by a railing. It was uncomfortable because the people in the booths opposite were facing our table so staring straight at us. That booth of people happened to be "Holly Madison". At least it was low key and they weren't interested in us in the slightest. :) Below is my view I had while sitting.<br />
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Our server recommended the zucchini for an appetizer. It is below, along with a delicious drink I ordered called "Old Chocolate Fashion". It had Bird Dog chocolate whiskey, cherry Heering liqueur, sugar, chocolate and orange bitters for $12. It was delcious!<br />
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Fried Zucchini – $9.95</div>
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Parmesan cheese, sesame soy dip</div>
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My son had a burger and I a pork chop.</div>
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May Contain Bacon – $15.50</div>
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Half pound housemade patty, bibb lettuce, smokey thick cut bacon, grilled pork belly, pineapple chutney, chipotle Jack cheese, brioche bun</div>
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Fire Grilled Pork Chop – $22.95</div>
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Bitter chocolate mole sauce, grilled rapini, lyonnaise potatoes</div>
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My son also ordered a milkshake. They take 25 minutes to prepare. He said it was very, very good. I had a sip and thought it was okay, but I'm no dessert expert as I don't eat them...</div>
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Heavenly Hazelnut – $12.50</div>
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Nutella ice cream, hazelnuts, Nutella, cocoa powder, fresh whipped cream</div>
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Bill was $77 and I left $20 tip so it was $97. Our waiter was awesome. Charming and funny and was really a nice addition to dinner. The food was very good, but not outstanding. It was a nice meal to finish a long first day though. We walked out to the guest drop off and got an Uber. Same price - $5.85. We were soon back in the room catching much needed Zzzzz's.</div>
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<b><u>Monday, November 7th:</u></b></div>
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We were ready and out of the room about 10:30am. Below is a picture of my "ouchie toe". At least it wasn't as swollen or throbbing in pain anymore. I touched up my chipped nail polish, lol.</div>
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We went to the lobby and picked up our Universal coupon book we were promised with our package. We summoned an Uber. Same price. We went off to Universal. </div>
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As soon as we got out, my son realized he left his iPhone on the seat. We tried running after the driver but he didn't look in his rear view. A taxi tried honking at him for us too, but he was not paying attention. We were kind of beside ourselves for a moment as we tried to figure out what to do. I kept pushing the "contact us" on Uber but when I would enter my cell number it would tell me it was not registered with them and to go to their website. I was getting frustrated. I tried to ask people if they used Uber but no one had any real suggestions for us. </div>
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So, I used the app to get another Uber to come pick us up. Same price. He showed up quickly and I told him of our incident. He showed us how to contact the driver on the app. We thanked him, told him we didn't really need a ride and tipped him and got out of his car. Our driver called and said he had the phone but was busy doing a delivery and would meet us when he was done. WHEW! I didn't ask how long though. We went to Citywalk and the first place there is "Bubba Gumps". I so didn't want to go in there, but we didn't have much of a choice and both of us were feeling very stressed at this point. I ordered Prosecco and cup of gumbo. My son had a cup of chowder and coffee. Then I had another drink and another. Our bill was over $60 and I was doing something I really didn't want be doing either - sitting there. We didn't want to be "deep in the park" if he called though. The best thing in there was this sign (below) but the truth is, I was drinking cheap wine! :)</div>
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I finally contacted the driver again as an hour and half had passed by. I then got a message from Uber with his personal cell number. I called him and he said he would meet us in 30 minutes. He was right on time and I tipped him $10. I probably should have tipped him more, now that I think of it, but we were relieved for all that to be done with! Our karma was good today that he got it back as Uber clearly states that if you leave items in their cars, they are not responsible.</div>
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We headed straight for "Diagon Alley". </div>
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We went and had lunch at the "Leaky Cauldron".</div>
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You order, pick up your drinks with a number and then carry it over to be seated. We were in fact seated by the leaky cauldron. :)</div>
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My kiddo ordered a banger sandwich and I had the "toad in a hole". It was served with yucky green peas, which I pushed off the side. Blech... It was really eggy and dense, not like a fluffy Yorkshire pudding should be. Lunch was okay. Nothing really to remember but it was still edible. My son loved his "lemon squash" but my wine was kinda like swill. It was almost $40 for everything. Since it was self serve, there was no tipping though.</div>
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We left and wandered all the stores and shops before heading over to the train to get to Islands of Adventure.</div>
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I noticed that kids with "wands" were controlling some of the magic throughout this area. :)</div>
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When boarding, they even had a stop to buy treats at half way through the queue. We got a Heineken beer ($8!) and continued onward. Staff told us the train is always a 50 minute wait or more later in the day as everyone is tired...We just wanted to experience the ride to Hogwarts castle.</div>
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And then we were there at "Hogsmeade". </div>
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As soon as we got off, there was a ride called "<b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Challenge" target="_blank">Dragon Challenge</a></u></b>". We blindly put our items in a free locker and proceeded to board. Then I realized it was a coaster and that my feet would be dangling and I was scared! I started screaming at the top of lungs from the moment we left till we arrived back. My toes were clenching my sandals as I thought I would for sure lose them.</div>
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We made our way to "<b><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Forbidden_Journey" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey</a></u></b>" which is in Hogwarts castle. I mean, WOW, the Harry Potter stuff is themed beautifully. Really impressive.</div>
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There was no wait though it said 15 minutes, but like I said earlier, the queue took that long to get there. I could not imagine waiting when the park is full! This was a nice, fun ride, our feet were dangling again and we were both dizzy now though. We decided to call it day! It was a really long, rough day and we were feeling it.</div>
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We made our way out of the park, stopping to shop for Christmas ornaments and chocolate. I got two really great ornaments and my son got some chocolate and fudge.</div>
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We exited, thinking this sign below was appropriate for us. :)</div>
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We made our way back to the guest drop off area and when we got an Uber, it notified us that rates were double because of demand. We had to pay $12.65 to get back this time and our driver was grouchy which made me grouchier, and he didn't know where he was going.</div>
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We went across the street once back at the hotel for water and wine. The little "mini-mart" was horribly priced and we paid $4 for six small bottled waters. We went to the <b><u><a href="http://www.abcfws.com/" target="_blank">ABC</a></u></b> liquor store and it was priced fantastically! I was not expecting that. We could have got 12 large Aquafina waters for $6 there too, which was better than the cheap water we just bought. I got two California wines for $6 each on sale and left happy. I will be back! </div>
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We went back to the room and got ready for dinner. I got an Uber and it was 2X the price again at $25.87 for our ride to Disney Springs. Our driver got us there in about 20 minutes and let us off in an ideal spot close to our restaurant.</div>
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We had reservations through Disney reservations at Chef Art Smith's <b><u><a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/disney-springs/chef-art-smiths-homecoming/" target="_blank">Homecoming</a></u></b> restaurant. Disney will charge your credit card if you don't show up - $10pp. I couldn't think of a better thing at this moment than having a comfort food dinner. I mean, Oprah's personal chef of 10 years had to fit the bill, right? We were 15 minutes early for our 8pm reservation. When we checked in with the hostess, she asked if my cell number was correct and said they would text us in 15 minutes when our table was ready. I told her we were going to sit in two chairs right in front of her in the waiting area. She said she would still text. Um, okay...so I asked if we could sit in the bar then. She said yes and said we could eat there if we wanted. I told her I wanted to keep my table. </div>
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We sat down at 2 dirty empty spaces at the bar and were ignored for 15 minutes. I was beginning to think that our bad day was not going to improve. Finally someone came by (the people on either side of us had been checked on twice while we sat there waiting). We got our drinks but the dirty mess and food was not cleaned up. As soon as the drinks dropped down we got a text to check into the front desk to "get an update". She told us to pay up at the bar and carry our drinks/water with us to our table. I left $25 for our two drinks. I had a "Basil Smash" (below). My son had a Pina Colada.</div>
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Woodford Reserve Bourbon, sour mix, simple syrup and smashed basil leaves $10</div>
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So I splashed along with my drinks as we went outside to the patio. I wasn't very happy at this point... Our server was really nice and my mood slowly started to improve. We started with some hushpuppies and deviled eggs.</div>
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Bunch of Puppies $10</div>
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House-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly</div>
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Church Lady Deviled Eggs $10</div>
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Homecoming-style whole deviled eggs</div>
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Oh My Goodness! These were soooooo good! The deviled eggs were topped with shallot jam and fried okra. Both were yummy beyond belief. We were finally feeling happy and relaxed. We both ordered the same dinner below.</div>
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Art's Fabulous Fried Chicken $26</div>
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Chef Art Smith's signature dish! Buttermilk brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and garnished with our house-made hot sauce served with creamy mashed potatoes, cheddar drop biscuits and love</div>
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Ours was served with white bacon gravy and I have to say that these mashed taters were the second best I've EVER tasted. First goes to Gordon Ramsay's in New York City. We were in heaven. The pickled zucchini was superb too - spicy and crispy. I loved these. I got a glass of the house Cab and it was good too. (Much better than the wine swill at Universal).</div>
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We finished with his signature "Hummingbird Cake". It was so yummy, amazingly fantastic too. I had a few bites over my normal only one taste bite. </div>
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We packed all that we didn't eat to go. We had a full bag but knew it would be great tomorrow for breakfast. We have a fridge in our room. We asked Disney staff where Uber picks up and were directed to the "Strawberry" parking lot at Cirque du Soleil. Our Uber showed up almost immediately and was only $11.82 for the ride home! That balanced out the first fare and I was happy. It was a great ending to a marginal day and we were both in bed sleeping soundly soon after we arrived back at the hotel...</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 8th:</u></b></div>
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This was our "non theme park day". It was also a BIG day in the U.S.A. as it was "election day". We have been fascinated by this election - have never seen anything like it before. Was expecting Ashton Kutcher to announce that we were all being "punked" at any time but that never happened...it just went on and on and ON and was just bizarre! I have no good words to describe this other than feeling stupefied. How could EITHER of these two persons be the final candidates to be president???</div>
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We slept in till 9:30 and then I wrote up the trip report. My son lazed. We had Bailey's coffees in the room and finished our delicious dinner from last night. That fried chicken is some of the best I have ever had. Highly recommended! I finally showered and we got an Uber to the Outlet mall. It was about 1:30. It was $5.85 for the <b><u><a href="http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/orlando-international" target="_blank">Orlando International Premium Outlets</a></u></b>. </div>
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I did alright shopping and bought some stuff at three different places. My son had a fancy iced coffee and that was the highlight of his trip to the mall. :) He wasn't interested in shopping but they had free WiFi there so he kept himself amused. We left in a couple of hours and called an Uber back to the room for $7.05. The app told me the fare was "slightly elevated" because it was a bit busier.</div>
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We got to the room and we decided to go back to Game Changers for some "loaded fries". </div>
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My son had saw these on the menu our first night here when we went and wanted to scratch the itch off his list. </div>
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When we were seated on the patio, I opened my purse for my iPhone. It wasn't in there. I tried not to panic and my son said I probably left it in the room since I didn't need to call a Uber. He reminded me that I rarely take my cell with me and I honestly didn't know because we unpacked the stuff I bought and freshened up. It was possible...</div>
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We got back to the room and my phone was nowhere to be found. I kept thinking that I had looked in the Uber when I was teasing him about whether he had <i>his</i> phone, so then thought maybe I left it outside on the bench when we called the ride at the Outlet mall. I called my front desk lost and found and asked. I called the mall lost and found and asked. Nothing.... I got my son to get the Uber app on his phone and logged in. I messaged the driver and nothing. I decided to put the phone in "lost mode" from my laptop and put my son's cell number in the message it would display, just in case someone found it. My son said he was going to call it. He did but no one answered. I told him we had to get ready for our dinner show and so we did.</div>
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His phone rang! It was our Uber driver!!!! He said he picked up 2 more fares and no one said anything or found it. Then he said when my son called, it alerted him by the ringtone that there was something in his car. He got the "lost mode" message on the screen and called us. WHEW, <b><i>again</i></b>! He brought it back to us in 20 minutes. I tipped him $20 and he seemed really happy. Earlier, he had also told us that he couldn't vote today - couldn't vote for either candidate and decided not to...he told us he might move to Canada. I told him not to, that we were going to build a wall. :) We all laughed.</div>
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I got another Uber after we went back to the room to take my phone out of lost mode. We were going to <a href="http://www.sleuths.com/" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Show</a> . The fare was $5.85 though we probably could have easily walked there. I found this show on Trip Advisor and it was rated highly. An interactive improv comedy murder show. We had a drink at the bar first and then were seated inside the theatre. We learned that we were all there for an "<i>audition</i>"... They scoped the audience out by chatting and seeing who was open to participating and didn't make anyone uncomfortable at all. All good...</div>
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Below is the "producer" of the show. He was fantastic in his character role and was my favorite.</div>
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My dinner below was lasagna with meatballs. It wasn't bad. About the same as the theme park food I've been eating, but I wasn't there for the food. Wine, beer, ice tea and pop were all unlimited and they kept it all flowing.</div>
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Below is a lady that played dual roles of sisters and was so good. I picked her as the murderer but alas, I was wrong...only 5 people got the outcome correct. (Don't worry, they change the shows and your chances of seeing the same one are small). The random winner was rewarded with a Sleuth's magnifying glass and the others got a souvenir pin. </div>
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We tipped $10 per person as that what was asked for ($5 to $10pp) and called another Uber home. Same price. When we exited, there were cabs waiting and a driver asked us if we wanted one. We said no thank you and then he asked us if we wanted to know about the election? We said sure and then he went on a rant that Donald Trump was winning. He came over and showed his Android phone and showed us what was going on. It was obvious he was freaked out. I couldn't comfort him but just told him that we lived in Canada. (I didn't throw in the part about building our own wall to keep the US out ;) and I am of course joking. I don't even talk politics, normally. This day and election was just anything BUT normal. We got our ride and went to the room to watch the election results but fell asleep before it was done...</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, November 9th:</u></b></div>
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Woke up to find out Donald Trump won the election. It didn't surprise me - at all, but it really hit me <i><b>hard</b></i> this morning. A man with no experience and endorsed by the KKK is now the president of my most favorite country besides my own. I felt numb. I guess we'll all find out how this is going to play out, but it's hard to be optimistic about it. This election has changed the way I look at the USA. :( That is that, and I'm moving along now...</div>
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Back to Universal today. We slept in and arrived at noon. Uber was $5.85. We were both starving so I decided to splurge at <b><u><a href="http://emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-orlando" target="_blank">Emeril's</a></u></b>. It was really gray outside and <i>muggy</i>. I was already sweating and uncomfortable. I'm not going to lie, I was partially hungover too from drinking too much while watching the election last night...<br />
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My son ordered a pizza.<br />
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PROSCIUTTO</div>
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smoked tomato sauce, Maytag bleu, baby arugula</div>
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ROAST BEEF PO' BOY</div>
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shaved Creekstone beef simmered in beef jus, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle</div>
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Both meals were just delicious and we enjoyed every bite. My son had the banana cream pie for dessert. It's one of Emeril's signature dishes and is really worth having. It is really fantastic. It is not overly sweet and all the flavors meld perfectly together. If you like banana cream pie, then you absolutely have to try this!</div>
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Bill was $78 or $95 after tip. Well worth it and we really enjoyed lunch today. I really wasn't feeling like riding and rushing today so we just took our time and sauntered around Islands of Adventure. <br />
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We saw all the water rides today, like below (Jurassic Park and Ripsaw Falls) but decided not to do any of them. We will leave this for our last day and do them. I bought rain ponchos from the dollar store at home too so we're ready. I saw a LOT of soaked people to the bones - head to foot drenched today.<br />
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We rode SpiderMan.<br />
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I really enjoyed our walk around Seuss Landing. I even bought a Seuss nightshirt for $30. They had started the Christmas decorations there too.<br />
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We wandered a bit more...<br />
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We took the Harry Potter train back to Universal Studios. It is different then when arriving at Hogwarts and was well done. Only a 20 minute wait today which was much better. Everything was walk on pretty much. We walked around some more and then went and saw the Terminator show. We both enjoyed it. We ended with E.T. and the park was just closing down.<br />
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We decided to go to <b><u><a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/Restaurants/CityWalk/The-Cowfish.aspx" target="_blank">The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar</a></u></b>. Our bartender at Sleuth's last night said she worked there and highly recommended it. I had my doubts about sushi since we have such good stuff at home in Vancouver, but we were hungry and tired and tried it. We were seated outside on the covered patio and below is my view looking right, which is the main hub or entrance into Citywalk.<br />
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I ordered a really good cocktail called a "Grapefruit Smash" and my son got a Smores shake ($6) so half the price as at Toothsome but he said it was not as good.<br />
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We started with an appy of "Spicy Poke Dip". It was okay but not great. <br />
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Spicy tuna poke with salmon and yellowtail, seaweed salad, served with wonton chips</div>
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My son ordered a "Rise and Swine Burger" and he said his was really, really good, albeit super messy and hard to eat. (I was in the bathroom when dinner was served so he was well into eating his when I got back, so no picture). I got a "Fusion Specialty Bento Box". It was pretty NOT good and not interesting at all. Most of it stayed where it was. I was full and got enough to eat though. I had a bite of my son's burger too which was much better than my offering. The sushi was really sub-par, I got the tempura shrimp...<br />
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A combo meal featuring both burger and sushi, including slider cheese burger, sweet potato fries, Thai cucumbers, edamame and choice of a 4 piece Fusion Specialty roll (Firecracker or Tempura Shrimp Roll)</div>
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Bill was $65 or $78 after tip. We got an Uber back for $5.85 and went to the room. I had some wine and wrote up the trip report then went to bed. I was soooo tired and my body ached! My son said his iPhone app said we are walking around 6 to 10 km per day, so it's not crazy but I can certainly feel it. <br />
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<b><u>Thursday, November 10th:</u></b><br />
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I awoke early and felt a lot better. Today was our <b><u><a href="https://aquaticabyseaworld.com/en/orlando" target="_blank">Aquatica</a></u></b> day. I rented us a cabana too ($59). It opened at 11am, so we went to Perkins for breakfast again and got an Uber from there. Below are our two breakfasts at $10 each. I had egg beaters again. Really good value overall though again, I could only eat about half. Even my son didn't finish and he can polish off anything!<br />
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There was a lady in there making balloon animals for the kids. One family was so rude to her. They had 3 kids and she was standing by their table making her first balloon. It took a while, but she was very detailed and did a great job. After she handed the first one to the child, the father shooed her away saying, "Can you go stand somewhere else and do this?" She came back and brought the other two balloons (one was a really cool Spider Man) and the table ignored her. I felt so bad for her. I went over and told her she was making beautiful balloons and tipped her $5. It was clear by the $5 hanging out of her shirt pocket that she was working for tips. She was so happy, I thought she was going to cry. Geez, it doesn't take much to smile at someone and say thank you.<br />
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C<b>OUNTRY SAUSAGE BISCUIT BREAKFAST</b></div>
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Two sausage patties inside fresh baked biscuits, topped with cream gravy and American cheese. With two eggs, two Applewood bacon strips and choice of hash browns, breakfast potatoes, tots or fruit.</div>
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<b>CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT</b></div>
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A traditional favorite of two basted eggs, grilled ham and rich hollandaise served with choice of hash browns, breakfast potatoes or tots and choice of fruit or Mammoth Muffin</div>
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It was a beautiful day out, nice and sunny so I was happy. It was less humid than yesterday as in not humid at all. Our Uber was $7.00 to Aquatica and our driver was hilarious. He was 70 years old and had lots to say about the election and America. Probably our best ride yet and I laughed the whole time while in his car. We arrived right at eleven. He joked that we must be Canadians because only <i>they</i> would be going to a water park when the temperatures were like this. :)<br />
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Our cabana is below. It was located at "Roa River Rapids". It came with 12 bottles of Dasani water and our host told us to take them with us if we didn't finish them as she said that we paid for them. We took 6 when we left. Also included was towel rental and a locker. I really enjoyed it.<br />
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My son did some slides. We did the lazy river and rode down the rapids and relaxed. I actually nodded off while on the lounger. <br />
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We stayed till about 4pm , then got ready to leave. We enjoyed a very relaxing day. It closed at five. The Uber back was $6.85. Earlier, I had a hot dog at the park ($8!) and my son had a chicken wrap which was $11. We showered and got ready for our dinner at Disney Springs. Tonight we were going to <b><u><a href="http://www.fronteracocina.com/" target="_blank">Frontera Cocina</a></u></b>. I have always wanted to go one of Chef Rick Bayless' restaurants and would finally get the opportunity. The Uber cost $13.83. The driver was really annoying and I had to tell him when to turn for the exit to Disney Springs because he was just blabbing away (about himself - we heard his life story) and not paying attention. Of all the Ubers we have used this week, this was the first and only annoying guy. I still tipped him, though I hesitated about it and put it back in purse once, then took it back out. I figured the way he was talking and bragging about himself that he really needed the money because I'm sure none of it was true...<br />
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Wow, Disney Springs is so big! It has changed so much since we went to "Pleasure Island". It was packed too - so many people, like wall to wall people.<br />
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I ordered a Margarita which was really delicious. It was called "Play with Fire" and was $15.<br />
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Ambhar blanco tequila, cucumber,</div>
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jalapeño, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, hibiscus</div>
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salt rim</div>
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We got some Guacamole and Chips too ($10). The waiter sort of pushed them on us when we sat down and my son thought they were complimentary as he said, "Would you like me to bring you some guacomole & chips to start"? So my son said yes, sure and was all happy. I told him after that they weren't complimentary and his eyes got real huge when he saw the price on the menu, lol. You can even get bacon guac if you want, but I just wanted it plain tonight. These were sooo yummy though a little stingy on guac. We had tons of chips leftover.<br />
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Verde • Roasted poblanos, roasted tomatillo,</div>
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toasted pepitas, cilantro and onions </div>
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My son decided on a shrimp dish. (I recommended it to him, as I saw Chef Bayless prepare it on the show "The Chew" before we left). I just had Carnitas.</div>
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<b>Shrimp Mojo de Ajo</b></div>
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Pan-roasted Mazatlán blue shrimp with mojo de ajo</div>
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(slow-cooked garlic, olive oil, lime, chipotle),</div>
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plantain rice, grilled calabacitas, warm corn tortillas • $27</div>
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Slow-cooked pork shoulder with garlic and lime,</div>
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black beans refritos with Cotija cheese, guacamole,</div>
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pickled red onions, salsa verde, warm corn tortillas • $23</div>
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Both dishes were very flavorful and satisfying. We were not disappointed. I will give the edge to Art Smith's Homecoming restaurant as being our favorite of this trip though, so far. Below though, is the dessert my son ordered. He said it far exceeded the others he's had so far and was the best one of the trip. I had two bites as it was so dreamy good! <br />
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<b>Coconut Lime Cuatro Leches</b></div>
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Sponge cake soaked with four milks topped</div>
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whipped cream, toasted coconut, fresh blackberries,</div>
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and lime zest •$9</div>
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My son had coffee and I had a glass of cava. My son told me how much he had enjoyed this trip with me and melted my heart. <3. Bill was $104 or $124 after tip. We wanted back to the Strawberry lot by Cirque and requested an Uber. It was $11.82 back and our driver was <i>not</i> annoying. She asked us when we were going back to Canada and then said she could be packed and ready to go with us. One thing a lot of our drivers had said was that people from all over the world had mentioned this election and how surprising it was that every single one asked about Donald Trump. She said she was embarrassed and sad. We got back to the room and I immediately went to sleep. I was stuffed from dinner and tired again.</div>
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<b><u>Friday, November 11th (a.k.a. Last Day):</u></b></div>
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I woke up and typed the trip report up to date and then showered. We were heading to Universal Islands of Adventure. Usual Uber and fare of $5.85. We arrived at 11:30am and the line ups were huge and long and people everywhere. We realized today was Veteran's day here (Remembrance day at home) and is a stat holiday for us so figured it probably was here too. We were both hungry so went to <b><u><a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/Restaurants/Islands-of-Adventure/Mythos.aspx" target="_blank">Mythos</a></u></b> for lunch. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8OKBcQRb9l8d_NRoqZtzDI5LmhAzjIkVWM_WboIXayqX0uz4h_-_jLkntBQ2-2VSeJGLcrk8We57xXhXWI4oUn8FP2ym5xEfc5f_wDu_e5xyXNBMjzHD1MId1Yj2snAeMF1upMwZ0XI_/s1600/IMG_8532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8OKBcQRb9l8d_NRoqZtzDI5LmhAzjIkVWM_WboIXayqX0uz4h_-_jLkntBQ2-2VSeJGLcrk8We57xXhXWI4oUn8FP2ym5xEfc5f_wDu_e5xyXNBMjzHD1MId1Yj2snAeMF1upMwZ0XI_/s640/IMG_8532.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was about a 10 minute wait and then we were seated. Wow, what a beautiful restaurant! Really nicely themed and the menu was great. They actually had some decent wines and a good list of them, along with cocktails, etc. Below is our view to the right, looking out at the Hulk coaster.</div>
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Below is our view looking left. That booth was only empty for seconds while they cleaned it.</div>
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I ordered a glass of Prosecco and my son a pop. They brought us complimentary bread and butter.</div>
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<b>Semolina Crusted Calamari</b></div>
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tender calamari flash fried, served with Spanish chorizo aioli,</div>
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marinara and charred lemon</div>
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$8.99</div>
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<b>Grilled Chicken “BLT” </b></div>
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marinated chicken breast, cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato jam and pickled red onion served with Parmesan French fries</div>
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$14.49 </div>
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<b>Lamb Burger</b></div>
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hand-packed ground lamb with grilled onion,</div>
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shredded lettuce and fresh tomato topped with feta-olive aioli</div>
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served with Parmesan French fries</div>
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$16.49</div>
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The Parmesan on the fries was fifty cents extra but it mentioned nothing about the green stuff on them, which turned out to be Basil. That was a little strange. The food was good, better than anything else we ate <i><b>inside</b></i> the park. Emeril's was the best meal on Citywalk we had. My son got a Cappuccino to finish and I had another Prosecco. He said it was great.</div>
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Bill was $70 or $85 after tip. We left and made our way through Hogsmeade which was packed!</div>
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We went along to Skull Island: Reign of Kong next. </div>
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Wow the line up was 105 minutes. We realized we should have done this when there was no one in the park the past two days we were here. But, we waited and went through the queue...</div>
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What was scary was the queue was never ending! We moved for an hour and a half and then came to a complete stop for a half hour.<br />
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Everyone was starting to get fidgety and restless. Then an announcement came on saying that Skull Island was operational again and they were resuming the ride. Well, I'm sure you can imagine that there was a collective groan and there was. About another 15 minutes later we boarded the ride. And then we were off! It felt like the ride was about a minute long. So not worth queuing for that long, but live and learn.</div>
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We did the water rides next starting with Jurassic Park. Our ponchos worked well and we were barely wet except for our heads/hair. The hoods blew off when we went down the hill. Ripsaw falls we got off a little more wet. Both of our legs from the knees down were soaked and my son's head was soaked. We managed. We made our way to Hulk. </div>
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There was a 45 minute line and I didn't feel like doing that, so I suggested my son to go as a single rider which was 15 minutes. He agreed. I waited for him at the exit. We left the park and it was about 6pm. We took the usual Uber back for $5.85 and went to the ABC liquor store to buy some alcohol for home. It was cheaper than the duty free. We went back and started to pack. Mears was coming to get us at 2:50am for our 6am flight! We had 8pm dinner reservations for <b><u><a href="http://ittabenadining.com/orlando/" target="_blank">Itta Bena</a></u></b> at <b><u><a href="http://www.pointeorlando.com/" target="_blank">Pointe Orlando</a></u></b>. Uber was the usual $5.85. I was looking forward to this as it was "Contemporary Southern". We were hungry too. Atmosphere was nice enough, there was a gentleman playing piano as well. We ordered after some chit chat with our server.</div>
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<b>SCALLOPS AND GRITS</b></div>
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Seared Jumbo scallops served on gruyere delta grind grits, sweet corn crab cream sauce $14</div>
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<b>SOUP DUO</b></div>
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She Crab Soup: Jumbo lump crab meat, cream, dry sherry</div>
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Mushroom Bisque: Cream of portobello, button, and shitaki mushrooms, fresh thyme and rosemary $7</div>
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The scallop and grits dish was fantastic. The grits were great with the corn. Both soups were good. My son liked the She Crab and I the Mushroom better. Below was my son's entree:</div>
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<b>DUCK AND WAFFLES</b></div>
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Confit of Maple Leaf Farm duck, rice pilaf waffle, blueberry hoison reduction $26</div>
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<b>Oven Baked Mac N' Cheese </b>$6</div>
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<b>BLACKENED GULF RED SNAPPER</b></div>
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Spicy andouille hash, lemon beurre blanc $26</div>
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This was the Chef's nightly special dessert - Apple Crisp Ala Mode<br />
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All the dishes were tasty and enjoyable, especially that mac and cheese. My snapper was a little overdone and I found the hash a little bland. I only had one bite of the dessert as it was really, really sweet. We settled up our bill and it was $115 or $137 after tip. I tipped the piano player $5 too. We had to summon an Uber at the Blue Martini bar downstairs. Same fare. We went to the room and quickly packed. We set a wake up call for 2am. I got up a bit earlier to finish the trip report off.</div>
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We had a really enjoyable week, and there is a lot to do in Orlando. We barely scratched the surface. I-Drive was much more than I thought and I would have liked to walk it more, but the theme park walking took it out of me and I just wanted to get from point A to point B. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It is expensive here, and I blew through a good chunk of change but I expected that so it wasn't like that was a surprise or anything. I forgot to even look at my Universal coupons but I saw about 3 or 4 I could have used, like free dessert at Emeril's and 10% off at the sushi place. Oh well, mybad. :) My son was a little mopey today about the vacation being over, but I'll be happy to get home and get out of the grungy hotel room and into my own abode. Right now, I just want to spend a couple of days in bed! :)</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Orlando, FL, USA28.5383355 -81.3792364999999928.0917165 -82.0246835 28.984954499999997 -80.733789499999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-66306859206977216342016-09-03T19:21:00.004-07:002019-04-07T12:56:14.212-07:00Cancun, Mexico Trip Report - August 26 - September 2, 2016It's been three years since I've seen my friends from Nashville. This would be our 3rd time together. We met in 2012 on an Alaskan cruise. They are married and 48 years old, I'm single and 51. The stars <i>finally</i> aligned and they were able to vacation with me again! I was so excited and so happy. I truly have some of the best traveling memories with them.<br />
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They wanted to do All-Inclusive. I was OK with this, because the trip was just to be about cocktails, beach/pool time, relaxation, good dinners and catching up with each other. Their budget was generous, which meant we could go "upscale"! I was happy about that, but really, if they couldn't have, I would have adjusted, I just wanted to spend time with them again. It really didn't matter where we were...though, I like luxury if I can have it! I spent more than I was hoping to ($2,800 CAD for 7 days all in), but I always remind myself that life is short and just do what feels right as you may never get another chance. That gave us Ocean front rooms with Club Access which has its own perks, which you can see on the Hyatt site below in my link.<br />
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We ended up at the <b><u><a href="http://www.cancun.ziva.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html" target="_blank">Hyatt Ziva</a></u></b>. The only negative when booking was that it wasn't "adults only", but other than that it sounded amazing. Unlike my usual modus operandi, I engaged a travel agent for this, as I didn't have the time or desire to plan where to go or flights from two countries. He did wonderful and had us meeting and leaving at the same time. He also really sold us on this resort! It was new too, so that was a bonus for me - I like new, shiny things. It opened in January 2016. <br />
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The only other negative for me besides the long flight, was worrying about <b>HUMIDITY</b>!!! I so hate it and I learned August was the most humid month in Cancun. :( Oh well, I decided I'd just suck it up in the ocean or one of the three infinity pools. I LOVE infinity pools! I now plan all my trips to be in the least amount of humidity as possible after horrible summer trips in Mexico, Florida, Louisiana & Texas, so it was probable, this would be an experience I wouldn't like...<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, August 25th:</u></b><br />
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Red-eye flight to Toronto. I don't do well on red eyes usually because I never sleep, try as I might...I managed a couple of hours on the first flight. I arrived in Toronto at 6am.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, August 26th:</u></b><br />
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I got about an hour of sleep on the flight to Cancun. We arrived just before 11am. Had to fill out their visitor forms on the plane and all they asked me was if I was bringing in "cigarillos"? I said no and I was free with a <i><b>green light</b></i> to go...<br />
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Its been a while since I've been to Mexico so I let those "tourism" people distract me and realized it after he was trying to talk me into excursions, I just told him I was only here to drink and made my way outside. Remember, once you clear customs, proceed outside - don't stop...I saw the Air Canada people and they directed me to my bus.<br />
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You can grab a beer while you wait if you want. It was really warm, but not uncomfortably so, well not horribly uncomfortably so...There was only one stop before mine but we did wait a long time for people that apparently didn't show up. I arrived at the hotel around noon.<br />
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I was greeted as I walked in and was advised to follow for a special check in. I was given a glass of punch in a champagne glass and escorted to the "Turquoize Tower". <br />
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I sat down and began check in. He advised me that my friends and I had side by side rooms and were upgraded to the Turquoize Tower! I was ecstatic! I wanted this tower which was "adult only" and had access to an "adult only" infinity pool only open to Turquoize tower guests.<br />
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He told me to come back at 2:30 and the rooms would be ready. I went to the "24 Hour" lounge for a bite while I waited for my friends. They made your drinks and you could serve yourself with appies, salad, etc. Very much like a little cafe. I had a drink and some "Campechana" which is like a shrimp/seafood cocktail. It was delicious and is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. My friends arrived and went by. We greeted each other and I waited for them to come back from check in and join me. All we wanted to do was get to the room but we had to wait. <br />
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My room was finally ready about 2:45 and they came up and waited for theirs to be done, and had been given their keys. It was done by the time we got to my room. We were assigned #816 and #817. We were escorted in and given a room tour. He was very clear in stating that we should use the safe for all valuables. My laptop did not fit in the safe. Our luggage arrived. <br />
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The T.V. was about 60 inches, in true HD with satellite cable. The bathroom was HUGE with a gigantic walk in rain shower. There were 2 full sinks with a long vanity area separating them and private area with the toilet. Below is looking down about mid way at one sink and the shower. You could slide a wood wall around so you couldn't see from the shower into the living area, which I did.<br />
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The room had some tequila, snacks, and a "Nespresso" machine. The fridge was stocked with pop, beer and water. <br />
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Below is looking out at the balcony which had a huge Jacuzzi tub.<br />
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Below are some views from the balcony. We were really, really happy. This is the most gorgeous room I have ever stayed in.<br />
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My travel agent had sent us champagne that was chilling on ice. That was very nice. <br />
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We settled in and unpacked then went to check out the private infinity pool for a bit. Security is at the elevator when you get off and you need to verify your room with them.<br />
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We left, went back to our rooms to clean up. We both said that there had been no hot water in our shower. Luckily it wasn't ice cold but it was not pleasant. We decided to have dinner in the "El Mercado" which was the buffet. It was Friday so it was "Mexican theme night" at the resort and the buffet. We were seated in front of the Mariachi Band. <br />
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My friend enjoyed this so much, she got up and danced with a waiter and then tipped all the band members. (We think she put those tips in their belt buckles?) ;)<br />
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There was some really great tasting items and some not so good, but really terrific variety. I tried small bites of everything I could and had a bowl of "Pozole" soup which I love. It was great. Below is the picture but trust me, it tasted better than it looked, I ate it all.<br />
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We went and wandered, looked at the "street fair". They had vendors selling stuff and a mechanical bull, lol. No, we didn't ride it...<br />
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The evening show was obviously Mexican themed.<br />
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We stopped at the bar which was called "Tres Cervazas". It has its own brewery inside. There was a band. We had some chicken wings and I tried some chili corn (both were just okay). By that time we were pretty "pickled" and extremely tired from the excitement and travel day. We called it a night and retired to our rooms.<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, August 27th:</u></b><br />
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We agreed to meet at 10am for breakfast at the sit down restaurant called "Tradewinds". <br />
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It is very close to the Turquoize tower so was convenient. This also becomes a steakhouse at night. I ordered some chicken crepes with poblano chili sauce and corn.<br />
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They weren't bad and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere for a sit down meal. Service was good. Afterwards we went to the "excursion shop" in the resort and booked our return shuttles to the airport. We then headed to the beach for the day.<br />
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The beach is lovely - there is some seaweed as above but that can be easily avoided. We enjoyed our day here. I was definitely turning a little red and crispy - even after SPF30 sunscreen. We wandered over to "Habaneros" for lunch which is a nice little casual, beach restaurant. It is adjacent to bar with a swings for seats.<br />
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They do tacos and ceviche. This ended up being our favorite lunch place at the resort. They bring chips with salsa and guacamole to start. The guac was always good everywhere we had it, which is to be expected I guess.<br />
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My friend had tacos. Below, I had a tuna tostada and Campechana - oyster, shrimp, scallops and crab. It was sooo good!<br />
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After the beach, we agreed to meet a 6pm for pre-dinner cocktails. The pool was having a "bubble party" (below) which looked like fun but we had had enough water and sun today. I met the mini-bar fellow outside my room and he offered me any spirits I would like, so I took some Vodka (Finlandia - 375 ml) and another bottle of Reposado tequila. I tipped him and off he went.<br />
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Back in my room, it was clean and I saw some towel art to greet me.<br />
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Tonight we went to the "Sassil Bar". This is a beautiful place, but dead. We were basically the only people there. The resort had all top shelf alcohol and you could order whatever you wanted. I drank a lot of Grey Goose vodka while there.<br />
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This would become the theme of our week: <i>breakfast with drinks, beach/pool time with lunch and drinks, clean up time, pre-dinner drinks, dinner with drinks, more drinks</i>. Unfortunately, again, both of us had no hot water for the shower. <br />
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Dinner tonight would be at my friend's favorite restaurant in Cancun. She comes here every time she visits. It is called <a href="http://lahabichuela.com/in/centro/" target="_blank">La Habichuela</a>. It means "string bean" in English. They kindly treated me and I paid for the cab fare which after tip was 250 pesos each way (I tipped 50 pesos) or about $20. <br />
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It was a gorgeous setting. I even braved sitting in the courtyard, in the humidity and it didn't kill me. It was warm, but I've experienced a lot worse. It filled up out here as it got a bit later.<br />
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We started with some appetizers and one was Caesar salad for three which was prepared table side. And oh my, did our server ever work that! He mixed for a very long time...<br />
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It was worth the time and effort and quite delectable. Service here was amazing - so charming and with the utmost professionalism. It was a real pleasure to dine here. Below was my friend's coconut shrimp which she said was delicious. <br />
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Now, my other friend got the house specialty below, which he said was good albeit a little sweet for his tastes:<br />
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<b>The Famous Cocobichuela</b></div>
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MORE THAN 447,000 SERVED SO FAR¡ </div>
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Chunks of lobster and shrimp cooked in curry sauce served in a coconut shell with rice and garnished with tropical fruits</div>
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I had a nightly special which was a "surf and turf" with Caribbean lobster, shrimp and filet mignon. OMG, I love the Mexican dairy - the butter, the crema (sour cream) and cheeses (I know some expats don't like the dairy in Mexico, I've read). The butter at this restaurant was garlicky and amazingly good. The meal was tasty too, though I was full from our appies now so packed mine up to go for later.</div>
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We were told, right next to the this restaurant is a park and there was a family street fair going on, so we went to check it out. It felt more humid to me now... It was definitely geared to kids with some food stands, shopping and kids activities.<br />
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We walked back to the restaurant, asked them to get us a cab and went back to the resort. My friends said they thought the cab driver was flirting with me. I thought his A/C was dripping on my toes and I was scrunched up in the front seat trying to keep it off my feet.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, August 28th:</u></b><br />
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Today we started with breakfast at "Tradewinds" again. It also had a mini-buffet station which had your cheeses, sliced meats and condiments/sauces. It had a fruit and pastry station as well. I made a visit here and had a Mexican egg white dish from the menu that was very yummy though I forgot to take a picture. It tasted much better than it looked anyway.<br />
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Below is my friend's "Eggs Benedictine":<br />
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We spent time at both the beach and pool today, starting with the beach. But first, after breakfast we started by stopping at the concierge and reporting our lack of hot water in the showers. They sent someone up immediately and after fiddling around in there, he basically told us we both had been turning the shower handles the wrong way. We were skeptical as we had turned them both ways in desperation on both days, but nonetheless, both of us had plenty of heat now and would be able to have a satisfying shower.<br />
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Around the pool, they have food carts and grill burgers and have mango on a stick every day. I got a chicken burger one day.<br />
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I saw burritos one day too. He had chicken and beef.<br />
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I went to get a mango but the server was handing out his last one, so I never did end up getting my timing right to try it. He would coat them in a couple of different things, like coconut, if you desired. They looked fantastic.<br />
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Below are some pool shots around the resort.<br />
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We went and got cleaned up and decided to have pre-dinner drinks at the Tequila bar. This is open air, outside the Asian restaurant (Moongate) so it can get warm here. The tequila drinks are the best, the best at the resort. They have many different types and seem to use Don Julio in the drinks. I had a fresh fruit margarita and fell in love with it.<br />
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We decided to eat at the Asian place tonight and try the Teppanyaki grill. I noticed that others called it Hibachi grill but I've always called Teppanyaki. No reservations are taken at this resort. They claim you never have to wait. I think the longest we did was about 10 - 15 minutes on any given night. They did give us a buzzer here, but by the time we got a drink outside, it was buzzing us.<br />
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We had a really great server here. One of us in our group was feeling "<i>pretty damn good</i>" at this point when we sat down. (It wasn't me or my girlfriend). :) Neither of them had ever tried this type of dining before so I was excited for them. He was loving it and it was fun to watch and see him enjoying himself. It was very cute and he was as entertaining as our chef and server. Our server kept bringing us shots of tequila so we were pouring them into our margaritas from the tequila bar and they were pretty potent at this point...we weren't ordering them, he was just bringing them.<br />
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We were started with a "shumai" dumpling and it was pretty standard and okay. We got some beef broth next which was odd and tasted like a bouillon cube, to be honest. <br />
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Our chef arrived.<br />
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I felt kind of sorry for him. He was a bit of a "hot mess". It was obvious he was new, and he had a real hard time putting on the "show". He dropped his eggs in the shell so many times on the grill by accident that eventually he just stopped and cracked them open and forgot about doing the show. Below is the fried rice ingredients.<br />
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Our chef did a flip of his bowl of rice with his spatula (below) and I held my breath, but he caught it! (My "<i>happy friend </i>" kept asking him how he cut his finger, lol).<br />
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The rice was served and he went onto the meats. The rice was not good at all. I wasn't expecting it to taste that bad, but it did - a boring pile of bland starch.<br />
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He forgot the shrimp for the ones who had ordered it. At this point the three beside us had had enough and one was pretty rude to him. I didn't see the point since it is vacation but she was extremely upset. They had a couple of bites when he finally served it to them and then threw their napkins on their plates and left mid-meal. Chef had also forgot my friend's shrimp but her reaction was completely different and wasn't going to say anything, but I politely did as that is what she ordered. She didn't care but I thought she should get what she ordered.<br />
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At this point, my other friend said this was the best meal he's had at the resort so far. That cracked us up! Oh my, we giggled. We were glad he was having fun. The meats were just as bad tasting. Like a dry, tough salty mess, almost inedible...Not a memorable meal, probably not for my friend either who actually enjoyed his! ;) We tipped our server well, he deserved it. I wished their first dining experience of this type of cuisine could have been better but at least they didn't know what they missed as they had nothing to compare it to...<br />
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We went to the "Tres Cervazas" brew pub for drinks. Below are shots I took of the pub when it was day time and really quiet in there. They have two pool tables in there as well.<br />
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We ended up getting freshly made muddled raspberry martinis which were delightful. Our bartender even put chocolate covered strawberries in for us. There was an 80's cover band playing and we really enjoyed ourselves and the band was good. I left just after eleven to my friend telling me I should stay till midnight when it was his birthday. I reminded them we were getting up up early to go shopping and told them I'd set wake up calls, which I did for 7:30am.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, August 29th:</u></b><br />
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Ugh, I didn't feel very good when that wake up call came. Those sugary drinks didn't agree with me and I was feeling nauseous. I called their room hoping they felt the same but no, they seemed happy and fine and were ready to go. Figures. ;) We agreed to go to the buffet this morning for breakfast at 8:30. It was my friend's 48th birthday today. I brought him a Romeo y Juliet Cuban cigar from home and some Canadian ice wine chocolates.<br />
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I brought this over to him when I picked them up for breakfast. We both had noticed that water was leaking from our showers (the lights in the ceiling of it) so she called to report it and we told them they could go in without us being there. When we got back, both leaks seemed to be fixed.<br />
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At breakfast, I had told them I didn't want to shop today as it was really humid outside and asked if they would mind waiting until tomorrow. They agreed. We went to the private infinity pool to enjoy the afternoon. I had to wear a T-shirt by this time as my skin was burnt! The view up here just never got tiring, ever. <br />
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I looked down at the Zumba water aerobics class.<br />
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We saw below there was a huge pot of paella being made so I had to go down and have a look at it.<br />
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It still wasn't ready and our server upstairs at the pool - Steve in English, Esteban in Mexican, told us not to worry and they he would bring us some when ready. And he did! For a little guy of about 5 feet, he carried a tray balancing a bunch of plates up to the pool.<br />
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That was a really nice treat! I enjoyed that a lot. I left my friends there saying I was going back to the room and would meet them for pre-dinner cocktails. <br />
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When I got back to the room, when I went to shower, I noticed it was leaking from the light again but much worse, it was loud that I could hear it outside of the bathroom. I called and they sent someone again.<br />
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He stayed for quite some time and then passed the phone to me so someone could speak to me in English. They told me I would have to switch rooms. I told them about my friends and they would have to check their room too. They agreed. I got in touch with my friends and they said theirs was leaking again too. I called the lady back who I had speaking too and asked that if it was not a danger, then we would just stay put. She said she would call maintenance back and then let me know.<br />
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Soon after, two employees came knocking at my door with new room keys. They had said it was indeed a dangerous electrical issue and we would have to change rooms. (My girlfriend and I wondered after, if that was maybe why the hot water was off in the first place?) <br />
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They had 2 rooms in the same tower, almost side by side - #1110 and #1112 and they would send a bellman to take our luggage. I had asked my friends to wait until I called them back, but they misunderstood and were in the shower while we were knocking. I don't think the birthday boy was very happy - and neither was I. However, in the end, all it was, was a temporary inconvenience, wasn't it? Nothing to stress out about. So we moved. Our rooms were identical as before only their layout was opposite. Mine was exactly the same as the first room. The view was nicer as it was the highest floor in the tower. AND everything worked properly, including the hot water. <br />
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We were going to the French restaurant for his birthday dinner. <br />
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I had planned this as I expected it to be the best dining experience in the resort. The restaurant was empty but yet they told us we would have to wait a half hour. So we said we'd wait at the bar in there and she seemed very shocked. She said, "You're going to wait here?". We nodded and moved to the bar and ordered a glass of wine. Well, they called us in 10 minutes. My friend said we were seated next to a young group and the men were wearing board shorts! I had read that proper dress was required or you would be turned away. That was closed toed shoes for men, pants and collared shirts.<br />
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The table beside us was also served bread, we got none. We ordered. Two of us ordered "French onion soup". I'm sure most people know what they think they are getting when they order that but this was not it. Immediately after, it came out. The server dropped a bowl down in front of us and there was a couple of shreds of cheese in it. Then he poured the soup in and put a crouton on top. Well, this tasted like the beef bouillon soup from the Asian restaurant, there were a couple of slivers of onion throughout. We only had a couple of spoons and left it.<br />
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The birthday boy did better with his asparagus soup below and it tasted good.<br />
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I ordered steak tartar and it was dreadful. Inedible. We all tried a small taste and that was left untouched as well.<br />
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Our entrees came out immediately. We still had half of our first glass of wine left. Only 10 minutes had passed since we sat down. My friends ordered fish - salmon and seabass. Both said theirs were WAY overcooked and tasted like they were done in a microwave - though they did look nice when presented. One bite was enough...<br />
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Now I ordered the rack of lamb. All our eyes opened wide when it was served. Why was it bright green? I asked it if was pistachio but he said no, it was "special seasoning" :) <br />
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So, I took my steak knife and tried to slice through one chop. I couldn't. I sliced and carved and sliced and then the whole thing flew off my plate when I finally separated one chop. It left a trail of green as it slid it across the white table cloth. We all broke out in hysterical laughter. It lightened the mood of the ominous dinner! I tried to eat the one chop that was left on the plate but it was so tough, I ended up spitting it out as I couldn't break it down with my teeth. We agreed to leave right then and go get pizza! We still tipped our server well as it wasn't his fault. We did tell him the food was not good and he offered to get us something else but we had had enough in our short time there...<br />
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We had to wait about 15 minutes to get in at "Lorenzo's". It was really busy in there. It was full. Dinner here was really good. We were all happy and it worked out in the end. This was probably the best sit down dinner establishment in the resort.<br />
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There was a great Antipasto bar that had full rounds of cheeses you could carve out like Parmesan Reggiano.<br />
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Below is the mussels appetizer.<br />
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The pizza was really good! The bottom could have been a little crispier and blistered (higher heat) but there absolutely nothing to complain about. They do not allow you to take any food "to go" so I wrapped it in a napkin. They will give you plastic cups too where possible to take leftovers.<br />
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The birthday boy went to bed. We went to the Sassil bar and had a glass of wine and then followed suit...<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, August 30th:</u></b><br />
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It was a cloudy day and not too humid which made it perfect to go shopping. The club/shopping strip is only about 10 - 15 minute walk from the hotel.<br />
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Below, we entered a flea market and did some shopping. I don't ever remember the hawkers as aggressive as they were here in any place in Mexico I have visited. I mean, it was harassment. <br />
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I bought my usual fridge magnet and I bartered for a mortar and pestle. He started at 750 pesos and I finally bargained him down to 300 as my final offer. He kept telling me it was carved by a Mayan. :) My friends did well and bought lots of ornamental items. It was an hour of constant bartering. It was really humid in there and I was ready to leave.<br />
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We made our way back to the hotel.<br />
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When we got back, my room was done beautifully and I liked the towel art today.<br />
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We went to the private infinity pool and it was nice. I was able not to wear the T-shirt today which felt better.<br />
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When I went to get ready for the evenings, on my way back to the room, I always stopped at the coffee bar and got an espresso Americano. Then I moved over to the "24 hour cafe" to spike it with Bailey's, <a href="http://www.tequila1921.com/" target="_blank">1921 Tequila Cream</a> and/or brandy. <br />
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I really loved the snacks at the 24 hour bar. They were some of the best food I ate at the resort. I would get a plastic cup and take a couple to the room with my coffee as they won't let you take it out on plates. I really liked the "beef strips", like chicken strips and I've never had anything like it before but they were crisp and tender. I tried a little slice of lasagna one day and it was heaven. They didn't have lasagna in the Italian restaurant on the menu. Below are pictures of the "24 Hour Cafe", and just a note, even though it is open 24/7, they stop serving alcohol at 1am:</div>
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We decided to try "Tradewinds" for dinner. This was okay, nothing great, nothing memorable, but we were able to eat most of it. The highlight for me was the raw tuna appetizer in ponzu sauce. It was sooo good. It was melt in your mouth good! That alone was enough to keep me happy.</div>
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I had a T-bone with asparagus and au-gratin potatoes. I ordered it medium rare. Our server seemed surprised and told us that would mean it was "bloody". As we all ordered the same, we looked at each other and then reassured him that it was fine.</div>
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It was still really gristly and tough to be honest, though it was cooked properly but maybe even more rare than medium rare. There was a gravy on one side and I'm not sure why they didn't serve that on the side. This was on all our steaks and theirs are below - NY Strip and Rib Eye:</div>
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We went to the Sassil bar after dinner. My girlfriend said she had "hit the wall" and was going to bed. He only stayed to finish his drink. They were turning it into a nightclub with go-go dancers tonight and it was loud and busy (we saw strollers in there!). </div>
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Anyway - I was about to hit my wall soon too. There is only so much eating and drinking to do before it becomes boring...I was close to being done...</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, August 31st:</u></b></div>
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We awoke and met for breakfast at Tradewinds. I ordered this weird bagel with a hamburger on it, but I doctored it up. I ditched the top of the bagel and then doused it with tomato and green Chimichurri sauces. Then I added a hot chili sauce and it was awesome! My favorite breakfast so far!</div>
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My girlfriend got the "American breakfast" today (pancakes, hashbrown and ham). It looked really good too, and even better after she doctored hers with fresh strawberries from the mini buffet bar which our server brought for her without telling her to go get them herself which was nice.</div>
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We went to the beach after and went for a walk on the opposite side - the quiet side. The red flag was out today meaning it was not safe to swim.</div>
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We walked for about an hour then went back to the beach. Below are the "swim-out suites" on property:</div>
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The ocean was cool when in the water and I just wasn't feeling like having sand in everything again, including me, so I left for the private infinity pool. They said they wanted to stay at the beach so I moseyed on along...</div>
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I met some nice, friendly people from Ohio and we chatted and drank at the pool all day. I was drinking double Grey Goose & soda drinks and I got really drunk. I think I was swaying a little as I headed to the room to get ready for dinner. I showered and then had a nap actually. I also braved the dreaded scale that was in the closet. I discovered I had gained 2 lbs which I guess was better than the 5 lbs that I guessed I put on.</div>
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We were booked to go to the sister property (Hyatt Zilara) and have dinner at the Mexican restaurant (Maria Maria) there. I wasn't feeling it. I had hit my wall and just wanted to go to bed. I met them at the tequila bar, had a drink and then went on my way. I went to the buffet (Asian theme night which I also wasn't feeling). </div>
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I got a plate, nibbled, and then went right up to sleep. I was in bed by 8pm and slept right through until morning.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, September 1st:</u></b></div>
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I awoke in a much better mood and up early too. My friends were ready for breakfast at 9:30 and we went to the buffet. They told me about dinner last night and said it was very good. They did say that a lot of the Zilara resort - like the main bars were "open air" and I appreciated that all the restaurants/bars at this resort had your choice of A/C or open air for seating. They knew I wouldn't have liked that.</div>
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We had a long, leisurely breakfast with my favorite server "David". </div>
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We made our way to the private infinity pool and spent the day there. The people from Ohio showed up so we all hung out and drank together. I wanted to go have one final "Campechana" at Habaneros so we went there late afternoon.</div>
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It was grey outside today. There had been spurts of rain off and on the last 3 or 4 days but nowhere near as bad as what I experienced in Puerto Vallarta in June one year. I learned that the resort was at 50% capacity. It looked pretty empty after the first weekend we got here. It seemed it really emptied out by Sunday.</div>
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Below is my last dish of heaven...oh, campechena, campechena, campechena - I love you. :)</div>
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I went to the room to get ready for dinner. I got my usual coffee but I stopped at the candy shop. I didn't eat anything, just took some pictures which are below.</div>
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They had a case with "gelato" and also a machine that makes cotton candy. I'm sure anyone who likes sweets would have found something to make them happy here.</div>
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I had new towel art today:</div>
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We decided to have dinner at the Italian place for our final meal. I was torn, because I actually liked the buffet and thought it was pretty solid. I do find it sad that my favorite places to dine at the resort were a buffet, a taco stand and a 24 hour cafe for the best food. Anyway, I decided I didn't want to eat alone and they reminded me about the beef and the buffet was featuring "prime rib" this evening. I really wanted to enjoy our last day together too.</div>
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We met for pre-dinner drinks at the tequila bar. I noticed that most of our favorites of the staff today when we told them it was our last day and tipped them extra, they also asked me to review them on "Trip Advisor". I promised I would so I will do a brief report there. I see the manager answers every review so maybe it helps renew their contracts if they're popular. </div>
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Dinner was about 8pm. Again it was full in this restaurant. I enjoyed the Antipasto bar again. </div>
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Below is octopus bruschetta. </div>
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Below is spaghetti with bacon and mushrooms. Perfect "al dente" and very, very good.</div>
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I had the pork chop and it was splendid! It was tender and flavorful and downright pleasing.</div>
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My girlfriend had the Eggplant Parmesan and she said it was fabulous too. In fact, we said that this was the best meal of the week here. So it was wonderful to go out on a high note. They shared some gelato for dessert.</div>
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We said our goodbyes after dinner and went to our rooms. I went in and packed.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, September 2nd:</u></b></div>
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So, I had put in a wake up call for 7:30am and that is when I awoke and got up. I seemed to have forgotten that my shuttle was coming for me at 7:50am. For some reason I had it in my head that it was 8:50 even though I looked at the ticket yesterday and reminded myself...</div>
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I got ready and checked out at 8:30 thinking I had made good time. I took the ticket out as I sat at the hotel entrance and went, "oh shit". I talked with Bell services and he told me that indeed I had missed my ride and would have to take a cab. $30 USD or 400 pesos. I still had pesos but was hoping to use them at duty free, so they ended up being used for that. My driver was a maniac on the road. He said his friends call him "Speedy Gonzales". He asked if I was married. I told him no. He asked if I was divorced. I told him no. He asked if I was single. I told him yes. He asked for my phone number. I laughed. He asked if we could be facebook friends then. I laughed again. I said goodbye to Speedy and checked in. When all was said and done and I was done duty free, it was about 10:30 and I was starving now. I looked for a sit down restaurant and all they had where I was, was "Guy Fieri's", lol. <br />
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I got a beef dip. They had a guacamole stand too. My meal was good and it hit the spot. <br />
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My flight was delayed leaving by an hour and then we were told we would have an alternate flight plan that took an extra hour and a half due to a storm in Florida. I missed my connecting flight when landed in Toronto, but it was delayed so I actually didn't. I literally ran through customs, ran to get my luggage, ran to drop it off, ran to security and ran to the gate. It was just finishing boarding as I got on and the doors closed 5 minutes later. Whew! I got home about midnight Cancun time though it was 10pm here. I was due at 7pm my time. I hugged my son, ate and dropped into bed. Ahhh, home sweet home... That being said, I'll have some nice memories of Cancun though and I highly recommend the resort despite the minor mishaps...<br />
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico21.161908 -86.85152790000000820.9249175 -87.1742514 21.3988985 -86.528804400000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-46223697958693674012016-08-15T12:48:00.007-07:002020-12-25T11:00:53.748-08:00Seattle Getaway and GNR Concert - August 12 - 14, 2016<b><u>Pre-Trip Thoughts - Thursday, August 11th:</u></b><br />
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My oldest friend from elementary school and I grew up bonded with "Bay City Rollers" memories and things like first crushes and first kisses with boys. I have been waiting for her to be able to travel with me and it would finally happen. Just a short trip to see Guns N' Roses, but it would be us getting away together. I was really happy! Tickets after fees and exchange were about $170 CAD each for really shitty seats.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I should start by saying: In 1990 I gave birth to my son and his middle name is “W. Axl”. My dad said, “Don’t name him that – people will call him Asshole”, :) lol.<br />
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I saw GNR in Tacoma – Summer 1991. By that time, Steven Adler was already out of the band and Matt Sorum was drumming. It was another road trip and I remember my friend singing "You Could be Mine" from the "Terminator 2" movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger on my cassette tape, all the way to Washington state - I think it was the only GNR song she knew. I remember us being on the floor at the concert. GNR started LATE - everyone was getting more bombed than they already were. It was worrisome at times that Axl was going to cancel the concert due to the crowd excitement/wastedness... What I remember most is that my friend got to piggyback some guy and then sit on his shoulders so she could see better and I was so jealous - she wasn't even a GNR fan like me, just more social! I still have their song list from that night, handwritten, tucked away somewhere in a suitcase with my old memories (I call it the "suitcase of broken dreams") and it was a night I will never forget, one of the most spectacular, memorable nights of my life...<br />
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Below is the poster I had on my bedroom wall - for years. I taped my Tacoma ticket to it.<br />
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To say that they were one of the most influential bands in my life would be an understatement, so much a part of my formative young adult years. EVERY single one of their songs has meaning to me. To see what happened to them was crushing to me and I felt awful for naming my son after Axl the misogynist. I felt they were destined for SO MUCH MORE!!! Axl not showing up to the "Rock n Roll Hall of Fame" just solidified what a douche he was/is...<br />
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Now, it feels full circle to be going back to Washington state to see them again….oh, and where the Seahawks play too! How exciting is that? ;) Just kidding… <br />
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I’m stoked...In fact, I’m thrilled! Time heals all wounds, right? I hope Adler will be there as I heard he’s done a performance for a few songs and I only wish that Izzy Stradlin had made the tour too. Nonetheless, I’ll take what I’m getting. This picture below reminds me of <b><i>THAT</i></b> place in time when I loved them with all my heart and soul. I’m going with a positive attitude and hoping it’s not anti-climactic after all this anticipation and my “appetite for destruction”... <br />
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I had giddy points of just looking at GNR and how I remember(ed) them. Then I got all teary-eyed and goofy...believe it or not, not that much wine was involved either...I went to bed at midnight.<br />
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Pic from www.rollingstone.com</div>
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<b><u>Friday, August 12th:</u></b><br />
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My friend was due to pick me up at 8:30am. I awoke at 6:00. I had done most stuff night before except packed my clothes and toiletries, which may mean I didn't do much...I did make breakfast/lunch for the road trip and food for my son, so that is what took my evening up. I woke up and saw that "Alice in Chains" was opening for GNR. I was really happy about that too! I was TIRED this morning, I didn't sleep well and my head was stuffed up - figures...<br />
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She was right on time and we went on our way. During the drive down I remembered I had forgot my pills, as in my meds. I could see them packed into my "first-aid" bag, sitting on my dining room table...<br />
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We arrived around noon and our room was ready. <br />
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We got a two bedroom suite (family suite) for $187 USD per night. The hotel was old, but comfy and it suited our purposes. There was free parking, the area was great and had everything we needed. Below is the living room.<br />
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The bedroom</div>
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The kitchen</div>
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Pink Bathtub!</div>
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There was a Walgreens right on the corner so I was hopeful they could call my pharmacy at home and get my meds which I've had luck with before (in other states). They couldn't, said they needed a prescription but that there was a clinic a couple of blocks away. We went there. They said they could fill me 2 days worth of my pills on a script and would try to bill my travel insurance directly too. They told me to come back in 20 minutes for my appointment. We went to Starbucks and had a drink and it was time to go back. <br />
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The doctor was nice and filled the prescription for me. They were not successful billing my insurance so provided me a receipt. The visit was $145 USD. We went back to Walgreens and they couldn't fill it so sent me to another drugstore (Bartell's) about 4 blocks away. Unfortunately Bartell's couldn't fill it either but phoned one close by our hotel who could. It was about a mile away so my friend drove me there. By the time that was all done it was about 3pm. I had a "peace of mind" and could relax now. I went to Walgreens and grabbed a bag of ice.<br />
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We sat and I had a drink and rested for a half hour. Then we got ready and I called for an <b><u><a href="https://www.uber.com/?exp=hp-c" target="_blank">Uber</a></u></b> car. It was my first time using it and I signed up before I left and got the app on my iPhone. It was really neat - they tell you your driver, you get a picture of them and what kind of car they drive. The fare was $22 USD. I'm guessing a cab would have been about $40? We soon saw our driver "Mo", and he was taking us to a restaurant near CenturyLink which was called "<b><u><a href="http://www.jimmysonfirst.com/" target="_blank">Jimmy's on First</a></u></b>" which was in the Silver Cloud Hotel. <br />
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Traffic was crazy but he dropped us right in front. We tipped him, he was really happy and we went inside. Now, before we left home, I had googled and found this place. I emailed and tried to make a reservation but they said because of the concert they don't take reservations as it would be packed. However, the director of F&B said he would make an exception for me and put me on the waiting list and we would get the first available table when we arrived. When we walked in, it was of course packed and my friend said she overhead the people in front of us being told it would be about and hour and a half wait for a table. When I went up, I told them about the waiting list, they pulled up something on the screen, and my name popped up. She said, "We have a table right now for you". That was sooooo awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! I sent him an email and thanked him when I got home.<br />
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We were starved! We ordered drinks and meals. <br />
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CRISPY FISH & CHIPS</div>
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panko crusted cod, manny’s pale ale batter, jimmy’s tartar sauce, fresh house-made slaw $15.25</div>
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CRAB MACARONI & CHEESE</div>
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cold water crab, jack, cheddar, parmesan, fontina cheeses, toasted brioche bread crumbs, jimmy’s mixed greens salad $17.75</div>
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I enjoyed the fish and it was a good place to start before the show. Heard lots of GNR chatter, saw lots of GNR clothes and the people watching in general was fun. I finished with a cocktail.<br />
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JIMMY’S DON JULIO MARGARITA</div>
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don julio anejo tequila, agave nectar, lime sour, lime & orange $14.00</div>
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We headed for the show...the hotdogs and onions smelled so good, it made me hungry again!</div>
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My friend wanted to buy T-shirts but the line up was huge and moving very slow. T-shirts were $45 USD. We just continued on at this time. When we got in, we were directed to a "ramp" to make our way to our section which was 335. And that ramp went up and up and up! Below is a picture just after we started climbing the ramp.</div>
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Below are shots of when we finally made it up to our level. </div>
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"Alice in Chains" was on so we had completely missed Duff McKagan's daughters band which was the opening act. When we got to our level, my friend commented that she would not go up the final flight, that she was having a panic attack. I made my way up to see if she would follow eventually. Our seats were almost up at the rafter and that last hike was a doozy! I sat down and my hair was soaked! I messaged her (free WiFi!) and she told me that "they - staff" had a place us for us. So back down I went splashing my wine out of my cup with every step. :P . </div>
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They had 2 spots standing room by the wall for us. The view was definitely better. It was a beautiful night in the open air setting. </div>
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So, by the time GNR was about to start and no one had filled the seats in front of us along the railing, we moved. </div>
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I had my own seat with no one beside me as it was a wheelchair space. I got to sing at the top of my lungs and enjoy myself. The people on the level below were all standing but did not hurt my view at all.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyeIrpFKhptpgx3xQR-QS-bnvw5SKaZtugfPdw1CdAwc17RdZfd4Lf9jKPSQgyYPOOXdqWaerIaED7AdPPF7g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The video above is a clip of my fave GNR song "Estranged". Axl looked in good shape and fit but his face was weird and plastic - whatever surgery he had done, did not do him justice. His voice could still reach those notes, but it seemed like he sang very low key to reach the high keys. Still great, but not as sharp as the old days. <br />
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However, Slash is timeless and really was the star of the show to me. He can play that guitar so well, I was in awe and he made me smile ear to ear. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxUgXyInTdKCnYxOL4sbx2Ecwg3gIZM3lqvPZiFhzPx_OwH-YXKg-8T1xkYlSBggnst99S3BYfgpksi16JllQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Duff looks better with age. He was fantastic and time has served him well.<br />
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Izzy's replacement looked like him and if you didn't tell me it wasn't Izzy, I would have assumed it was...<br />
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The band barely spoke at all other than introductions from Axl for the rest of the band members. It was two and half hours of just a solid performance. I was taken back 25 years to what I loved and remembered. This show was soooo worth it to me!!! I am so happy I got to go. It was kind of like closure too which I never thought would happen: "<b><i>Not in this Lifetime</i></b>", which is their tour name. They ended with "Paradise City", had a fireworks show and it was brilliant! I got the song list, this time from a review:<br />
<br /><li>It’s So Easy</li>
<li>Mr. Brownstone</li>
<li>Chinese Democracy</li>
<li>Welcome to the Jungle</li>
<li>Double Talkin’ Jive</li>
<li>Estranged</li>
<li>Live and Let Die</li>
<li>Rocket Queen</li>
<li>You Could Be Mine</li>
<li>You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory/Attitude</li>
<li>This I Love</li>
<li>Civil War</li>
<li>Coma</li>
<li>Band intros into Slash solo – Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From The Godfather/Andy Williams)</li>
<li>Sweet Child O’ Mine</li>
<li>Better</li>
<li>Out Ta Get Me</li>
<li>Jam (“Wish You Were Here/Layla”)</li>
<li>November Rain</li>
<li>Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door</li>
<li>Nightrain</li>
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<b><u>Encore:</u></b></div>
<ul>
<li>Catcher in the Rye</li>
<li>Don’t Cry</li>
<li>The Seeker</li>
<li>Paradise City</li>
</ul>
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Both our phones were just about dead. We tried to stop for T-shirts again but it was absolutely ridiculous. We made our way back to the Silver Cloud hotel and there were guys selling T-shirts there for $10 and $20! She bought eight. I just bought one for my son for $20. It was very nice with original GNR logo and concert info. I could not get an Uber (no cars available) and we did not see one taxi! 40,000 people attended that concert. We got out about 11:30 and it was 1am now. The hotel staff went above and beyond trying to help us out. One got us a cab but then the driver told us to get out as he had another fare. Finally another staff member got us their "town car". It cost us $60 but honestly, at that point we would have paid $100 to get home... Super great staff at that hotel!!! We got in and both went immediately to bed, however, I was so wound up in my head, I didn't fall asleep until after 3:30am...<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, August 13th:</u></b><br />
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We slept in and got up sometime before noonish. Had the lunch that I had packed, sat and chatted and got caught up. Around 3pm we went back to Walgreens and then to Trader Joe's which was a couple of blocks from where we were staying. <br />
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I was so excited. I have never been to one and wanted to experience it. One of the staff told us that Canadians always buy "cookie butter". She did, I didn't. The store didn't disappoint and we filled the trunk of her car up with goodies to take home. We went to the room, snacked, blabbed and had a couple of drinks before dinner.<br />
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Dinner was at <b><u><a href="http://www.ristorantedoria.com/" target="_blank">Ristorante Doria</a></u></b>. It was about a block or two away from our hotel so we walked over. <br />
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Service was good, the food was tasty (especially the soup of the day which was crab bisque). We enjoyed the meal, some drinks and more chatter. It was about $160 USD after tip.<br />
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Complimentary bread and olive oil</div>
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My friend's "Negroni"</div>
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That delicious crab bisque</div>
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Antipasto Misto (for 2 people) --- $14.95</div>
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Garlic Prawns</div>
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Linguini alle Vongole --- $18.95</div>
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Linguine and clams sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes and tomato concassé</div>
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Doria’s Tiramisu --- $7.50</div>
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We went back to the room, had a few more drinks and were in bed pretty early. My friend is not a drinker so wasn't feeling too well after her imbibing this evening.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, August 16th:</u></b><br />
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We were ready and out of the hotel for the road trip home at 10:30am. I had a made a reservation at a very popular (local, organic, sustainable) <b><u><a href="http://www.portagebaycafe.com/" target="_blank">brunch place</a></u></b> a couple of blocks away.<br />
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We still had to wait about 10 minutes but it was okay, as it smelled delicious and it was great people watching. Very nice atmosphere and they had an outdoor patio too that would have been lovely to sit on. Their motto is: "EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN". :)<br />
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I ordered one of the specials which was the wild mushroom omelette. It just sounded amazing. <br />
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I also got a drink.<br />
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BLOODY MARY $8</div>
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local seattle pickle company makes our bloody mary</div>
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amazing. gekkeikan sake, crisp pickled vegetable</div>
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garnish, chipotle salt rim. </div>
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It was good. The staff work so hard here! Wow, what a busy place but service was great and they have a terrific system going of teamwork.<br />
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DUNGENESS CRAB CAKE BENEDICT</div>
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dungeness crab cakes with lemon & dijon, 2 poached, organic</div>
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stiebrs farm eggs*, fresh hollandaise, tarragon garnish. $18.50</div>
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This was a perfect meal to start the drive home. We both enjoyed it immensely. The area we stayed in was a lot of fun. We both thought it was great.</div>
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The drive home was fine and uneventful. I was home just before 4pm. </div>
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This was a wonderful weekend and I will forever be grateful at my opportunity to have seen Guns N' Roses again. My heart is fulfilled. <3</div>
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<br />Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Seattle, WA, USA47.6062095 -122.332070847.2636695 -122.9775178 47.9487495 -121.68662379999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-49383456789897551532016-05-20T21:58:00.001-07:002019-04-07T13:00:32.727-07:00Downtown Las Vegas Trip - May 15 - 20, 2016I told everyone I know that there would be no trips to the U.S.A. this year with our bad Canadian dollar. I came home from work one day in February and had a large flyer in my mail from the <a href="http://www.thed.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">"D"</a> hotel. My offer was 3 days free with no resort fee in April or May. That also included a $25 Food & Beverage credit and $25 Free play on Slots and $25 Match Play on tables. I had some vacation booked off for May with no plans so called the hotel. The offer was valid for those days and my 2 extra nights were $28 USD (Wed) and $35 USD (Thurs) with a $20 resort fee for each of those two nights for $116 USD total for 5 days. So, I booked it. I could cancel up to 48 hours before.<br />
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I got airfare from Bellingham, WA on Allegiant for $150 USD or $200 CAD. I was OK with that since that price included luggage and taxes too. By the time it was mid-April, our dollar had come back a little so it didn't feel as bad. I was glad I had booked.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, May 15th:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>This will be the most unexciting trip report I have written, at least to me it is - I bored myself! I had been fighting a nasty cold/cough for the last week and it had finally taken hold of me Friday night. Saturday, I was really debating just not going, I felt like <b><i>bloody hell</i></b>. Sunday, it hurt to cough and I felt like a big bag of poo...I called my cab at 9:45am to take me to the train station where I was catching a bus to Bellingham airport. The drive and flight were relatively painless though I coughed the whole way on the bus, thank goodness there was only one other person, the driver and me. I probably had twenty cough drops today! I used Showtime shuttle when we arrived and got to my hotel just after 7pm. <br />
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There was no line, so I was checked in immediately. I felt awful! I dropped my luggage, then I made my way to the ABC store on Freemont and bought some cold/flu pills and water. I was starving, so I bought a <a href="http://www.americanconeyisland.com/home.htm" target="_blank"><b>Coney Island Chili dog</b></a> at my hotel. Then I went to the room, ate and took the pills. I didn't sleep well, coughed all night and woke up every hour. Also the noise/bands on Freemont traveled right up to the 25th floor I was on and I could hear the ruckus quite well...<br />
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<b><u>Monday, May 16th:</u></b><br />
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I stayed in bed until 11am and then decided to unpack, shower and try and get out for awhile. However, when I went to use the shower, it either didn't work or I didn't know how to turn it on! I had to call guest services to send someone to come look at it. He came right away and it was indeed broken, but he fixed it in about 10 minutes. When I was ready, I went downstairs and gambled a little. Broke even and then used my $25 voucher at the "D Grill" for lunch. I ordered chicken fried steak. I pecked and had a couple of bites, but I had lost my appetite and was starting to lose my taste and smell of food as well... <br />
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My bill was $15 and she told me they don't give any change. I told them that was fine and went back to the room. It still wasn't cleaned but the cart was in the hall now, so I went back down to gamble while I waited. I sat at a "Buffalo Gold" machine and put in $40 and played $3 a spin. When I got down to $12.75 left, I hit a bonus and then kept winning spins. I took the picture below when I started winning...<br />
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...and it just kept going, and going and going! 74 free spins in total! This netted me my first ever hand pay! <br />
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Wow, that was exciting, though the US Taxman took 30% so $688 came right off. I tipped her $60 and collected just over $1500. I wasn't complaining though. I took my win and went back to bed.<br />
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I woke up at 5pm and felt even worse. I had antibiotics with me so took them. I knew if I did that, it would mean I had to quit drinking, but I wasn't drinking anyway at this point. I went back to sleep, coughing relentlessly. I awoke and decided I should try and eat, so looked at the room info and saw I could order from "<b><u><a href="http://www.nachodaddy.com/downtown" target="_blank">Nacho Daddy</a></u></b>". I ordered a chicken kale salad, cheese quesidilla and two bottle waters for $32 pre-tip ($30 minimum order).<br />
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It was here in about 15 minutes. I had a couple of bites. I'm sure it was good, but I had no taste now and so I went back to sleep. I awoke constantly, again, to the noise on Freemont Street and slept lousy. That being said, the bed was super comfy! I had no complaints about it at all.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 17th:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
I felt slightly better, still coughing but on the whole, there was a little improvement. However, I had completely lost all sense of taste AND smell now. I had pre-booked and pre-paid the <b><u><a href="http://www.neonmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Neon Museum</a></u></b> for 10am this morning, but I knew I wasn't up for it. You can't get refunds or re-schedule, so I lost that $18. I went back to bed and slept restlessly until 11am. I gambled at the Golden Nugget, got a tea at Starbucks then walked over to the California hotel. <br />
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I went to their <b><u><a href="http://www.thecal.com/dine/market-street-cafe" target="_blank">Market Street Cafe</a></u></b> and got some "Oriental Saimin (Ramen)" soup combo ($8). <br />
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I couldn't taste anything but salt in the broth which is what I was after anyway - broth. It is so weird to eat food without taste buds working. Texture becomes such a huge part, and I admit that most textures are unappealing...soup was the only thing that appealed to me. I gambled there for a bit, saw this machine which was new to me. Won $80 at it and then left.<br />
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I gambled at a few places, all losses pretty much today, and was starving about 7pm. I was at the 4 Queens, so decided to try Magnolia's. I ordered a cup of soup (cream of mushroom) and a French dip or as we call them, a beef dip. All I know, is that the beef had a rubber texture that I couldn't even eat! I dipped some of the bread in the au jus. Between that and the soup, it was enough to fill me up. <br />
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Then I went back to the room and back to bed about 8pm. Wow, how exciting! I slept to the Freemont Street noise as usual...I think I was starting to find it comforting in a weird way...<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 18th:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>I slept restlessly till 11am again. I was seriously tired of not having any taste/smell now, so I went to Walgreens and bought some nose spray to see if it would fix it. About a half hour later, it seemed to. I got whiffs of scents. I decided to go have lunch at the D Grill. I ordered eggs benedict. Unfortunately, I <i>could</i> taste this and it wasn't very good. The hash browns seemed fine though. I had a $5 off coupon so the meal only cost me $6 and change. I've left and wasted a LOT of food so far...on the up side of that, I was sure I wasn't going to gain weight this trip.<br />
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I set off to gambling and lost again. My hotel was really unlucky for me now. I couldn't even hit bonuses and if I did, they were lame. I did much better at the other hotels but wanted to spend some money here. I lost about $400 here today. The Game of Thrones machines were also new to me. <br />
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I got a bonus and cashed out before I lost. Around dinner time, I wanted to get some "real food" so went to <b><u><a href="http://www.thesmashedpig.com/" target="_blank">The Smashed Pig Gastropub</a></u></b> on Freemont. It was quiet in here but the decor was really nice.<br />
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I hit the last 10 minutes of happy hour so ordered 1 each of the 4 apps that were on HH special. I also ordered the daily "sashimi/tartare". It was tuna tonight. I also ordered chicken lettuce wraps. <br />
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These were three of the apps. The slider was pork belly ($2). The croquette was "shepherd's pie" ($2). The other two were mac & cheese balls ($1). The slider was tasty. The frying was perfect on the others but unfortunately the insides were lacking in flavour. I was so excited for that croquette too. Too bad...I picked at everything.<br />
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These two dishes were good, but not exciting at all. The chicken wraps were super salty, and I've had way better seared tuna dishes but this was balanced at least and had hot sauce on it for a nice kick. Below are shrimp "fries" ($1) with some super sweet dip. Meh. I left those.<br />
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Service was good. I was his only customer so we talked and chatted. Bill was just over $20 so I got what I paid for, for sure. I'd give them another chance. And then of course, it was bed time! This was my first night out after dark! Even the canopy show was on. This was the Who.<br />
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I stopped at the Freemont Casino for a bit. This was my fave place this trip. I enjoyed it here and always seemed to do well. Then I went to bed to the "now soothing" noise of Freemont street. I slept well - first time since I've got here...<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, May 10th - a.k.a. last day:</u></b><br />
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I awoke earlier today and took some nasal spray so I could keep my taste/smell alive. I went downstairs in the hotel and lost $300 pronto! That meant I had now spent the $1000 I brought with me and was now spending my winnings. I decided/realized to not sweat it and just be happy I was ahead still.<br />
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Then I decided I must have some GOOD food today. So, that made my choice easy and I headed for lunch to my favourite place downtown which is <b><u><a href="http://carsonkitchen.com/index.php" target="_blank">Carson Kitchen</a></u></b>. <br />
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I ordered the Butter Burger with Boursin, cheddar, lettuce & mayo. It's served with spicy tater tots. OMG! This was soooo good. Finally, some great food! I ate it all except for 3 tater tots. I was so stuffed, but my taste buds thanked me - seriously, they did. I was so happy! I trotted back over to the Freemont Casino. <br />
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I even decided to have a couple of drinks today. It was my last day and I was pretty bored of never taking up those free drinks that kept going by me and always ordering "water". I got a nice Bailey's coffee with lots of whip cream. It was really good. I had a great cocktail server here so I tipped her well. I sat down playing an older Wizard of Oz machine and just at $1.50 a spin. Well, that first $20 in and quite awhile later turned into $300! I had a nice roll on it. I cashed out and played some old school quarter slots (1 pay line). I hit one of those for $200 (2 doubles on the pay line) and cashed out. I was back even with my money now and put back my "win" money to keep it untouched. I still had a couple of hundred left. I left the Freemont Casino on a happy note. :)<br />
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Dinner tonight was at <b><u><a href="http://www.thed.com/dining/andiamo-steakhouse/" target="_blank">Andiamo Steakhouse</a></u></b> at my hotel. My reservation was at 8:30pm. I was offered water and then my waiter came over and brought me some bread and caponata.<br />
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He came back twice to see if I was ready to order but never asked if I needed help or suggestions, so I just quickly decided. I finally asked him which pastas were good and he was good and told me all but two of them that he didn't recommend. I ordered 2 starters and a pasta. I also ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. I had a bite of the caponata and it was very good. Very quickly my first dish came out. It was only warm, but the tastes were fine. A nice garlic flavour in the sauce, but I wasn't overly impressed so far.<br />
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Escargot Bourguignon</div>
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Baked in mushroom caps with garlic butter,</div>
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finished with toasted bread crumbs - $16</div>
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My waiter came over twice to see if I was finished and while I had a mouth full, asked me if I was still working on my dish? I was a little surprised by this, so quickly finished and he immediately brought the soup out. I was starting not to like him...</div>
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Italian Wedding Soup</div>
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Herbed brodo with root vegetables, meatballs,</div>
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spinach, allice pasta - $8</div>
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I am a huge fan of this soup and this was very, very delicious. I was really enjoying it. When I was just over half done, my waiter was back with the pasta this time. He just stood there holding it, looking at me. Finally he said, "Am I too early?". I looked at him, like DUH but he still stood there, so I told him to just put it down. I took my time and finished my soup at the pace I wanted to. I tried one bite of the pasta, but I was turned off now and just asked for it to go. It was very delicious as well.</div>
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Agnolotti</div>
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Handmade pasta filled with ground veal,</div>
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spinach mascarpone crème, black truffle, wild</div>
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mushrooms, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano - $26</div>
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He packed it up at the table and then asked if I wanted dessert. I told him no. I gave him my "Club" card because I had $20 of comps on it and wanted to use it with my bill. He came back and was sure to show me the REAL total before the comp was applied, like he had to remind me to tip on the full price. I did 20% because the bill was cheap. If it was an expensive bill, I might have only gave him 15% because he annoyed me. I had another bite or two when I got back to the room and then was in bed by 11pm with a wake up call for 6:45am. I drifted off to the noisy Freemont street usuals and I slept right through until my wake up call.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, May 20th:</u></b><br />
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Check out, shuttle, flight, shuttle home was all painless. I won a little bonus at the airport while waiting to board.<br />
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My air/hotel/shuttles cost me $400 CAD for 5 days. I brought $1000 USD spending money and spent it all! I came home with $1600 USD though, so I guess you can call this a free trip! That really made up for being so sick (and I still am) and really brought a bright side to what would have been a real downer of a trip otherwise. I am really thankful for that. :)<br />
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<br />Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-89530654435993157212016-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:002019-04-07T13:01:05.081-07:00Harrison Hot Springs Getaway - April 6 & 7, 2016I like Harrison. When my son was little, I took him here to get away. He also camped with Scouts here when he was young. It's a beautiful spot about a two hour drive away from my home in Vancouver. Since it had been so long (14 years?), we decided it was time for a return visit. We decided to splurge and get the best room and stay at the nicest <b><u><a href="http://www.harrisonresort.com/" target="_blank">hotel</a></u></b> in Harrison. I sure couldn't afford to take my son here when I was a single mom, raising him. So, now we could do that!<br />
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These two nights wouldn't be cheap as after tax it came to $650. However, that did include a lake view room, dinner in their fine dining restaurant one evening, and a breakfast buffet in their casual restaurant for our stay. The resort also has five natural mineral hot spring pools which we would have access to. We were both looking forward to this.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, April 6th:</u></b><br />
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I woke up tired and really didn't feel like going, to be honest. The sun wasn't shining as was forecasted either, it seemed cold and gray. I absolutely detest driving, so trips like this are rare and not high on my list. My car, which I bought brand new in 2002, at time of writing this, has just over 38,000 kilometers on it, which tells you how much I like driving... I drove choosing Highway 1 the entire way to the Aggasiz exit, leaving my house around noon. The drive was simple all the way to the exit. We used his iPhone for the directions to the hotel with only one wrong turn, one time. It took about an hour and 45 minutes total. They let us check in right away so by 2pm, we were in the room and settled. My son didn't have his iPhone charger though, so it was lucky the hotel offered to charge it for him. They wouldn't let you borrow the cable, but they would charge it, so that was fine. <br />
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I'll start with my East Tower, room view "<i>money</i>" shot, below...yes, I zoomed in for it, but that was the centerpiece of looking over the balcony. Gorgeous!<br />
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Panoramic view from our balcony</div>
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Let's be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the room. For the price, I just expected a little more. The t.v. wasn't even HD. The carpet had stains and lots of other wear and tear throughout the room. The staff was friendly though the friendliness seemed forced and indifferent, and other little minor things... normally I don't even look at things like this or CARE, but it was because of the price that I did. The view was amazing though and I got what I asked for in that respect. <br />
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We were pretty hungry so decided to grab a bite somewhere. I remember going to this pub with my friend last time and it was nice and was like a log cabin. We found it pretty easily walking around, and it was called the Old Settler Pub. <br />
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It was very quiet in there, only a couple of people. In fact, the whole town seemed like a ghost town right now. Staff was friendly and we ordered an appy platter for two for $15. <br />
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Unfortunately the food was packaged frozen crap and very pedestrian. We bought some water for the room at a convenience store and dropped it off.<br />
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We decided to take a walk around the lake and go look at the cabins we used to stay at. They were still there. The walk felt good and there was a nice breeze and scenery that was very relaxing and calming. <br />
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We walked for just about an hour and then went to the hotel for a drink. We found the "Island Bar" and went in for a cocktail. <br />
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Staff was genuinely nice and friendly and we enjoyed our drinks. <br />
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It was about 8pm now so we decided to head out to dinner. I looked online at reviews and realized that Harrison was not going to be a "foodie" town by any means. We elected to go to the #1 rated place on ALL of the food sites like Yelp. That happened to be <b><u><a href="http://www.villagepizzeria.ca/" target="_blank">Village Pizzeria</a></u></b>. All the restaurants we walked by were empty, but at least this pizza place had people in it. That was encouraging. Staff seemed family run and were very nice. No alcohol served here. This was a small little place, like a coffee shop. We started with a Caesar salad for two and that was ok. At least the lettuce was fresh and crisp.<br />
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#7 - Teriyaki Chicken (medium)</div>
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#11 - Chef's Special (small)<br />
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The pizza was good. We both enjoyed it. It certainly wasn't the best we've ever had, but there was nothing to complain about. If this was the highest rated #1 place in Harrison, then I knew there wasn't anymore looking to do, for other places...<br />
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We went back to the hotel and went to the pools. I took the shots below before it was dark. <br />
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Now this is what you get for your money! The pools are so soothing & almost as hot as a bath. Totally comforting. Plus, they are open late. The indoor ones are open until 1am and the outdoor until 11pm. We really enjoyed this, it was like huge hot tubs in the dark. We stayed right until 11, showered and went to bed (comfy beds!), both falling asleep while watching Stephen Colbert bash Donald Trump on the non-HD t.v. ;)<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, April 7th:</u></b><br />
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I awoke to see a beautiful day on the horizon. I got out of bed at 8:30 and headed for the shower shortly after. We picked up my son's phone at the front desk. It was 100% charged. We then went to the Lakeside Cafe for our breakfast buffet. <br />
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View from our table - a little warmer outside and to sit out there, the view would be incredible</div>
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We saw that the credit on our receipt was worth $44. The price of two buffets. It was actually pretty good. It's hard to screw up breakfast and they didn't. They had an omelette station, the usual bacon, sausages, hash browns, scrambled eggs, pastries/muffins, fruit, toast station, cereals - hot & cold, yogurts, waffles, and lox/cream cheese. All juices as well. Coffee was served in a pot to your table. <br />
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We didn't have cash on us and asked our server how the gratuities worked. My concern was with the guy making the omelettes. I usually tip them cash. She said he was not included in the gratuities and worked for tips. I was disappointed but without cash, there wasn't much I could do now. :( I hoped he would be back tomorrow so I could make it up.<br />
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We went for another walk, this time starting to the left of our hotel.<br />
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This brought us to a place called "The Source" which is what feeds the hot springs pools at our hotel. <br />
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We went as far as we could walk and then turned around and did the walk we did yesterday and back. <br />
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It turns out, this wasn't that far. My son's iPhone app said it was only 4 kilometers - our whole walk. Oh well, it was better than no walk. Below, the hotel told me is an "Ornamental Cherry Blossom Tree". These were all over Harrison, though the hotel we stayed at seemed to have the most on their property.<br />
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My son was feeling "under the weather" since yesterday - sore throat and minor cough. We went to the Island Bar and he had tea with honey. I had an Irish coffee. We sat there until it was time for him to get his massage. A 55 minute massage was $120 pre-tax and gratuity. <br />
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I left him there and went back down the strip to get a fridge magnet from one of the shops.<br />
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Once I got back to the room, he showed up shortly after. We decided to go down to the pools for a while. He swam, I just lounged enjoying the fresh air. <br />
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We decided we were peckish so went back to the lounge and sat on the outside patio. My son had more tea & honey and I had a "Manhattan". <br />
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We ordered dry ribs and wings. These were ok, about what we expected. The ribs were above average though they didn't look like they would be.<br />
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It started to get chillier as evening approached so we went back to the room to relax and chill until our dinner reservation at 8pm for the <b><u><a href="http://www.harrisonresort.com/Copper-Room.aspx" target="_blank">Copper Room</a></u></b>.<br />
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There was a live band with a dance floor. This dining room was HUGE! I asked the waiter if it ever got full and he said every Saturday night. The band played old time hits - I'm not sure my son knew any of the songs, if he did, it wasn't by the original singers. The emptiness of such a large room kind of made me feel like I was at the "Overlook Hotel" from the Stephen King novel, "The Shining". It felt like a setting from long, long ago...<br />
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Our set menu included 3 courses, as below. We were given a choice of this menu or a $42 credit each to the main menu choices. We ordered an appy from the main menu of Scallops and Pork Belly for $20. I chose the trout as my entree and my son picked the filet mignon. <br />
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My trout portion was humongous! I wasn't expecting that. Everything up to this point was very good. I wouldn't say it was great and it wasn't "Nouvelle Cuisine", but there was nothing to complain about. It was well done with good flavours (son didn't like the gratin potatoes but I did) and service was very good. I gave my son my dessert after a bite. It really did nothing for me at all, but he did a good job at almost finishing both!<br />
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This took us till about 10:30pm. We were soooo stuffed, and now tired. Our hopes of going back to the pools for one more evening swim did not happen. We dropped his iPhone off at the front desk again for charging. We went back to the room and slept almost immediately. We woke early at 7am. We had a Bailey's coffee.<br />
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We decided to shower, pack and go for breakfast at the buffet (I tipped the omelette guy). We left the hotel at 8:45am. Thanks to google maps navigation on the iPhone, we were home an hour and forty minutes later. It was nice to go back to Harrison. We discussed it, and both agreed that if we do another "local getaway" it will be Whistler. There is more to do and the scenery is just as beautiful, if not more so. Harrison was expensive and comparable to Whistler prices. A great destination for families with young kids. There isn't a lot for adults in the evenings, unfortunately. However, if you just wanted to relax and do nothing, this would be a great place for that. The hot springs pools are incredible! Below is another shot of "The Source" hot springs and then Harrison lake (again) in the picture under that.<br />
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<br />Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Harrison Hot Springs, BC, Canada49.300141 -121.7853159999999749.258720000000004 -121.86599699999996 49.341562 -121.70463499999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-54293298164747717472015-11-25T20:04:00.000-08:002019-04-07T13:03:34.485-07:00Palm Springs Trip Report - Nov. 16 - 24, 2015Three of us rented a house in Palm Springs to get away and relax. Shortly before leaving, one cancelled leaving me and my usual travel friend on our own. The place we rented was called "<a href="http://www.365vrps.com/property-details.php?property_id=50" target="_blank">The Largo Ranch</a>". It had its own backyard pool and hot tub which was our selling point. We paid extra to have the pool heated to 85 F/ 29 C daily.<br />
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This is going to be different from usual trip reports. I'm not going to go day by day, just go over some highlights. Honestly, I didn't write anything while I was there...it wasn't one of those trips with a daily itinerary, it was just supposed to be R&R. Below is house pictures and it really was exactly as advertised as in the link I included above.<br />
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First home cooked dinner (below) at the house was BBQ Pork Chops, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions. We were less than a ten minute walk to a huge Joe Albertson's supermarket. It supplied us with all we needed including alcohol and wine of every variety. A cab was less than $5. If we would have known Palm Springs Airport didn't have a duty free, we could have shopped there before returning home...<br />
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Amazing view walking back from Albertson's.</div>
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We took cabs everywhere we went. We were about a $12 fare to downtown Palm Springs. For my birthday we went out to <a href="https://triopalmsprings.com/" target="_blank">Trio Restaurant</a>. Service was nice. The food was pretty good though the Scallop dish was excellent and I also liked the Ahi Poke a lot. They brought me a complimentary carrot cake. One waiter also gave us some suggestions of bars/clubs to check out while in town.<br />
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Ahi Tuna Poke $10</div>
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Mandarin Oranges, Toasted White Sesame Seeds, Onion, Soy, Sesame Oil, Tortilla Chips</div>
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Fried Artichoke Hearts $8</div>
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Caper Aioli Dipping Sauce</div>
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Yankee Pot Roast $21</div>
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Slow Roasted, Carrots, Pearl Onions, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes</div>
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Scallops Pan Seared Rare $26</div>
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Cantaloupe Habanero Sauce, Israeli Couscous, Seasonal Vegetables</div>
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Our waiter suggested we go to the "Gay Strip" in town tonight, so we did to check out the "Men's Underwear Contest" at a place called "<a href="http://hunterspalmsprings.com/" target="_blank">Hunters</a>". It was so much fun and we had a good time.</div>
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Thursdays in Palm Springs have the "<a href="http://villagefest.org/" target="_blank">Night Market</a>". A bunch of streets downtown are closed off and become a local flea market. So we checked it out. We were really hungry and I unfortunately made the choice of a Tiki Bar. While the drinks were good, the food was not. Very disappointing. They did throw in a free a dessert though...</div>
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My Boozy Mai Tai </div>
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Boozy Coconut Drink</div>
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The PuPu Platter (aptly named, I might add)</div>
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Complimentary Chocolate Cake, Ice Cream & Whip Cream</div>
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We ended the night at what the waiter had told us was a "locals dive bar" called Hair of the Dog.</div>
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Temps were pretty good during our stay. Some nights got cool but I wouldn't complain. Vegas was colder the previous week when I was there. I really enjoyed the pool time and the backyard was my favorite spot at the house.</div>
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Backyard Lemon Tree</div>
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I cooked a couple of more meals, my most memorable would be the Bone-In Ribeye steak that was as good as anything you'd get in a Steakhouse. Another time, I made some Twice Stuffed Baked Potatoes and BBQ Baby Back Ribs and my friend made Tiramisu. </div>
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The last night we went out was for all day Sunday Happy Hour at <a href="https://www.fishermans.com/locations.php?id=4" target="_blank">Shanghai Red's</a>. In the day it's a Fisherman's Market type place, then they have a bar in the evening. The cab driver who took us there said to remember it's as good as a seafood place is as a desert has. There was no live music while we were here though they have the stage for it. I was happy to watch Sunday night N.F.L. football.</div>
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The best HH deal was probably the infamous "Baha Taco" with Alaskan Cod for $3.95. I really enjoyed it. I also liked a dish, not on the HH menu called Campechana. It was my first time to have it and I want to try making it home now. Really, really good. Both are below. The night ended up being a drink fest that ended up back at the Hair of the Dog bar. I paid dearly for this night the next day, unfortunately...</div>
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(Mexican Seafood Cocktail) Chilled shrimp and scallops with cucumber, pico de gallo, and avocado in a zesty tomato sauce.</div>
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So, that pretty much sums up the trip. I'm undecided what I think of Palm Springs. I don't think I got to really know it enough to judge it, this visit. To be honest, the whole trip felt a little "off" since our third person cancelled. </div>
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I will say that every single local I met there was polite, nice and friendly. The neighborhood felt safe. I enjoyed the sun, and the beautiful views I managed to sneak. I didn't enjoy the house and feeling so isolated. I never slept well at all and was always nervous and uncomfortable there, but that is just my character - I'm a city girl. I prefer to be in the "middle of things". Of the four houses in our "circle" there, only one was occupied by locals, the other two were also rentals that were unoccupied. That being said, I did enjoy the private pool and landscaping very much during the day. I was edgy in the evenings because of the silence and darkness. </div>
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At this point, I'm not sure if I will return...there are still so many "warm" places I can visit in California when it's winter here at home that I haven't been fortunate enough to see yet, but I'll never say never...</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Palm Springs, CA, USA33.8302961 -116.5452920999999833.4079206 -117.19073909999999 34.2526716 -115.89984509999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-69452803878759661132015-11-14T00:22:00.000-08:002019-04-07T13:04:10.705-07:00Las Vegas Trip Report - Nov. 8 - 14, 2015I was very excited for this trip. Two reasons. First one being that I got to go with my favorite person in this world, my son (25). He hasn't been able to vacation for two years now, and I was happy it was me that was going to have the pleasure of going with him. He chose Vegas and I, of course, had no complaints. <br />
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Second reason was that we were staying at the <a href="http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Wynn</a>. We were looking forward to a luxurious stay! I first went into this hotel on my last solo "Strip" trip while staying at the Bellagio. I went to the Wynn for brunch (Tableau Restaurant) and it was love at first sight! I told myself that the next "splurge" stay would be here.<br />
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I got what I thought was a reasonably good rate for it back in August. The deal for 6 nights: Wynn Deluxe Resort room with 2 double beds, daily buffet (breakfast, lunch or dinner) for three days for two, including all taxes & resort fees was $1440 all in. Now when you convert that to our lousy Canadian dollar it turned it into almost $2000 <i>but if I didn't think about that part - the deal made me happy</i>! I put in the upgrade request for $20 more a night for a Panoramic view but wouldn't know if I got it until we arrived. My son paid his share of the trip too. This is pretty much the first time he's had to on vacation with me, so I felt very proud of him, but nonetheless, also guilty, though I did pick up all food & entertainment costs...<br />
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I found out online reading Trip Advisor reviews about the Wynn that the buffet was closed during our stay. After emailing the hotel to confirm, they said it was indeed closed and they would issue me a $150 food & beverage credit. <br />
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<b><u>Sunday, November 8th:</u></b><br />
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This was our first time flying "Rouge" by Air Canada. I was fine with the flight time going but not happy coming home (too early as in 7am and I was hoping to enjoy the noon checkout) but it was cheap. My son paid $345 CAD including all taxes and I used Airmiles for mine so it was $150 for the taxes. Departure was scheduled for 2:30pm arriving at 5:15pm. The flight was really painless from everything like getting to airport, security and customs. No lines anywhere and we arrived 25 minutes early in Vegas too. A very stress free day which was nice.<br />
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We got a taxi. No wait and were on were way. He was super friendly until I said "No Tunnel" then never said another word the whole ride. Fare was $24 after airport fee. Check in was also painless. No line and I walked right up to registration. She was very nice and asked us if we any special requests such as "close to elevator" or "view" so I asked for both. She said she had done that for us and handed us our keys for the 8th floor with directions to the elevators on a map.<br />
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She was correct in telling us that we were close to the elevator, only a couple of doors away, however, the view was nothing to write home about. It wasn't even worth trying to take a night time shot of it. I would have to wait till morning to see what structure I was looking at. The room was lovely though. The bathroom had a separate toilet area, two sinks, a deep soaker tub, huge shower and a T.V. I quickly set up my laptop so I could check the NFL scores only to find my Broncos were handed their first loss of the season from Indy. :(<br />
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I was surprised, but these beds were not that comfortable.</div>
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We settled in, unpacked a little and realized we were starving. So down to the casino we went. It was about 7pm now and we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I knew <a href="http://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/" target="_blank">Grimaldi's</a> was on the 2nd floor at the Palazzo so we asked for directions for the closest exit to get there.<br />
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Very simple, follow all the high end shops out, take a left to the bridge, cross it and then you were there. We walked in and could smell the glorious smell of pizza wafting down on us. Up the escalator and there it was.<br />
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We were seated and menu explained to us. Our server was very good though asked us how we were every single time he walked by which was a little annoying after the fifteenth time. It did not ruin our experience by any means and I was able to watch the Philly/Dallas game on t.v. there. We started with a Caesar Salad. He advised us to get the small one ($7) and said it was perfect for two people. He was right. It was very good. Crisp fresh lettuce and a great dressing that was garlicky and I could taste anchovies. We both liked it.<br />
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For pizza we ordered an 18" and split it choosing two types ($25). One side was three meats (sausage, meatballs & pepperoni) called "The Don" and the other was called "The Brooklyn Bridge" which had sausage, peppers and ricotta.<br />
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The pizza was delicious!!! We both enjoyed "The Don" the most. I managed two slices. My son three. He told me how happy he was to be on vacation with me and it warmed my heart. It was a fantastic dinner. The game went to overtime and the Cowgirls lost. My son ordered Tiramisu ($5) and it was also fantastic. I just had a bite, he polished it off. Our waiter packed up the leftover pizza for us. With a half carafe of house wine and soda, bill was $49 before tip. Very good value, excellent meal. We were extremely satisfied. AND, this restaurant had its own bathroom! Very rare to find in Vegas.<br />
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We walked over to Walgreens after, a block further and got some water, wine, snacks, etc. for the room. Then we hauled it back and decided it was time to gamble. <br />
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We stayed on the Wynn floor. I quickly lost my $100 budget for the day. My son fared a bit better and only lost $50. We returned to the room before midnight and called it a night. Not before we each had another slice of pizza though.<br />
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I'm strong to the finich, 'cause I eats me Spinach, I'm Popeye the sailor man! (toot, toot)</div>
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<b><u>Monday, November 9th:</u></b><br />
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We awoke about 10am. I opened the curtains to look at our "non-view"...<br />
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Looking Left</div>
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Looking Right</div>
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I decided we should go to the <a href="http://www.peppermilllasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Peppermill</a> for brunch. I have always wanted to check this place out. It was a bright sunny day, about 70 degrees. Perfect weather for me. We got directions to cut through the self park lot and it would take it Las Vegas Blvd a couple of blocks away. And it did. We were there in no time.<br />
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It was packed and a line up as well. The hostess took our names and we went into the Fireside lounge for a drink while we waited. This was a nice dark comfortable place. I ordered champagne and my son had a Pina Colada. Our view was into the fire pit, below.<br />
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After our drinks were served, we were called to our restaurant table. We carried our drinks over. It is really nice in there too. Soon after we were seated a photographer came by the table and said we would receive a "complimentary" photo. We posed and off she went saying she would return. My son ordered Eggs Benedict, below. He said they were fantastic and cleaned his plate clean.<br />
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I ordered the soup and salad which was Potato, Cheese, Bacon and a Spinach Salad. I asked her what it was dressed with and she said a "sweet red sauce". I'm not sure why I didn't change it to Blue Cheese now that I think of it...our photographer came back as soon as our food was dropped. She gave me the complimentary photo (like a postcard) and then offered to sell us the photos, 2 for $21 or 1 for $16. I declined the offer.<br />
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The soup was served luke warm and it had zero flavor pretty much. I jazzed it up with hot sauce but I ended up not eating this. The salad dressing was super sweet! I did eat it all though. We departed and decided to make a stop at "Ross Dress for Less" which is right next door. I found a few things and my son was bored out of his head though he did buy some cologne. We walked back to the room to drop the load off. We checked out the pool as our maid was in our room when we got back. <br />
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When we got back the second time, she was done. I had a glass of wine and then we departed to walk to the Tropicana. It was nice but a little windy. It didn't bother me once we started walking. We made a quick stop at the Cromwell. Lost $20 each in about a minute and then carried on. Next stop was at the Hard Rock for Happy Hour. We had five drinks (3 well and 2 wines) for $23 before tip. Felt rested from the walk but were hungry now so we headed across the street to <a href="https://www.shakeshack.com/location/las-vegas-nv/" target="_blank">Shake Shack</a>. I had wanted to go to the original in New York years ago but never made it, so now would be the time. Just like Grimaldi's too. I knocked off two "To Do" restaurants from my list this trip.<br />
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We ordered 2 single burgers. I had a special with caramelized onions called the "Roadside". Son got a "Smokehouse" and rootbeer float. I got a wine. We shared a side of cheese fries. They have all the calories listed beside what you select so you can see how bad you're being. Meal came to $34. They give you a buzzer and you pick up your order when its ready. My wine was served first. They had the Monday Night Football game on so we caught a bit of it. Below, my burger is the top one.<br />
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The burgers were great. Really enjoyed them. Nothing special about the fries, nor the 685 calories or the $4 price for them. <br />
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Then we were stuffed! So we waddled our way over to the Tropicana. We went to the ticket desk. I had vouchers for both the <a href="http://www.troplv.com/las-vegas/shows-entertainment/laugh-factory-comedy-club" target="_blank">Laugh Factory</a> and <a href="http://www.raidingtherockvault.com/" target="_blank">Raiding the Rock Vault</a>. I asked which show was first and it was RtRV, so we went with that at 8pm. I have seen it before when it was at the Las Vegas Hilton which is now the Westgate. I thought the show was fantastic so hoped my son would enjoy it too. I was very excited to see Tracii Guns this time too.<br />
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Got our tickets and went and played slots. I lost another $60 here but that included my drink for the show that I bought outside the theatre. The show started right on time. We were seated to the right of the stage, about 5 rows up after all the VIP booths. Perfectly fine seats for General Admission. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Andrew Freeman</div>
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Tracii Guns</div>
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The show was really good again. Different than the last time I saw it too, so good to know it's always changing. My son really enjoyed it and told me he only didn't know one song which I'm sure made it more enjoyable for him. We discussed whether we should walk back. I left it up to him but was secretly hoping he didn't want to. He said it was cold so I jumped on that and told him we'd get a cab. :)</div>
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$13 pre-tip and we were back at the Wynn. We decided to gamble. I only had $20 left of my daily budget so I was playing slots very slowly and waiting for a drink server. My son got ID'd by every staff person that walked by him. Everyone all day long told him he looked 12 years old. One bartender at the Hard Rock told him he should just staple his ID on his forehead. Anyway, we got a drink and managed to play for an hour or so. I doubled my money so could play a little longer. </div>
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We moved around and he got ID'd again and again, sometimes one would walk away and then another would walk over and ask him. Son picked a "Spartacus" machine and I chose the "Lil' Red" machine beside him. We ordered a second drink and this server said they were ID'ing everyone who looks under 40. When she walked away I said to him, "Why didn't she ID me then?". That made him laugh. I'm 50 though lots of times feel like I'm a hundred. As I was waiting for that second drink, my son had cashed out and I had $8 left. I was slowly playing it, down to about 2 spins left when I got a bonus. I ended up with $150 so I made back my $100 budget for today and a little extra. I was happy. It was a nice way to end the night.</div>
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We grabbed snacks from the "Drugstore Cafe" - $40 ouchie but it would go against our $150 F&B credit. We went up to the room and retired for the evening.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, November 10th:</u></b></div>
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It was our plans to get up and go to the pool. However, when we looked at 9am it was cloudy and not a soul laying on the deck so I wrote this report and son went back to sleep. When he awoke at 11am, he didn't want to swim anymore. It was sunny and there were people around the pool now, go figure...</div>
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We showered and agreed we would go to <a href="https://www.caesars.com/linq/restaurants/guy-fieri" target="_blank">Guy Fieri's</a> for lunch. Once upon a time, I was a fan of him and his Triple D show but his over saturation on the Food Network turned me off to the point of despising him. However, my son likes him and I have to admit, I was curious if his food would be good...you know that saying "curiosity killed the cat"...</div>
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So, looking in and around the restaurant that seemed to be half empty, I was surprised when she told us there was a 25 minute wait unless we wanted to be seated at the bar, which was pretty much empty. My son wanted a table so I said OK and went and found a slot to amuse myself at. When I finished (broke even), we went back and our names were called shortly after. While we were sitting/waiting, there was this mother and daughter beside us. The mother sounded like shows on t.v. where a Jewish mother with a New York accent is talking. There was a large wall photo of Guy Fieri. The mother waved her daughter over there. She said, in the accent, "Get over there, go stand by "The Guy" and let me take your picture". The daughter was embarrassed and smiled sheepishly at us. It was very cute. :)</div>
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Our server was nice and friendly. I ordered a "Tennessee Tea" drink special which was Jack Daniels Honey, Peach Schnapps and Sour mix for $5. It was not bad. So....let's just say that this place was going to be hard to please me, and it turns out I really was not pleased with the food I tried. I ordered wings.<br />
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FIREBALL WHISKY WINGS $15</div>
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tossed in house-made buffalo sauce infused</div>
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with fireball cinnamon whisky, paired with Guy’s</div>
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blue-sabi (blue cheese + wasabi) dipping sauce</div>
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+ raw veggie medley</div>
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The word of the day was DRY. These suckers were tough! I personally don't like giant wings like that either unless they're turkey wings. Tough to get off the bone, I really had to work at it. One wing was whole too and I ended up having to eat it by cutting the meat off by knife and fork as I couldn't pull it apart. Veggies were dry at the ends and didn't seem fresh. Onion straws were dry and lifeless. Dipping sauce was bland (I thought it was Ranch and was surprised when I read it was supposed to be Blue Cheese & Wasabi).</div>
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My son <i>really</i> enjoyed his burger. I had a bite of the beef and the mac & cheese. I found the burger dry and the mac & cheese just OK, nothing stand out. I was glad he was happy with it and he said he liked it better than Shake Shack's burger. Son did say the fries were not very good and dry.</div>
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BACON MAC-N-CHEESE BURGER $19 </div>
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Crispy applewood bacon, six-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese, LTOP (lettuce,
tomato, onion + pickle), SMC (super-melty cheese) + donkey
sauce, all stacked on a garlic-buttered brioche bun</div>
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Lunch was $60 after tip and I've now been there and done that. We departed for the "<a href="https://www.caesars.com/linq/high-roller" target="_blank">High Roller</a>". We had a voucher for "Happy Hour" ($29 x 2) which was all you can drink for the 30 minute trip.</div>
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You go in to get your pictures taken by a green wall, then make your way to the pods. They line you up on a mat, then have you all jump in. The bartender was ready to mix some drinks. We had about 10 others in our pod. He mentioned tips/gratuity at least half a dozen times and expressed that is how he gets paid. I drank an Orange Ketel One vodka and my son had Bacardi/coke on our way up to 550 ft.</div>
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They count you down when you reach the top. We all counted down too and the bartender poured everyone shots. And then it was back down. <br />
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The bartender offered drinks to go. Everyone took his offer except my son, but then everyone, including the bartender made him. :) So he finally cracked to peer pressure and got one to go. I think we had three drinks each and a couple of shots, then the one to travel with. Tips went in the jar by most and then it was time to jump off. A nice short and sweet journey. I wouldn't feel the need to do it again but once was a good thing. We bought our digital pictures (6) for $30 as we really liked one of them.<br />
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It was really cold and windy when we got off. We were in shorts, so just quickly walked back to the room as it looked like it was going to storm. Dark black clouds were hovering in the sky and the wind was swirling. It was 54 degrees now. We changed and went to the Encore to gamble. While we were playing, I couldn't help but overhear a couple near to us. He hit a bonus and then I could hear him saying to his wife, "Why are you never happy when I win? I'm always happy when you do but I when I do, you just whine. All you do is whine all day". I didn't hear her, just saw her reaching into her purse for more money. :) Our gambling daily budgets soon dwindled so we went to the Terrace Pointe Cafe for dinner in the Wynn. <br />
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This casual eatery which overlooks the pool was open for dinner only because the buffet was closed. Our hostess explained that there were many upset people because lots of others had the same offer as I did (3 buffets), but were not informed the buffet would be closed. I told her that I had to choose "select dates" for <i>my offer</i> so I was also surprised when I found out online.<br />
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They started us off with some maple glazed dinner buns. I ordered the unlimited wine package for $21.99 and started with sparkling. I then chose a 3 course Prime Rib menu for $44. My son chose Blackened Shrimp Fettuccine for $28. This took care of our remaining credit.<br />
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My first course (below) is Crab Cake w/ spicy remoulade.<br />
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The sauce was Alfredo</div>
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The back side of the plate. Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, haricots verts, mustard peppercorn sauce</div>
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These meals were really good. I can't complain about anything except the outside of the prime rib was overly salty. It was melt in your mouth tender. I barely made a dent so packed it up for later. I gave my son my dessert. Two could have easily shared it, but I was stuffed. I also had 4 glasses of wine now so was tipsy too.</div>
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae</div>
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We finished gambling our daily budget at the Wynn and then went up to the room for the evening. It was close to midnight.</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, November 11th:</u></b></div>
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My son awoke about 10am and said he was heading to the pool for a swim. I declined and just lazed in the room, pecking at writing this report. I finally made my way to the shower and he returned as I was done. We both got ready and he said he was starving. I asked him if he wanted breakfast or lunch and he said breakfast so we returned to Peppermill.</div>
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This visit was so opposite of last time, bad service, bad food. Neither of us were happy with our menu items. Too bad but no love here this time, unfortunately, especially for $50 after tip.</div>
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Mediterranean Omelet</div>
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The omelet was supposed to have Jack & Cheddar and Crab & Shrimp inside. It turned out to only have fishy tasting shrimp. Below, I had something called "Munch's Breakfast". This too was devoid of any flavor. I ordered soft poached eggs, but got hard. When I got the bill later, I saw my order was put in as hard poached. Both dishes were super bland, but on the bright side, we were stuffed. I only ate a quarter of my dish.</div>
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We made our way out and started walking the strip again. I got quite a chuckle out of the street beggar with a sign that said, "$$ Help me $$. I need a penis reduction"...</div>
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Gondola ride at the Venetian</div>
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Our first stop was the Bellagio. We took a wander through the Conservatory, and as always, was gorgeous. I've seen Christmas, Spring and now Fall.</div>
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We trammed over to City Centre and walked to the Cosmopolitan. I finally got my Identity card. After all these trips, I got it done. We played there, had a drink and lost most of our daily gambling budget. Next we went to Aria. Son had a MyVegas voucher for a crepe at Jean Phillippe so he filled that and got a Nutella crepe. It would have been $11.50 if he was paying. I didn't take a picture of it, just a few display cases while I was waiting for him to eat it.</div>
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After that we headed back to the Tropicana to pick up tickets for Laugh Factory. Then we went over to MGM while we waited for the show to start. Lost our remaining gambling money and then I was hungry so we went to <a href="https://www.mgmgrand.com/en/restaurants/tap-sports-bar.html" target="_blank">Tap Sports Bar</a>. Unlike this morning, service was really good here. And this restaurant also had its own restrooms. We decided on some appetizer Nachos and I got a hot dog. We were unprepared for how big the servings would be! I ordered a Draft Pinot Grigio wine by Coppola.</div>
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Chili Nachos w/Pickled Jalapeños, Pico de Gallo, Fresh Guacamole, Sour Cream ($20)</div>
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SOUTH SIDE STREET DOG</div>
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House-Made Jalapeño & Cheese-Stuffed Frank, Pickle Spears,Sport Peppers, Red Onion Relish, Spicy Brown Mustard, Chicago-Style Poppy Seed Bun $12.50</div>
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The hot dog was really good. I ended up taking it out of the bun and just eating it with knife and fork as it was so big. (I didn't need the bun carbs anyway, I had more than enough of those going on). We got a choice of fries, onion rings or half and half so chose the latter. Both were good. I really liked the nachos. I think because the chili was so good. The two of us barely made a dent in them so got them packed to go. We took the onion rings too. I swear that bag felt 5 lbs. heavy!</div>
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Then it was time for the comedy show so we went back to the Trop. The show was really, really funny. The host was good and the two comedians were excellent. The headliner made me laugh till I had tears. His name was Carl LaBove. I got to shake his hand after and he was a nice person too. Great time! We always do this when we're together on vacation. </div>
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It was really cold so we decided to taxi back. My son told me we had <i>only</i> walked 9.8 KM today. I was ok with that but it felt like more to me. When we got in the driver asked me if I wanted to go the fast way or the slow way? I said, "well obviously I'd like to get back the fast way". He said, "Great, I'll take the freeway then". So, I said, "Sure, as long as that will cost about $13 just like taking Las Vegas Blvd would?" And he said, "No, it will cost $16 - $20 and there is no way it will cost $13 on any way that I take. You need to understand traffic". I said I did and it cost me $13 the other night. He reiterated that I don't understand traffic but I held my ground. So he jumped out of the turning lanes and got back onto Las Vegas Blvd. When we got to the drop off at Wynn, the fare on the meter was $12. </div>
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We were both exhausted. We picked at some nachos and then went down for the count.</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, November 12th:</u></b></div>
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We slept in. My son got up at 11 and went to the pool. I declined and sat in the room and finished the nachos and had a glass of wine! I caught up with my trip report and laid back down. I was really tired this morning. My son came back, showered and then went down for a pastry and a Mocha Coffee. I got ready when he got back and we departed for the Mirage.</div>
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We had a 2-for-1 Carnegie Deli Sandwich MyVegas deal and two <a href="https://www.mirage.com/en/amenities/siegfried-roys-secret-garden-and-dolphin-habitat.html" target="_blank">Secret Garden</a> day passes to claim. We went to the MLife desk and retrieved them. Then we went for lunch. The credit is for $21. We got two Reuben's. Those were $24 each, I think. Anyway, they were so huge, almost my whole portion got packed up and I was stuffed. My son did better and ate half of his. This "to go" bag also felt like it weighed 5 lbs!</div>
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We gambled a bit, then made our way to the Secret Garden only to learn it was closing for the day. So, we wandered to Walgreens for more room supplies and relaxed in the room until we were ready to head for dinner at the Bellagio for 9pm. We took a cab ($9). Went to the MLife desk. We both had MyVegas rewards for 2 glasses of champagne each at <a href="http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/le-cirque.aspx" target="_blank">Le Cirque</a>. I used this same reward last time I dined there and got two glasses of Veuve Cliquot - a splendid deal.</div>
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When I handed them to our server, he was very confused and asked me what these were? Then I was confused. He said one voucher was for Lily restaurant and that the value was written in on both as $20 for two glasses each. I didn't know what to say but assured him they both rewards were for Le Cirque. He said he would sort it out.</div>
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He came back with the Veuve Cliquot ($28 each) and told me they don't have any champagne for $20 a glass, let alone two for that price. Then he said that normally the MLife desk writes on the voucher - 2 glasses of Veuve Cliquot. He said he could only offer the $20 value as it was written but would waive the $16 extra. Then he said he could not give us another glass and offered to bring the cocktail menu. We each ordered a martini ($16 each). We both got the 3 course prix fixe tasting menu for $105 each. I paid a $19 supplement to mine so I could have the Dover Sole.</div>
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DOVER SOLE MEUNIÈRE, GLAZED VEGETABLES , FRESH HERBS BOUQUET, WARM LEMON BEURRE BLANC </div>
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I was instructed to dip the herb brush in the butter and then drag it along the fish. The butter was so good, I ended up pouring it all over the fish.</div>
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CHOCOLATE BALL: PRALINE MOUSSE, WHITE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM, HAZELNUT CARAMEL CRUNCH, CHOCOLATE SAUCE </div>
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Complimentary Mignardises</div>
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Service was excellent, as expected. We enjoyed our meal and were actually happy to have some "lighter" food fare, for a change this evening. My son had Diver Scallops. Bill after tip was $352. We walked back to the Wynn. Stopped and watched the fountains but it was only ONE song. Do they do that in the winter? I seem to remember the shows being longer.</div>
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We were going to gamble but my son counted his money and realized he only had enough left for our last day tomorrow so we had a drink in the room and then went to sleep.</div>
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<b><u>Friday, November 13th:</u></b></div>
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I awoke at 8am. All that 5 lbs of leftover food from Carnegie Deli went in the garbage. Such a waste. My son was meeting a friend of his, someone he has gamed online with for the last nine years. So he was coming from Spring Valley to hang out at the pool/hotel with him at 11am. They (he brought his fiance) arrived on time. We went down to meet them and then my son headed off to the pool. I went to gamble. I lost $50, then another $50. Then I was on my last $50, I decided. I sat at a machine (Quarter Mania) that was 5 lines but max bet was 6 quarters. I hit bonus spins pretty quickly in, and won!!! I hit a mini first and this one in the picture below. This is the biggest win I've got in Vegas to date so I was really, really, happy. :)</div>
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I stopped by the pool to tell my son and bought the 3 of them smoothies. $10 each pre tip- ouch. Then I sent them all to Zoozacrackers Deli for lunch and treated. I came back down and ran to Dollar slots and quickly lost a hundred or maybe two, LOL, in under 5 minutes I think. So, I calmed myself down and went for a $20 Margarita at the Zoozacrackers bar. This drink lasted for quite some time and I got to chat with people and enjoy. I ran over to the Sports Bar and bet Broncos to win the Superbowl for $20. My ticket says it will pay me $180 if they do. My son came in after his friends departed and I bought him a couple of drinks too and gave him a hundred for gambling.</div>
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I didn't know it came with beer too</div>
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We went back to the room for a bit and both were starving. Son asked if we could go back to Grimaldi's so we did. Pizza was as good as the first time . We got a medium though, this time. After dinner we gambled in the Palazzo. It was so much fun! Son was on a hot streak and won on just about every machine he played. We stayed until about 9pm and then said we'd close the night at the Wynn, but we went to the Encore first. No luck there so made our way back to the Wynn floor. </div>
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Son ended up going home with $300 tonight from his opening $600 budget. He was very happy with that. I lost half of my winnings from today, but it was so much fun to play "max" bet and dollar machines all night. I really enjoyed myself. We had to get to bed for a 7am flight so we were both good to call it a night just after 10pm though we stayed up till midnight and knew there was a 4am wake up call upon us.</div>
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Fun, fantastic trip! I am blessed to have such a great kid and I loved this vacation, especially the time with him. In a couple of days, I leave for Palm Springs...life is good...</div>
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Limoncello Martini at Grimaldi's. It was great!</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com1Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-41332361053606956542015-09-06T01:25:00.001-07:002019-04-07T13:04:49.737-07:00Downtown Las Vegas Trip Report - Aug. 30 - Sept. 4, 2015I wasn't planning to go to Vegas now as I'm going in November this year. The travel plans I was hoping for with friends didn't turn out so I ended up booking solo and decided on downtown. This week was just meant to be pure R&R away from work. I decided staying at the <a href="http://www.downtowngrand.com/" target="_blank">Downtown Grand</a>. With air, hotel, taxes including 5 nights my total came to $550 CAD which I thought was pretty good. Our dollar is really sucking right now in the U.S.A. One of my dollars at the time of this writing is worth about 70 cents US so saving pennies helps...<br />
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I am always happy to go to Vegas and I love that it is so close to home. I think its one of the best places to be a solo traveler, especially if you gamble. However, that being said, I was hoping not to lose too much cash gambling this time so I wasn't planning to make it like my normal solo trips where each day is full of slots, slots, slots and loss, loss, loss of money...I had plans to read and lay by the infinity pool I saw online for my hotel. I was not sure how that would work out but it was my plan this trip...<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, August 30th:</u></b><br />
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This is the first time I have ever not taken a direct flight to Vegas! At least I had a direct flight home but going I had to make a quick stop in Phoenix, AZ. Well, not a quick stop, three hours, but it was ok. I enjoyed a leisurely, albeit expensive lunch. We had a bit of a problem with our flight from there on US Air. It was a full flight and apparently an auxiliary power supply was out. Could explain why the power went off three times before take off? When we finally got clearance to go (about a half hour late) they flew with no lights on. This freaked me out and it was a really bumpy ride! Anyway, they flew in half the time. It was supposed to be an hour flight but we did it in thirty-five minutes. I was happy to be there.<br />
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I got Showtime Shuttle return for $17.50. I had to wait about fifteen minutes for the downtown shuttle. I got to the hotel around 5pm. I was checked into a non-smoking room on the 21st floor. It was nice and I had no complaints with the room. It was a balmy 100 degrees outside.<br />
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The Downtown Grand. I was in the Grand Tower on the left.</div>
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My view</div>
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I had experienced a 9 hour power outage at home the night before. When the power came back, I was up very late and then had to get up early trying to get ready for the trip. Yes, I left everything until the last minute. So, I was tired now. Really tired and hungry. I took a quick walk down Freemont to the ABC store for wine. <br />
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Keeping the ladies on Freemont happy?</div>
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Then I went to <a href="http://pizzarocklasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Pizza Rock</a> for take out dinner. It's really nice inside, huge. I really wanted to try their "Detroit Red Top" so ordered that for $27. They told me it would be 25 minutes so I went to the bar and had a really good glass of red Italian wine. Then pizza was ready so I went back to the room to eat.</div>
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This was huge and cut into 4 pieces. I managed to eat one slice. It was quite good. I like sauce & cheese pizzas and the crust on the edges was nice though a little burnt tasting unfortunately.</div>
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Square Style Pizza Cooked in Steel Pans from Detroit, Wisconsin Brick Cheese, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Tomato Sauce, Pecorino Romano, Oregano, Garlic, Butter Toasted Corners</div>
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I planned to go get my Players Card and go to the casino to end the night but after that slice I went into a food coma and went to sleep. I slept through until morning.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, August 31st:</u></b><br />
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I awoke about 7:30 to beautiful sunshine. Typed this report, ate a half slice of pizza (not as good cold so I tossed it out) and got ready to go to the pool. Looking outside my window, atop of Binions, it told me it was 95F or 36C. I got there at 9am.<br />
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It was great by the pool, beautiful setting and not crowded with comfy loungers! Loved it and the pool was nice and cold! I ended up having 5 sparkling wines (Mumms, Napa Valley) for $6 each so I thought that was great. They comped me one too because they brought something else (much sweeter) one trip.<br />
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That fake grass gets super hot to walk on in bare feet!</div>
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Anyway, I needed a nap after I left about 2pm! I had plans to meet a couple I chatted with at the pool at Triple George's for Happy Hour but I didn't wake up till 6 pm. They messaged me and asked where I was but I told them I'd maybe see them later at the casino. I showered and decided to get my Players Card at the casino. <br />
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I blew $120 pretty quickly and got enough points for $10 free play but didn't know how to add it. The cage told me how and I decided I was absolutely starving and had to go eat. I went to <a href="http://triplegeorgegrill.com/" target="_blank">Triple George Grill</a> next door and sat at the bar. On Monday's they have half price bottles of wine with the purchase of an entree so I ordered a bottle of Cab Sav from Napa Valley for $24 with the discount. The bartender said I could take it with me if I didn't finish it. She recommended the rib-eye or the cioppino so I chose the latter. <br />
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SEAFOOD CIOPPINO* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27.95</div>
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shrimp / scallops / mussels / fish / crab / herb tomato broth</div>
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It was delicious and it had clams too though I didn't notice any crab if it was there. There were two really huge scallops in there that were my favorite part of the dish. The broth was really flavorful. I was happy with my choice. I couldn't eat though. Unfortunately my tummy was upset. The bartender made me a soda with bitters and it helped but I ended up taking the dish and full bottle of wine to go. I went back to the room and went to bed.<br />
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I woke up a couple of hours later starving and totally devoured and finished the meal. Then I slept till morning.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, September 1st:</u></b><br />
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I decided I didn't want to go pool side today. I wanted to go to the <a href="http://www.neonmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Neon Boneyard</a> but all tickets were sold out for my entire stay so I wished I had pre-booked them now. I had no idea it was that popular. I decided I would go for lunch to the <a href="http://parkonfremont.com/" target="_blank">Park on Freemont</a> and then see where the day brought me by wandering around. Can I just say when walking around in 96F, I was HOT!<br />
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Texas Tuxedo - Vodka, Cucumber, Basil, Grape Tomatoes, Fresh house-made Mary mix.</div>
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Fried Chicken & Waffle sandwich.</div>
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The Bloody Mary was interesting...I haven't had one like that before featuring cucumber. The sandwich was pretty good. I only ate one piece of waffle because I really just wanted the chicken. The salad was good with blue cheese crumbles. Staff were super nice, friendly and young. Cute little place. Lunch was under $30 with tip. I departed to go check out <a href="http://atomicvegas.com/" target="_blank">Atomic Liquors</a>. </div>
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Weird...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66VWk4MkgE8OoupEvKVYf2Ozy5DV7voU9FyYZD_ne5B9RxZpbpMibsLkZ2bRQ0A1ITWLJNRtP451QADDnEy-fNDBm61ewsD09XZa1v2K3COXnaWX8sjCvNyBlZ_v1J54zOnkOUr8E8csr/s1600/IMG_3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66VWk4MkgE8OoupEvKVYf2Ozy5DV7voU9FyYZD_ne5B9RxZpbpMibsLkZ2bRQ0A1ITWLJNRtP451QADDnEy-fNDBm61ewsD09XZa1v2K3COXnaWX8sjCvNyBlZ_v1J54zOnkOUr8E8csr/s640/IMG_3271.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And there it was, the infamous Atomic Liquors - but it was closed. :( It didn't open until 4pm. So, I made my way back and ducked into the El Cortez for A/C and a little gambling. </div>
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After that, I just wound my way through each casino and played (lost) a little in each. I stopped at <a href="http://www.du-pars.com/" target="_blank">Dupar's</a> in the Golden Gate for a $3.99 Shrimp Cocktail. It was good with a nice spicy sauce. Service is very nice and friendly.</div>
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Outside the "Heart Attack Grill" and also my theme of the day...<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I made it to Happy Hour at Triple George Grill.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_Nszy_fjKpfxD8UaYdf67-DuYm_r8S7mllTaogQqjLUy3BgODROuyZbDSYy-0kHcWE8Mi9I2T2I3PTfXXOTDCw0BBsoKF1WF58MTXDiY1w9WqWnEBhMpolJTk0rLlr7usmV50sLcaoYX/s1600/IMG_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_Nszy_fjKpfxD8UaYdf67-DuYm_r8S7mllTaogQqjLUy3BgODROuyZbDSYy-0kHcWE8Mi9I2T2I3PTfXXOTDCw0BBsoKF1WF58MTXDiY1w9WqWnEBhMpolJTk0rLlr7usmV50sLcaoYX/s640/IMG_3250.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today's martini was an Orange Cosmopolitan. I also ordered the Calamari and the Goat Cheese appies.<br />
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I finished my night on Freemont, gambling and losing and then called it a night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5eaJDL4PK44r5I9bmJzZL6KF9XMMwvQnlF2zdA5XNNAWm8F-OxWkCIZSwHhV0_zGdmbHRxYE03ru23OFB2KP6-vexEzOlNxEXzq9owvM7fNyhaImv-3Sa63b-Buqp98Q9jO726xgDijd/s1600/IMG_20150901_174903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5eaJDL4PK44r5I9bmJzZL6KF9XMMwvQnlF2zdA5XNNAWm8F-OxWkCIZSwHhV0_zGdmbHRxYE03ru23OFB2KP6-vexEzOlNxEXzq9owvM7fNyhaImv-3Sa63b-Buqp98Q9jO726xgDijd/s640/IMG_20150901_174903.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My fave T.V. show slot ate my money as fast as people are murdered in Charming!</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday, September 2nd:</u></b></div>
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Today was pool day again. I was there by 9am again and went to the bar to order the Mumm's champagne again. This time when it was rung up it was $11 a glass (price swing was due to a replacement bartender who didn't know the POS system the other day, it turns out). The glass was only just under 3/4 full as opposed to full to the top like last time too. I knew I got too good of deal the other day. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. It was hot as usual. And it wasn't long before I was in the water again.</div>
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A lady I had talked to earlier in the elevator came out with her husband so we hung out at the pool and drank the day away. I left about 2pm with plans to meet them at 3 at <a href="http://hogsandheifers.com/" target="_blank">Hogs & Heifers</a>. I was itchy and red on my back from all the sun. The worst thing was being solo and I couldn't get aloe gel or cream rubbed on it so I had to resort to a towel, like I was drying my back, to try and relieve the itching, I even put gel on the towel to see if it would work, but it didn't unfortunately...</div>
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I met my new friends at Hogs and we started to do shots. I didn't realize it was like Coyote Ugly inside. I walked by lots of times, just never saw the bar dancing.</div>
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We went next door to Triple George's for happy hour again. Then they needed to go take a siesta and freshen up for awhile so I agreed I'd meet them later so we could go zipline on Freemont.</div>
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I started talking to an odd-duck older gentleman at the bar. I mean, he admitted as much saying he was uncomfortable with talking to women and other tidbits like that. Anyway, I had reservations for <a href="http://www.vicandanthonys.com/" target="_blank">Vic & Anthony's</a> and thought I'd be nice and invite him along since he said he was uncomfortable dining out alone. Plus I was pretty buzzed so didn't mind the company, odd duck or not. He told me he didn't drink and the two he had was his limit pretty much. So, I ordered a cocktail and decided not to have wine.<br />
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He then asked me if I wanted wine and was perusing the menu. I told him I wouldn't say no if he was going to order it and we discussed types we liked but we had no discussion over price. He selected and ordered it. I assumed he was buying the wine and didn't think anything more of it. At the end of the dinner when the bill came, he told me my half of the bill and twenty percent tip down to the penny! We had the same prix fixe menu but he started saying, "you had Bearnaise sauce and that was $6" and then I snapped at him to just tell me my total. He said we'd split the cheque evenly even though I had a couple of things he didn't have. I didn't know what to say, I was so surprised! So I didn't say anything but told him I would be on my way after we exited the restaurant. Honestly, I wasn't expecting him to buy the meal but I did think he was buying the wine. My bad, I guess.</div>
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I didn't get very good food pictures but the menu we had is <a href="http://www.vicandanthonys.com/pdf/menus/las-vegas/distinctive-dining.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. In fact, after a couple of bites I packed up my whole dinner (except dessert) and took it with me. I just wasn't feeling the meal.</div>
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My 9oz filet cooked medium rare.</div>
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The Au Gratin Potatoes - VERY RICH</div>
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Creme Brulee</div>
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My Croissant Bread Pudding (which he ate)</div>
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I met my friends back at the hotel and we proceeded to <a href="http://vegasexperience.com/slotzilla-zip-line/" target="_blank">Slotzilla</a> to sign up for the Zipline. It was $40 and we had to wait until 12:20am so we sat at <a href="http://www.mickiefinnzlasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Mickie Finnz</a> and did more shots. </div>
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The anticipation to the Zipline was exciting, more thrilling than the actual ride itself. It was fun "flying over Freemont" though. We bought the pictures at the end. Those were $20 each. I thought they would take it of us actually ziplining but they just took a picture of us at the end, so we were a little bummed out about that. </div>
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We walked back to the hotel and were going to have a drink but the bars were all closed inside so we just hugged and said goodnight. They were leaving for the Grand Canyon in the morning. I went out like a light!</div>
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<b><u>Thursday, September 3rd:</u></b></div>
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I slept in. I felt "cloudy" and blah. I stayed in bed until about 1pm before I got up and stood in the shower for about an hour. My back was even more itchy and it was driving me crazy! My only plan today was to go to <a href="http://carsonkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Carson Kitchen</a> and gamble.</div>
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I had a hard time finding Carson Kitchen. It was hidden around the corner of the old John E. Carson motel. I liked it inside. I got seated at the bar watching the open kitchen. Staff were all young, beautiful and really friendly. I knew what I wanted...</div>
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Chicken Skins and Bacon Jam of course! I ordered a cocktail and it was very good.</div>
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Get Shorty! el jimador tequila, grapefruit, fresh lime, cayenne simple syrup $12</div>
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Both were tasty. I could finish half of each, at the end I was dipping the chicken skin into the bacon jam. They asked if I wanted to pack it up but I said no. I had enough decadent food. I kept seeing these green beans coming out of the kitchen so I decided I would have to come back tomorrow.</div>
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Then I went back to my hotel and gambled for the rest of the evening. I did have a bit of luck by breaking even for the day. I went to <a href="http://www.downtowngrand.com/eat/s-o-restaurant/" target="_blank">S&O restaurant</a> in the hotel about 10pm for $9.99 Prime Rib. Can't complain, it was very good and served with garlic mash, broccolini, carrots, horseradish sauce and Au Jus. </div>
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Instead of quitting gambling, I went back on the floor, lost a couple of hundred and then called it a night.</div>
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<b><u>Friday, September 3rd:</u></b></div>
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Check out today. I slept until 9 and then got ready to depart. I checked my luggage. Then I walked back over to Carson Kitchen. I still got lost again and had to remember to walk around the hotel to find it.</div>
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I got seated at the bar this time. </div>
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Nikki Sixx?</div>
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The chef came out and came over to me. He said, "Oh, you came back! I was watching you yesterday and I thought you didn't like the food. You didn't eat very much. I thought you were a food critic or something because you kept taking pictures and were texting on your phone". I laughed out loud. I told him I'm a food nerd but that is all. I told him I was showing off the chicken skins on facebook and we laughed. He asked me where I was from and we talked a bit of hockey. I also chatted with a server and she was was really funny. I ordered the green beans and a sloppy joe with no tater tots. I started with a Rose wine but switched and drank some Spanish cava that was better.</div>
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Wild Boar Sloppy Joe - crispy fennel, orange aioli $14. YUM! Good spicy kick to it. I ate it with a fork and knife and left the top bun alone.</div>
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Tempura Green Beans - pepper jelly cream cheese $8. Sooooo good!!!!</div>
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I started talking to some other people at the bar on my left and was having a really good time. The server came over to me when I got my bill and told me she didn't want me to go because I was so nice. I went back to the kitchen to say good bye to the chef. I shook his hand and we talked about hockey a bit more. This was definitely my favorite spot this visit. I liked it even more than Triple George's where I spent a lot of time at. Actually, they're all pretty great there too, now that I think about it. I guess I liked these two places most this trip.</div>
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I went and gambled the afternoon at the D hotel. I had really good cocktail service here. Too good, methinks.</div>
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I finally hit a bonus that broke me even for the days losses and then went to Triple George's for the happy hour. I stayed for a couple of wines and said good-bye to them. I was pretty buzzed so thought I better go eat something. I decided to eat a slice and take the pizza to go so I could eat it later at the airport. I went back to Pizza Rock.</div>
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QUAIL EGG WHITE ROSE POTATO GUANCIALE* $18</div>
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Mozzarella, White Rose Potatoes, Chorizo, Pork Cheek, Rosemary, </div>
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Fromage Blanc, Calabrese Peppers, Lavender Sea Salt</div>
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And then it was time to go claim my luggage and head to the airport. I had to wait for the shuttle but I'm not sure how long it was. I was just happy to sit there and stare at the Gold Spike, which it seemed I did for a long time. :)</div>
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The driver came and I was his only rider. We had a good chat and he even walked me all the way to the doors. I gave him a hug! </div>
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So, here's a word of warning or an airport tip. Don't tell them you're drunk when you're checking in. I mentioned it light-heartedly when they asked how I was. When it was almost time to board, I was called up over the loud speaker. When I got there, he told me that I had told them at check-in that I was drunk and he wanted to see if I was OK to fly. OMG, so embarrassing, but I was fine by this time. Just tired. I did win enough at the airport slots to bring home some duty free Grand Marnier that didn't have to go on my credit card so that was good.</div>
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I enjoyed the Downtown Grand. Nice place. Great pool, good location. I always had good cocktail service. I met some really nice people and am happy for that. I brought $1000 US cash with me and spent every last dollar and another $500 US on my credit card. That's not including my trip price. So, I didn't go as cheap as I thought or was hoping I might, but that's Vegas and that's me. Another trip in the books...</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com0Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-21446615785956093352015-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:002019-04-07T13:05:16.795-07:00Mykonos, Greece Trip Report - May 13 - 19, 2015Mykonos was the second part of my trip to Greece. Six days in <a href="http://christineinvancouver.blogspot.com/2015/05/santorini-greece-trip-report-may-6-13.html" target="_blank">Santorini</a> and six in Mykonos. My gait here was much slower and lazier than in Santorini. I was in relax mode and just taking things at a leisurely pace rather than trying to see everything I possibly could. It felt more sedate and laid back here too, but of course, I wasn't out partying late at night either so I can't comment to that. Because I spent so much time writing the Santorini report, I really didn't feel like writing this one at all while I was there, so I finished most of it when I got home.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 13th:</u></b><br />
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My taxi dropped me to the port about 11:15am. Once I asked the "Port Police", he advised me to get in the line below for the departure gate.<br />
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And my ferry arrived. It was $61 € for economy seating and I paid a $10 € fee from the travel agency I booked through. The staff get you on, stow your luggage and direct you to where your seat is. I had a specific seat assigned on my ticket. This process goes surprisingly fast for being herded like sheep. We departed on time at 11:40am.<br />
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2:40pm I arrived in Mykonos. The ride was rough and I was just starting to feel nausea in the last 10 minutes so it was good we arrived. It's a long walk out to where they greet you but I found my ride with the hotel sign. His name was Spiros (hotel owner's son). Another couple, from Richmond, B.C. of all places were also along for the ride - small world. Spiros told us Mykonos is the "Island of Wind".<br />
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About 10 minutes later, we were at the hotel. Checked in and Spiros took me to my room. He explained what I needed to know in regards to the room and then left me. The room was so cute! I really liked it. I had a patio too and it was lovely. I was happy here.<br />
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I walked down to the "Main Square" which was also the bus depot. It is also an entrance to the labyrinth which is known as Mykonos. As my reception desk guy Vassilis said, "Less than 2 minutes" is how long it took me to get there. <br />
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I picked up some wine and water for the room. The first mini mart has wine from Crete that was $4.50 €. I found in Santorini too that the wines from Crete were much cheaper. I went back to the room and finished unpacking.<br />
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Vassilis asked if I wanted a dinner recommendation and I said sure. He recommended "Joanna's Nikos Place Tavern". I actually had that on my list of possible places to dine. He told me it was the opposite way I went to the Main square, less than a 3 minute walk. Of course, there was no sidewalk again and I was really uncomfortable on this road when there were cars, especially when they were coming in both directions.<br />
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I saw it easily when walking down the road. It is a really tight entrance in from the road and down the stairs onto Megali Ammos beach.<br />
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View from my table</div>
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Taramasalata (Fish Roe Dip) $4.50 € & Pita $.50 €</div>
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The dip & pita was really delicious! It was my first time ever trying it. I found it rich, filling and salty. I managed to eat 3/4 of it though. Next up I ordered "Stuffed Squid". This dish looked fantastic and I thought the price of $13 € was really reasonable Unfortunately, I didn't really like it. The stuffing was cheese and clumps of dry bread with no taste. The calamari was tough and rubbery though the grilled taste of it was really yummy. I still ate it but it did not impress me at all.</div>
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I got my bill. Service was really nice and pleasant. Nothing to complain about there. I walked across the street to that mini mart and bought a couple of more things for my room, then I walked up the scary road. Once at the hotel I went to bed. </div>
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<b><u>Thursday, May 14th:</u></b></div>
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I awoke early and went down for breakfast (included with room price) at 8am. Vassilis greeted me warmly and showed me how to get there.</div>
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Breakfast was a buffet set up, with hot food as well, including scrambled eggs, sausage and potatoes. No ketchup though. Then yogurt, cereal, pastries, breads, lunch meat, cheese & Greek cheese, dolmathes, etc. They bring you your choice of coffee or tea. And there is OJ, and water at one's disposal.<br />
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After breakfast I went to the main square to get my laundry done. There is no self-serve laundry on the island. This one charged $10 € for one load - washed, dried and folded. I found that reasonable and they said it would be ready in 2 hours. I proceeded to walk around tentatively, not wanting to get lost in the maze at this point.<br />
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But soon, I found the Windmills! Vassilis had told me how to get there so I went and looked at those and then made my way to "Little Venice" which is waterfront and really a tourist trap, but it is a nice setting with beautiful views and a nice breeze. <br />
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As I was looking at which place I would sit at, I saw this man fishing (below). I managed to gather from him that he fished everyday and cooked it. And that he loved Mykonos, and Canada. :) He also showed me his catch of the day and wanted to see the picture I took of him. He nodded his head in approval.<br />
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I moved a couple of chairs down to where the yellow benches were. It was called Galleraki. On their business card, they called themselves a "Dive Bar". I ordered a Champagne.<br />
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I enjoyed the view and a while later I ordered something called "Toast" $4 €. This reminded me of the "bikini" sandwich I had in Spain. Ham & Cheese though this one had tomato too. I saw them at other spots on the island for as low as $1 €.<br />
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Then it was time to pick up my laundry. Everything was folded beautiful and all my clothes smelled like lavender. I went back to the hotel and asked Vassilis if he knew of any "walking tours" that would teach me my way around the maze. He said he knew of a private guide and called him but it was $90 € for two hours. I told him I had found a four hour tour that was half bus and half walking for $35 €. He reminded me it would be full of other people. I told him I'd go look online and decide. The next tour wasn't till Saturday which was too late for me. I decided to scrap the idea. I decided I'd just go get lost . :)<br />
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Vassilis told me he had called the guy again and said he would give me a deal of $70 € for the two hours so I agreed. I was to meet him at 2pm in the lobby. I wandered around a bit. I found this great bakery.<br />
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So, since Vassilis has been so nice and helpful since I've arrived I brought him a chocolate croissant and I tried the Margarita Pizza later which was very good. I went back another time too. They make sub sandwiches for $3 € and the leek pie was also very good. I dropped mine off in the room and got ready for the tour.<br />
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The guide was right on time. Vassilis talked to him in Greek and told him to show me where the restaurants I wanted to go to were. He also told him to take me to some of the museums and give me his knowledge of Mykonos. And with that, we left. <br />
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We started our way and he told me very little, mostly about the businesses we were passing by. At times he had trouble with the English translation of words too. He would start to tell me something and then tell me he didn't know the word(s). He showed me his favourite flowering tree but couldn't tell me what it was called. It was pretty and this was it below. Other than that, I understood him well.<br />
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I highly recommend going into this <a href="http://www.raritygallery.com/" target="_blank">place</a>!</div>
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The art of people looked so real, I swore they were going to jump out at me</div>
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Comfy kitty at one of the shops</div>
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A lot of the streets were this narrow</div>
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Which way? Left or Right?</div>
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Church of Panagia Paraportiani, so interesting!</div>
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Loved the old architecture</div>
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The port where you catch the boats to see Delos. You can buy tickets too.</div>
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Tree did an "oopsie"</div>
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View from the other side of the port</div>
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We pretty much finished the tour at the <a href="http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh151.jsp?obj_id=3301" target="_blank">Mykonos Archaeological Museum</a>. The guide told me it was $2 € and after I paid, he told me he'd wait for me outside. I certainly wasn't expecting that. I guess I was spoiled by my last guide on Santorini and I expected him to tell me all the relevance of what I would see.</div>
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I didn't spend much time because it was a lot of "vases" and such. Lovely, but as I said, without a guide (especially one standing outside), it was not the most enjoyable experience. I mentioned that at the end and the woman at the desk took me over and told me she would show me the most significant piece here which is below.</div>
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This burial container or "pithos"was discovered in Mykonos with partial baby remains in it . The scenes on it proved that the "Trojan War and Fall of Troy" was not a myth and actually existed. At least that was my understanding of what she told me.</div>
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After I got outside my guide explained that only "licensed guides" could show museums. At this point, I was hot and tired from all the walking. I asked him to show me my dining places in direct relation on how I would walk from my hotel. He made a recommendation that I liked for dinner so I let him go fifteen minutes early and found my way back to the hotel. I understood "the maze" a little better now. I wasn't sure I knew much, but I did know I could find where I wanted to go for dinner. :) Worth $70 €? NO. However, no big deal, I certainly wasn't going to dwell on it...</div>
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I wanted to be sure I could find my restaurant so I left early for dinner this evening. I was there a half hour before so I chose to have a drink in a wine bar I saw on the same block as the dining establishment.</div>
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I ordered a really good Greek Sparkling wine (below) for $6 € and they serve nice nibbles with it too. I really, really liked this wine and I loved the place too.</div>
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My dinner tonight was at <a href="http://www.m-eating.gr/eng/" target="_blank">M Eating</a> and I made a reservation in advance. I think it's advised to do so. I was seated up on the balcony. </div>
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<span id="goog_1185215660"></span><span id="goog_1185215661"></span>I took this pic earlier with the guide when it wasn't open<br />
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My view faced this fast food Gyro/Souvlaki shop (below) that I wanted to try. It was always busy every time I went by. Unfortunately, I never ended up making it there. It was called <a href="http://sakisgrillhouse.yolasite.com/" target="_blank">Sakis</a> and gets great reviews.</div>
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I had a glass of Rosé</div>
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This is my appetizer dish from the front and back side. It was "Cycladic octopus on green fava and black fish roe" for $16 €. Very good. I am/was so surprised at how rich and filling octopus is.</div>
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My second dish was Pancetta and Pork neck for $20.00 €. It had Caramelised pancetta and pork neck (of Duroc variety) duet, accompanied with onion ragout and aubergine mousse.</div>
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This was soooooo good! Especially the gravy. I could hardly dent it though. I asked to take it and I thought he understood but he never brought it back. :( By this time I started talking to another table. They were a really nice couple from the Channel Islands and we had a great time chatting. I asked them to join me for a drink after dinner and we went to back to the Wine Bar I was at earlier.<br />
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Complimentary dessert was a very decadent, though very sweet chocolate</div>
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We shared a LOT of laughs and really just had a good time getting to know each other. I was so happy I got to meet them, they are great people. Their last day was tomorrow. We said good night about a 11:30pm and I think I may have staggered a little enroute to my hotel room on that scary road. Every time a vehicle/bike came by, I would back myself up to the side and wait for them to pass. It probably took me a long time to walk back!<br />
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<b><u>Friday, May 15th:</u></b><br />
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I was planning to go to Delos today, but honestly, I just didn't feel like it. I thought I'd just walk around town again and see where it took me. I was slow getting started and didn't leave until close to lunch time. I stopped at this place below and tried a half pork gyro plate for $5 €. The Prosecco cost me $8 €.<br />
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It was fine. A little salty. Nothing special or different than I can get at home. I wished I went to Sakis instead but there was certainly nothing wrong with it.<br />
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I made my way back to the port and saw my friends from last night. I joined them and had a Greek Iced Coffee. Strong, but good. They were taking the ferry to the marina so I continued walking and came across a pelican. I don't see that everyday.<br />
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After more walking, I decided to stop when I saw this place called "<a href="http://www.fatoamano.gr/en/" target="_blank">Fato a Mano</a>". I liked the name is why I stopped. First off, after I was seated facing onto the street (where the server is setting the table below), the first thing I noticed that this was the FIRST time since I've been in Greece that I sat in a comfy chair!!! That is very lacking here. So, I actually sat a while and enjoyed it. I ordered a tuna salad.<br />
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Service was nice. I enjoyed sitting here watching people walk on by...Next I found this cute little "Mexican" themed bar. It (she) was busy selling iced coffees to the locals but I stopped in for a drink instead. <br />
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I had a cucumber, ginger Martini for $12 €. The lady I talked to was from Athens was very sweet and friendly and was here working for the "season" like most. I was going to come back here, but I never found it again.<br />
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So, for dinner tonight, I took the recommendation of my guide to a place called "Maereio's". I could not figure out the name from the picture I had of it but when I told my hotel front desk, they knew immediately. The guide had told me this restaurant was family owned. The mother cooked and the two sons did front of house. He said it was true Greek home style cooking. Only four tables inside and one out front. I liked this, so I had to go. My hotel told me to go before 8pm and I'd have no problem getting seated as they didn't take reservations. That was true. I got there at 7:30 and was seated no problem.<br />
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I ordered Mykonian Sausage ($7 €) as my first dish and was surprised at how much was there. I only could eat a couple of pieces and asked her (my server) if I could take it but again she never came back with it. I later realized, I needed to ask in a different way. One brother was behind the bar mixing what looked like great drinks and the other was doing table service. Both were easy on the eyes and that was a bonus.<br />
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One of the specials of the evening was "Shrimp Saganaki" and not on the menu. I thought I'd try it. All I can say is that this dish, blew my mind! It was so good, I was just shocked. My mouth just exploded with flavour. What a treat! There were no leftovers to take. I never had this dish anywhere else so I can't compare it. I do know that I will be trying to re-create it at home.<br />
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"Heaven"</div>
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When leaving, there was a line up out the door to get in. Afterwards, I stopped at what I thought was that "Mexican" bar from earlier but it wasn't. It was a totally different place but about the same size. I had a drink and chat with the bartender who was Chris from Athens. He was very nice, intelligent, spoke with great English and it was a pleasure talking with him. And then, I took my tired body back to the hotel and to bed.</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, May 16th:</u></b></div>
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Every day since I've been in Mykonos, my front desk has told me to go to the beach. To be honest, I was so turned off with the bus in Santorini, I didn't want to, but today was the day. It was another hot day and I <i>had</i> to go. They recommended I go to Ornos beach so that is what I did. I went to the ticket booth in the Main Square and bought return tickets for Ornos for $1.60 € each way. I got on the 10:15am bus.</div>
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It didn't take long, maybe 15 minutes and we were there. It seemed overcast in the morning but there was a nice breeze and it felt good.<br />
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My afternoon desk girl named Kali recommended I go this restaurant and beach bar below, so I did.<br />
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I got a chair like this and they advised there was no charge. Wine was reasonably priced at $4 € and I sat here for a couple of hours and enjoyed the breeze. The water was cold but I wasn't swimming, just wanted to put my feet in the Aegean sea.<br />
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I finally had enough sun and went to have lunch. I had a Seafood Salad for $16 € and it was really quite delicious. I was quite happy with it. Shrimp, Squid & Octopus.<br />
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Bread was complimentary here</div>
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I took my time and then decided to make my way down to Kuzina (also recommended by Kali) for a drink. It was really hot now about 3 in the afternoon. <br />
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I got back to the hotel about 5pm. The bus had no air conditioning!!! It was like an oven. The driver had nothing open but his driver window. Everyone was sitting there fanning themselves with whatever they had and the drive back felt very long because of it. Horrible.<br />
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When I got back to the hotel in the afternoon, I usually asked Kali to make me a Bodum drip coffee and then I'd go have a Bailey's coffee in my room with the cool A/C. The only English station on t.v. was CNN so I caught up on news.<br />
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Dinner tonight was at Nautilus. They don't have a website and apparently don't need to. I also made a reservation in advance by email. It is right beside "M Eating" so of course I went to the wine bar, Vino's first.<br />
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But before that, I stopped at "Lena's House" which is a folk museum showing a true Mykonian house of a woman "Lena", who made textiles in the 19th century.<br />
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On my way to the wine bar, I ran into this clown on stilts in the middle of the street. He spread his legs and motioned for me to go through under them. That seriously made me laugh out loud. He let me pass, the normal way and told me it was my lucky day.<br />
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Nautilus is right next door to the wine bar.<br />
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When you sit, they present you with the fresh fish they have in house for the night. These options were very expensive. I believe it was over $100 € for Lobster with Pasta. I started with a Negroni drink and an eggplant starter with a Greek cheese. I didn't pay much attention to the menu details because I thought I could get it online after, but I couldn't because they're not there. Anyway, both the drink and appy were very good. I ate every drop off the plate.<br />
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My entree was Seabass. This had some puréed potatoes and a citrus butter sauce. I also cleaned my plate with this dish. It was very good. Service was great. The co-owner and also my server reminded me of a "Greek Fabio". He had long flowing hair and tight white pants on. He was better looking though and had a great smile. This was my most expensive meal in Greece so far. With the one drink & water, it was $61 € before tip. After dinner I returned to the hotel for the evening.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday, May 17th:</u></b><br />
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After talking to Spiros at the hotel, he suggested I visit Paraga beach (said it was his favourite) today and <a href="http://www.tavernatasos-mykonos.gr/en/" target="_blank">Tasos Tavern</a> for lunch. I got the bus at 11:15am. I settled on chairs at a place called <a href="http://kalua.gr/" target="_blank">Kalua Bar & Restaurant</a> for $6 €. I did because they had pillows. It was $2 € for a towel. <br />
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It really was enjoyable here and another beautiful hot day. Temps were about 28 degrees the whole time I was in Mykonos, which the locals told me was a bit higher than usual for this time. They said it is normally around 22 degrees. It is a dry heat with no humidity so I was fine, thankfully. I doubt there's need to say but it is much nicer at the beach than in town when it's hot. I wished I had spent every day at the beach and then the town in the evening.<br />
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About 2:30, I made my way for lunch.<br />
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Saganaki Cheese, it was sooo good</div>
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Greek Meatballs and the Fries were delicious!</div>
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My server understood that I wanted my leftovers to go! I told him I wanted to take it with me, home and he nodded and brought it back, no problem. I went and caught the bus back to the hotel. The bus was full as the last stop on this route is "Paradise Beach" and so it seemed everyone was going there and I had to squish in and stand. It was fine after we got there though and I got a seat. The different buses all run on one route, in a circle.</div>
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When I got back to the room, I realized I was a bit red and burned. I put some aloe gel on and had a bit of a nap. I had dinner reservations this evening at a place called "<a href="http://www.bakalo.gr/index.php/en/" target="_blank">Bakalo</a>" but I ended up sleeping through them. I was not feeling very well. About 10pm I ordered some salad & pasta from a place called <a href="http://dangelo.com.gr/" target="_blank">D'Angelo</a> which was close by and delivered. I had a few bites and slept through until morning!</div>
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<b><u>Monday, May 18th (a.k.a. Last Day):</u></b></div>
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I got up and ate leftovers for breakfast and got ready to go to Paradise Beach today. I was feeling much better after all the rest. The bus price for all three beaches I've visited was the same, $1.60 € each way.</div>
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And finally, the reward</div>
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I plopped myself at a sun bed at Tropicana. The chair was $4 € and so was the umbrella. No towels but there was a store you could buy one at. It was hot again today, the water was cold but very refreshing. I ordered a bottle of white wine on ice for $18 €. I didn't finish it but I didn't have to worry about service either as it wasn't very good today, almost non-existent.</div>
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I had had enough sun by 2pm today so decided to head back to town. A lady I shared my seat with on the way here was also waiting for the bus. We started to talk and she was from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and was here by herself on this leg of her trip and just arrived yesterday.</div>
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It turns out our hotels were right across the street from each other so I offered to show her where the laundry was and then take her to the Windmills. We met 10 minutes after we returned to our hotels and were on our way. As I was pointing out the laundry, I unfortunately caught my foot in a pot hole and twisted my ankle. I showed her how to walk to Little Venice and took her to Katerina's for a drink/snack. The view is very nice here and she really liked it.</div>
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We shared some Grilled Feta</div>
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and Calamari</div>
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We finished with coffees. She had a Greek coffee, and I had a Greek iced coffee with milk.</div>
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We picked up her laundry and agreed to meet outside our hotels at 8pm for dinner. I told her I would take her to Maereio's and she seemed interested. We made our way and I showed her through the maze. We joked that she got a tour guide for free. The place was full but someone had just left outside so we managed to snag that coveted table.<br />
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I ordered a Mojito, which was very good and refreshing. Brazil agreed with me.</div>
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We shared some Saganaki cheese because she had never tried it before and loves cheese. We enjoyed it Since Shrimp Saganaki was one of the specials again, we both had that too. I know I already posted a picture of it, but it warrants another one!</div>
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They brought us a complimentary Semolina Dessert with chocolate. I let her have mine after I had a taste since I don't do desserts often. She enjoyed it.</div>
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After dinner, I took her to my favourite Wine Bar and showed her the restaurants I had dined at. The "Greek Fabio" waved and smiled jubilantly at me as I passed by. She remarked that I was like a celebrity in Mykonos. That made me smile but I reminded her that I had been there 6 days now. :) </div>
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The wine bar greeted us kindly. My ankle was killing me so the owner made me an ice pack which helped immensely. We drank Debina Sparkling until just before midnight and walked the scary road back, in the dark. We hugged good bye and told each other how much we had enjoyed the day together and went on our merry way to the room. I was really happy I met her to spend my last day with.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 19th:</u></b></div>
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Check out was noon and Vassilis came and got my luggage. Just a note, I paid $100 € a night on Expedia but I found that other guests only paid $70 € using different websites (Booking.com), so choose carefully. We hugged good-bye and then the owner Mihali (Michael in English) drove me to the airport ($10 €). More hugs good-bye and I prepared for my 17 hour travel day home. I had a splendid time in Mykonos. I went at a perfect time of year and I will remember this trip fondly for a long time to come.</div>
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com2Míkonos, Greece37.4467185 25.32886229999996937.421505 25.28852179999997 37.471932 25.369202799999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-847817662489818814.post-82594613533493848122015-05-12T00:24:00.003-07:002021-05-16T16:40:24.436-07:00Santorini, Greece Trip Report - May 6 - 13, 2015This year I decided to do something totally different from my usual thoughts of travel. Our dollar was sucking in the U.S.A. anyway, and I wanted to go somewhere that I have <i>never</i> been. However, the Euro equally sucked for me. It started out at $1.50 CAD for me to buy ONE Euro and then it got a bit better and was about $1.38 when I bought just before I left for my trip.<br />
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I've always wanted to go to Greece. My son said Corfu was his favourite spot on his trip of 32 days in Western Europe so it further added to me desiring to go. I've always thought that visitors to Greece would be mainly "romantic couples" so I wasn't sure I was up for being "single & solo" at 50 years old there. I decided to stay in busy tourist trap islands full of cruise visitors so I might have a chance of not worrying about lack of romance for my days there by mingling with other tourists who perhaps were not necessarily there for their honeymoon...<br />
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The rest of me just wanted to eat Greek food, drink good wine and gaze at the beautiful scenery. I booked accommodation at the <a href="http://www.arialito.com/" target="_blank">Aria Lito Mansion</a> and it looked stunning though I booked it because of the location. It apparently was in the centre/hub of Fira but tucked quietly away so you could relax. The hotel was polite and responsive in email communications. I arranged a semi-private shuttle through them for airport pick up for a cost of $12 €. They advised the cost would be charged to my hotel bill.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 6th:</u></b><br />
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I did not look forward to today. My total travel time was about a full day, if everything went according to plan. I headed to YVR airport at 6am for my 8am flight. First stop DFW (Dallas). Next stop was LHR (London) and then finally onto Santorini (JTR).<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, May 7th:</u></b><br />
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Exactly 26 hours after I woke up on May 6th, I arrived in Santorini around 4pm. My arranged transportation was waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. Below is my first view and it was at the airport.<br />
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I knew once we started driving that I would never want to drive there! One lane each way and I don't think I saw any stop lights. My driver stopped dead in the middle of the "main road" busy street and the hotel guy came down to take out my luggage. I was not sure what was going on and she told me I had to get out and go with him. I gave her 5 € as a tip and followed behind him and crossed the street with the patient traffic. <br />
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The hotel was nice and the staff very welcoming. They offered a welcome wine cocktail but I just took water which "the hotel guy" brought. I checked in at $600 € for 6 days. I pre-booked that on Expedia but paid today. She gave me a tour and escorted me to my room. It was nice, double bed. HIGH ceilings, good A/C and the WiFi worked fine. A true mansion and I think only 23 rooms though some of those are suites. The hotel guy came with my luggage right after and I gave him 5 € too. I have no idea what is acceptable tipping here so I just did what I normally would do.<br />
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With her (Reception's) directions, I walked down the main road to the nearest "mini mart" and bought some wine and water for my room. Scary as there was no sidewalks, just the side of the road - one lane on each side and you! I certainly didn't want to do that walk at night or after drinking! I asked her about tipping and she advised I should tip $3 - 5 € for meals and $1 - 2 € for each drink if I'm at a bar. That was my "Tips 101" lesson. Then I got in my jammies and went to bed. It was about 5pm Greece time. I was exhausted beyond words. Sleep took me immediately.<br />
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I awoke at 10pm. I called the front desk and asked if there was anywhere really close that was open that I could go eat at. They recommended <a href="http://santorinikapari.gr/" target="_blank">Kapari</a> which was on my list (research) of places to go to. I got ready and went to the Main Street and then it was just right next door to my hotel. <br />
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It had a very comfortable alfresco setting and I enjoyed it. Especially since there was smoking. It didn't bother me at all but I know it would have if I was inside. I'm the worst ex-smoker there is. Staff were welcoming and kind. It was bustling busy for them at that time of night but I did know that people dine late here. Late for me is 8pm! The restaurant was full except for 2 tables. I ordered water and a 1/4 litre of red house wine to start. They brought me some bread and dip. <br />
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I can't even tell you how good I thought that dip was but I used it on everything in my meal. I asked her and she said it was only yoghurt, mustard, olive oil, capers and salt & pepper and that it was very simple. It was simply delicious!<br />
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Next course I ordered what is said to be a Santorini speciality, Tomato Croquettes. I immediately fell in love with them. And, even better with that dip!<br />
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I then ordered Lamb served in vine leaves with cheese, vegetables. While good, it isn't something I'd order again. The lamb was tender and all elements tasted fine. It just wasn't anything special.<br />
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I asked for the croquettes to go with some "dip" and she packed it up for me. She brought me a dessert "shot" (turns out it was Vinsanto - sweet wine) and a fresh lavender sachet packet with the bill. It was $23 € without tip and I thought that was fantastic. Great value for my experience. I expected I would return. <br />
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It was about 1am after I returned to my room and puttered around unpacking and I went to bed and slept through till about 5:30am.<br />
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<b><u>Friday, May 8th:</u></b><br />
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I awoke and ate those tomato fritters. They have a fridge in the room with mini/bar. They were so good! I lied back down till about 7 and started writing up this trip report and then showered. I made my way out for breakfast about 9am. It was a gorgeous day! The "hotel guy (Marios)" from yesterday brought me my breakfast in a very nice outdoor courtyard setting.<br />
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The view from my table</div>
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My breakfast arrived pretty much as soon as I sat down, though he did ask me if I wanted coffee or tea when I walked out. I chose coffee. Immediately he brought a tray over that also included fresh squeezed O.J.</div>
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Loved those 2 balls of yoghurt in the upper right corner!</div>
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I think this breakfast would be a nice start to anyone's day and I quite enjoyed it. And then I headed out to see the town...<br />
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Directly behind my hotel was this church below to which I heard the clock bells in my hotel room daily. It was also a good landmark to find my way home.<br />
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Navigating the cobblestone streets</div>
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No way was I getting a "Fish Pedicure" from a place called "Dr. Fish"</div>
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"Main Street"</div>
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And back up the hill brought me this incredible view - breathtaking</div>
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In Panoramic view</div>
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After all my walking, I got back to the hotel about 1:30pm and I was HOT. Walking up that cobblestone paved hill is not as easy as I thought. I sat in my room and cooled down with the A/C. I had pre-booked a <a href="http://santorini-private-guide.com/" target="_blank">private tour</a> and pick up was at 2:30. Kostas was right on time and we headed out. He told me he would let me explore Fira & Oia (pronounced Ee-ah) on my own but would take me to see the rest of the island. First stop was the Blue Dome in Firostefani,</div>
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It is a church and affords you fabulous views, of course. Almost everywhere on the island does that to be honest. Kostas told all the relevant information and history and is very well spoken and easy to listen to.</div>
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I enjoyed the view to the right of the blue dome just as much</div>
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And we were off. We stopped here (below) next, but I honestly don't remember the story or where we were! We covered a lot of ground and I didn't take any notes or anything.</div>
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We drove along and saw a vineyard. It was so interesting to learn that the grapes are grown like birds nests to protect the grapes. See below.</div>
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Red Beach, Akrotiri</div>
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And then it was onto the <a href="http://www.akrotiri-santorini.org/" target="_blank">Akrotiri Excavation Site</a>. The entrance fee is $5 €. Now this is pretty interesting. I highly recommend you get a guide for this. Kostas had so much information on his iPad and told me the complete story of the collapse of the Minoan civilization caused by the eruption of the Thira volcano. The pictures below won't really mean anything without the story, unfortunately.</div>
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A bathtub</div>
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I was sad to learn the excavation cannot be completed because there is no money to continue.</div>
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Parking at our next destination, Anna's Farm stand afforded me the view of miniature ponies below.</div>
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We went into this shop where Anna greeted us and then we moved out to the deck area. I then received a "sample plate".</div>
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The spoons were jams. The small bowl was sweets. The plate had caper leaves, olives, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes with fava puree (yellow split peas), olive tapenade and tomato paste on barley rusks (crisp bread). There were also four samples of her home made wine(s). </div>
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I did buy some of her sun-dried tomatoes to take for home at $6 €. Our next stop was Black beach (below).</div>
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This is the fishing port of Vlychada</div>
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Vlychada Beach. The dark grey sand is due to Volcanic Ash</div>
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Next we drove up this very scary (to me) winding road to the highest point in Santorini which is a monastery.</div>
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Inside the Monastery</div>
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The View</div>
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Next we did a walk through Pyrgos Village. Kostas had many stories and I enjoyed learning about all the little tiny chapels I have seen around Santorini. They are used one day a year for the celebration of a patron saint namesake, primarily. </div>
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Walking the cobblestones, we saw a man loading up a donkey. Now, I don't see that everyday!</div>
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Beautiful old architecture</div>
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Donkey stable</div>
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A grapevine</div>
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View at the top of the village</div>
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I love this picture!</div>
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And then it was off to <a href="http://www.santowines.gr/en/" target="_blank">Santo Wines</a> for the sunset. One balcony was closed due to a wedding but I still found where we sat fine, though Kostas said our view was not as good. I ordered a "wine sampler" for $14 €. </div>
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And then finally the beautiful sunset. Sigh...</div>
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The price for this tour was $350 €. That is with a $50 discount he gave me for being solo. He can take up to 8 people and that would be more reasonable. That being said, however, this was worth every dollar I paid. I could not ask for a better day and I felt exhilarated after! I felt like I made a great friend and we had a wonderful time. It was about 9:30 pm when he dropped me off so we had a 7 hour day.</div>
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I walked back up to the caldera view restaurants but many were closed at this time so I stopped in at <a href="http://www.da-costarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Da Costa restaurant</a>. I had a great talk with my waiter who was from Athens. He comes here to work for high season (Apr - Oct). It sounds like they work to the bone! I'm really glad I came before all the visitors started to arrive which is about the end of May. The weather was also perfect, not too hot and a beautiful breeze so far. I do not like unbearable heat.</div>
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The food I had was Greek Salad & Moussaka. Neither was very exciting (kind of bland) but certainly edible. </div>
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It was just after 11:30pm when I returned to the room, and I fell asleep in utter exhaustion, again...</div>
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<b><u>Saturday, May 9th:</u></b></div>
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Well as long as yesterday was, today will be short so it will balance out! I awoke late, and my legs & feet were SORE! I knew there wouldn't be much activity going on today. I finally made it out for breakfast at 10:30am. Then I wandered up to the shops to do my souvenir shopping. </div>
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I got that done in a couple of hours at a very slow pace. There are so many shops, you have to do comparisons to settle as a lot sell the same items, though at different prices. I probably didn't make any wise choices but I did get a few things so I was happy. </div>
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I decided to go have lunch with a caldera view. I have to be honest, I didn't even know what caldera meant when I first started researching Santorini. I had to look it up. "A large crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone". Anyway, I decided on <a href="http://character.gr/index.php/en/" target="_blank">Character restaurant</a>.</div>
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Seafood salad - with octopus, avgotaraho (fish roe), ahinosalata (sea urchin roe) and a citrus fruit dressing $19.95 €</div>
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The salad was delicious but a little light on seafood for my money. But, as you can see the view made it worth the price and because the food tasted so good, I won't complain. And then I went back to the hotel.</div>
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I was beat! I just wanted to nap, but I didn't. I figured I better write up the trip report while it was still fresh on my mind and I had so many pictures to sort through from yesterday.</div>
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I needed a break from that so went out and sat by the pool with a glass of wine enjoying the fresh air and nice breeze.</div>
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And then I returned to the room to try and finish up the trip report to current time...the bed looked so inviting though. I love the room. It has the highest ceilings I have ever seen! I can't even get it in a picture but the ceiling is probably another 5 feet higher from the top curtain rod.</div>
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At 7pm I went for dinner at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaltandPepperSantorini" target="_blank">Salt & Pepper</a>. This place is directly in front of my hotel and I made reservations before I came. It is so small, you need to. The owner/hostess I emailed with, Irina, was so welcoming. She really is the "hostess with mostest". I was so tired though, I just wanted to eat and get to bed.</div>
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I ordered water (you can't drink tap water in Santorini), a glass of wine, tomato balls and grilled octopus with fava beans. The meal was cooked very well, it was home cooking. They gave me bread and a complimentary dolmathe to start. Then a honey, custard, whip cream banana crepe for dessert. They were delicious too.<br />
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Irina packed my remaining tomato balls to go. All this for $23 €! Can't complain about that. I thanked them and told them I'd see them Tuesday for my next reservation. And then I went to the room and went lights out at about 8:30pm.</div>
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<b><u>Sunday, May 10th:</u></b></div>
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I didn't sleep quite through until morning and got up for a couple of hours and chatted with my son on facebook for a bit. I awoke about 9:30. I felt better today as opposed to feeling like a zombie yesterday. Yesterday, I booked a <a href="http://www.santoriniwinetour.com/santorini_cooking_class" target="_blank">Winery tour & Cooking class</a> with the front desk for $125 €. It was picking me up at 10:55am. I wanted to go Monday but they only had today available. Beautiful bells were ringing from the church, I guess for mass. I ate the remaining tomato balls for breakfast and had a shower.<br />
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Driver (Ilias) was right on time and we had a full van. Two from Australia, three from India and two others from the U.S. Our first stop was <a href="http://www.boutari.gr/en/main.php" target="_blank">Boutari winery</a>. Kostas had told me that Santorini specializes in white wine and that's what I should drink here. Ilias also said the same thing, He said to drink Assyrtiko wines. I usually only drink red but I did enjoy all the white "tastes" I had.<br />
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We started off in the vineyard learning about the special growing of the grapes and the way they are trained to grow (birds nests which I mentioned earlier). Below are very young grapes and Ilias.<br />
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Then it was off to the cellars.<br />
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And then it was time for the tasting. A plate was brought and we were told what to eat with each wine. My favourite pairing was the Blue Cheese with the sweet red wine. <br />
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After the tasting finished we had 10 minutes to shop in the store. I bought a cab sav and a cava (which was not cava as I know it - sparkling, it was a medium-full bodied red).<br />
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And then we were off to Exo Gonia to a small family run winery called <a href="http://artemiskaramolegkoswine.homestead.com/santorini-winery-karamolegos-home.html" target="_blank">Artemis Karamolegos</a>.<br />
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The doorway featured a "grape stomping" room where you got in the tub and stomped and a drain carried the wine out. We sat outside this room, here and had a small tasting. Apparently they specialize in Vinsanto - the sweet dessert wine. I didn't try any.<br />
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Then it was off to our final destination in Megalochori at Gavalas Winery. I loved this place the moment we arrived. The setting was just beautiful and it made me happy. Here we were just able to order whatever wine we wanted in full glasses now. :) <br />
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The chef (below) came out to greet us, but I don't remember his name, only that he was married yesterday!<br />
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I found out that I wasn't "really" cooking when I saw our stations. Look at the knifes (below). They said they couldn't give "real" ones any more since someone had cut themselves. So, I became a bored "Mise en place chef" very quickly, but enjoyed watching everyone slice cherry tomatoes with a dull plastic knife and I ordered more wine - I was drinking Rosé now... :)<br />
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We made the "Santorini Salad" & "Tomato Fritters" first</div>
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My head notes from this was that the difference between this and Greek salad was that this one uses cherry tomatoes and Greek salad regular tomatoes. Also, Chef said the cheese quality is better in the Santorini salad. We used a mild goat cheese called "Chloro". The tomato fritters are (as you know if you've been reading this far) a Santorini speciality and I was thrilled when I found out this was on the menu!</div>
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Next up was Fava puree, also a Santorini speciality. These looked like yellow split peas (below in raw on the left and peeled state on the right) to me, or as I call them "French Canadian split peas" but Chef told me these are NOT the same though I can't remember why now...probably because I ordered another glass of wine...we also started the "Pork fillet in Vinsanto sauce" soon after.</div>
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And then our creations were all done. We all got to taste with the Chef and then were seated for dinner after, which included all the same dishes. We all had no idea that would happen and wished we didn't stuff ourselves with the first cooking demo dishes!</div>
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Below is our finished Santorini salad and it was absolutely delicious! I LOVE those caper leaves on top! That is something I don't get at home.</div>
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Next dish below is the tomato fritters. OMG, these were the best I've had so far! The greenery in them is spearmint leaves and green onions. The table knew how much I loved them and let me take the remainders home with me so I could I have them for breakfast.</div>
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Lastly, below was the Pork Vinsanto with Fava puree. That sauce was heavenly! About this point, our wine server (a young girl maybe early 20's?) told me how much she loved my earrings. I told her she could have them and she laughed and hurried off. I didn't think any more of it.</div>
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They offered us coffee and brought us a complimentary dessert (cinnamon cake?) below. I only had a taste. Our server asked me where I bought my earrings. I told her "Canada" and again asked her if she wanted them. These are not expensive and I truly meant it. She seemed really embarrassed this time and ran off. So I asked my dining table what they thought. Personally, I felt weird about giving earrings that I have worn already. Half agreed and half said I should give them to her. So, I took them off and went to look for her. I took Ilias with me and asked him to tell her to use "rubbing alcohol" on them to clean them up. :P</div>
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She was having a staff meal now and when I gave them to her, she acted like I gave her a million dollars. She hugged me so tight and thanked me over and over. I felt really happy that I could "make her day" with such a trivial item. I went back and had a bite of the dessert.</div>
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Then we were soon off home after Chef gave us the recipes for all he made that day. He had also made some extra vegetarian dishes as there were some in our party. Those dishes weren't on the recipe sheet but he gave verbal instructions for those that wanted the recipes. They were delicious eggplant dishes. One was Baba ghanoush and the other was Deep Fried Eggplant in a Tomato Sauce.</div>
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And then, even though we were supposed to be back at our hotel by 4:30pm, it was 7:30pm when he Ilias let me off. I went directly to bed! I expected to nap, but I didn't awake until early the next morning!!</div>
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<b><u>Monday, May 11th:</u></b></div>
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It probably isn't surprising I was up, showered and ready for the day just after 7am. I of course had the tomato fritters for breakfast and just went to the courtyard for coffee only. Then I got bus directions for Oia from the lovely hotel manager Ioanna. She has been so wonderful and so helpful to me since I made my reservation. Her answers are very well thought out and you can see she really cares about making you happy. She does great maps and explains everything you need to know in great detail. She suggested I walk down to Ammoudi Bay and said I should not miss it while there and advised to have lunch at a fish taverna while there as well.<br />
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I made my way to the bus stop about a block up the main street and as soon as I took the picture below, the bus was there.<br />
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The doors opened at the back of the bus and we squeezed on, squished body to body and tried to hang on! Wow, so not what I was expecting. I had a bottle of water and camera in one hand an $1.60 € in the other and had to figure that out because I could barely move. Not to mention we were speedily winding around the narrow road high over the cliff side and I had to close my eyes and just pray that the bus didn't go over the cliff today. :)<br />
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Then a bus employee squeezed his way through collecting everyone's fares. When he made it at the back to where I was, he could not push his way out and was stuck there until we reached Oia. About 15 or 20 minutes later, we arrived.<br />
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The main square was very similar to Fira and so were the shops except the pavement was smoother. Everything around was white and it just seemed/felt more upscale but the shops, restaurants, etc. were exactly the same. But there was double the people - by the time I left it was packed like sardines, just like the bus! <br />
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The views were stunning. I will forever remember how deeply moving the scenery was in Greece. Nothing like I've ever seen before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWzrOCqhKtwHKILU2FPp-lBjcMonHvZXJp_RB3-zBLxj7Y3t9tFDu95ihoXToUod5peT2TxMLNkdAdE5AdAwOJELetvDxnjlKokoyNQeV0CMpJWP6mTb63Bkg377quQzaZ6mSCB3uqnss/s1600/IMG_2653.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWzrOCqhKtwHKILU2FPp-lBjcMonHvZXJp_RB3-zBLxj7Y3t9tFDu95ihoXToUod5peT2TxMLNkdAdE5AdAwOJELetvDxnjlKokoyNQeV0CMpJWP6mTb63Bkg377quQzaZ6mSCB3uqnss/s640/IMG_2653.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And then I went to the Visitor's Centre so I could get directions on how to walk down to Ammoudi Bay. She advised me it was about a 20 minute walk down the main road and said that I should have lunch at <a href="http://www.ammoudi-santorini.gr/" target="_blank">Ammoudi Fish restaurant</a>. In fact, she called them and made a reservation for me. Then she sent me on my way and I was nervous, as the directions were like; straight, left, left and follow the road...I headed out...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Gp7UUUQGkWyAaBRetHk2RQ2QUo5crDW4e8h3b_3mdN4SuEK38S5OlNeER-4GYJLzo35JSC220NYXIb8FeGqTk9xUfoNzqwB40Gj4U5DNH7R9anUPJt8V9ozE9BX1SiIaKFB50j4LkO_/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Gp7UUUQGkWyAaBRetHk2RQ2QUo5crDW4e8h3b_3mdN4SuEK38S5OlNeER-4GYJLzo35JSC220NYXIb8FeGqTk9xUfoNzqwB40Gj4U5DNH7R9anUPJt8V9ozE9BX1SiIaKFB50j4LkO_/s640/IMG_2666.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So far, so good!</div>
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Then a couple of times I got confused. I felt all alone (no other people around) and the road choice could go either way at times. I was so scared I picked the wrong way. So I remember my guide Kostas had told me I could just wave any car down and they would stop and help if needed. So, I did that - three times and they all stopped and helped with directions! When I finally got on this path below, I felt much better!</div>
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And then I was there! And right at the restaurant too. Immediately I was so happy I did this!<br />
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I checked in and they had one of the best view tables waiting for me.<br />
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I ordered fish soup and fried baby squid (which my server said was calamari). It came with a mayo like, squid ink dip. Both dishes were very good. The soup very simple but flavourful. It only had fish and potatoes. The squid was perfectly cooked and tender. I was very content here.<br />
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View to my left</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkByC_X3eepqJe8UdNGWz8pBcfCUBeu_yj-lzyfq8zPIwaziWvBELX-mkrPOgpH6A3SRLSzcbNW5i2M6tqODAyTCNrYasPu7ME2JTlYBCD81Xwtx8A2dxAwu2r_Zlo8zqBw7-unHuGYia/s1600/IMG_20150511_120319_hdr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkByC_X3eepqJe8UdNGWz8pBcfCUBeu_yj-lzyfq8zPIwaziWvBELX-mkrPOgpH6A3SRLSzcbNW5i2M6tqODAyTCNrYasPu7ME2JTlYBCD81Xwtx8A2dxAwu2r_Zlo8zqBw7-unHuGYia/s640/IMG_20150511_120319_hdr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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View to my right</div>
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I couldn't bring myself to leave! So after I finished lunch, I decided to try one of the local beers. It was very good and better than the wine I was drinking. I really enjoyed it. After that though, it also made me decide not to walk back up the hill. I decided I'd taxi home from there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yj8KQ4IPeRGDrUj9KZo9VNSblKaRWpbL_C8f1tX0we4buFmz8RNIBxed0aav0XuwXXXJnHootLuHzRqKme8BluXCJloRMCgyc73QICFFjUG7dPzqD0Biya4Nl8vkllffiU3Y6pHL4DSf/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yj8KQ4IPeRGDrUj9KZo9VNSblKaRWpbL_C8f1tX0we4buFmz8RNIBxed0aav0XuwXXXJnHootLuHzRqKme8BluXCJloRMCgyc73QICFFjUG7dPzqD0Biya4Nl8vkllffiU3Y6pHL4DSf/s640/IMG_2688.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you look at my "view to the left" picture above, below is a zoom in of the steps I'd have to climb to get back up the hill. I really didn't want to walk it with all the donkeys, no offence to the donkeys of course!</div>
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Octopus anyone?</div>
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And then my beautiful afternoon sadly ended as my taxi pulled up and took me back to Fira. The cost was $20 € flat rate. I ran into the hotel and hugged the manager Ioanna! I think she had tears in her eyes at how happy she had made me. This truly was the best afternoon ever. I thank her so much for suggesting this to me. If you ever go to Santorini, go here!!!</div>
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I went back to the shops and went to <a href="http://www.dionysosinatlantis.gr/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Dionysos in Atlantis</a>. The servers told me Dionysos is the "God of Wine". Hey, I was in the right place then! I had a half carafe of white wine and some Grilled Mushrooms (tasty!). I really enjoyed this place. All the servers were friendly, good looking men and all smiled and worked like an excellent team . I was very impressed!<br />
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When I got back, Eleni, the afternoon shift reception suggested I go see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" at the <a href="http://www.whitedoorsantorini.com/" target="_blank">theatre</a> this evening. I agreed and she made me a reservation. The cost was $45 €. It started at 9pm and I was told to be no later than 8:45 or I would not be seated.<br />
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I decided I needed to eat first since they just served appetizers at the show so I went back to Dionysos and had Moussaka. It was delicious. Again I received great service and they were slammed busy.<br />
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"Please, can you share with me?"</div>
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Then I went to the theatre exactly on time. I paid for my ticket. The lady I purchased the ticket from said she loved Vancouver and wanted to move there. We had great discussion about which city was better and then she said, "Well, like the saying says, grass greener" and I had to agree. I mentioned that we take our home cities for granted as we're busy working and living life and that we lose what makes our city beautiful at times. I told her that was the joy in vacations, you could take the time to notice and appreciate what is around you.<br />
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And then I waited. And I waited. After a half hour she announced there was some problem with the lighting inside. Then after another 15 minutes I asked for a refund. I was already there for 45 minutes now and didn't want to wait any longer. I went to Murphy's bar a couple of doors down. Had a Kir Royale, called it a night and then went back to Aria Lito and to bed.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, May 12th, (A.K.A Last Day):</u></b><br />
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I awoke early and was starving so I called for breakfast to be delivered to the room at 8am. I lazed in the room because it didn't look nice outside and left around lunch time. I wanted to go to this restaurant by the Post office called Ladocolla. It was cold and spitting rain. I was so surprised.<br />
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The rotisserie meat is their speciality so on the recommendation of the host, I ordered "pork chunk". I didn't see sparkling wine on too many menus other than in bottles so I ordered a glass. It was not to my taste.<br />
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Just after I got my food I asked the host where the washroom was. He pointed me inside at the back, I started to head there, and then BANG! The next thing I knew, I was flat on the cement tile on my knees in an ungodly looking heap. I literally saw stars, that's how much it hurt and surprised me. There was a little uneven step up into the restaurant and I totally missed it as I was looking ahead. My toe crushed into the step and was bleeding. I tried to compose myself and headed down this little winding staircase to the bathroom. WOW. That devastated me, so much pain!!! My knee was also bleeding. I had one bandaid so I put it on my toe. Anyway, I had to keep going so I went back up. I asked for a bag of ice. I totally lost my appetite for lunch so finished my drink and luckily there was a pharmacy right next door.<br />
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I asked for a pharmacist and told her my dilemma. She sat me down, cleaned my wounds and then applied this freezing gel on my knee. I purchased the BioFreeze and slowly walked (hobbled?) back to the hotel. When I got back, they gave me an ice pack and I rested, and took Advil. About an hour later, I thought I'd head to Dionysos for an afternoon snack and wine.<br />
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I ordered Grilled Sardines. These were very good and I shared with two kitties that had come round. I was enjoying my wine when the weather suddenly changed and it started POURING rain! The staff moved us to shelter, cleared all the tables and fastened up the plastic walls. Well, that was lousy, I was in shorts and sandals not made to walk in the rain. I was nervous about those slippery cobblestones so decided to wait it out...<br />
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The staff were really nice and told me to stay. I had another glass of wine and the rain kept coming. I was there for 3 hours. I decided I might as well stay and have dinner so I ordered. Just as I did the rain let up a little. My server told me I should go and he would cancel my dinner and told me to come back when the rain stopped. I left and about a minute later, the rain started pounding again. I stood under an awning and waited it out. When it wasn't too bad I made it to the hotel.<br />
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I was telling Eleni at the desk my horrible day and a British gentleman who was staying at the hotel joined us in conversation. We have talked briefly throughout the week. He was there for his daughter's wedding. Anyway, I invited him to join me for dinner and we went to Salt & Pepper.<br />
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We started with some Feta cheese and some Santorini sausage but I forgot to take a picture of that. We also ordered a litre of house wine for $12 €. I ordered Meatballs & Pasta. He ordered Chicken with white wine sauce & rice. Mine was just OK but he said he enjoyed his. We barely made a dent in these meals so Irina packed them to go for us. We stayed and had another 1/2 litre of wine.<br />
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He kindly bought dinner, we hugged Irina goodbye and went back to the hotel. I had a drink in his suite while we traded facebook addresses. His room had a living room and a bedroom, very spacious. I went to my room and to sleep immediately after about 11:30pm.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, May 13th:</u></b><br />
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I awoke about 8:30, ate the pasta for breakfast and puttered and packed. I felt a little worse for wear and tear today if truth be told but my knee wasn't any worse at least, though my big toe was purple-ish. I was ready to leave at 10:30 and my taxi was picking me up in 15 minutes to take me to the port so I could catch the ferry to Mykonos. I said goodbye to my British neighbour and Ioanna. Hugs & kiss kiss the European way. I was then on my way.<br />
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Santorini was amazing. I had a wonderful time. I would return any time if given the opportunity. Highly recommended! I think it's totally worthy of being on a bucket list.<br />
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Christine in Vancouverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00062847833612477462noreply@blogger.com14Santorini, Greece36.3931562 25.46150920000002336.1886847 25.138785700000025 36.5976277 25.784232700000022