Kayak.com offers ‘Lost’ flight
Lost: aka, the most awesome show on television (Photo credit: ABC’s Lost)
The gang at Kayak is a clever bunch. In the days leading up to the launch of the epic sci-fi drama “Lost” a.k.a the most awesome show on television, Kayak showcased it’s ironic sense of humor.
Go to www.kayak.com and search for a flight on September 22, 2010, one-way, non-stop from Sydney to Los Angeles. Surprisingly enough, you’ll find the infamous “Lost” flight on the doomed Oceanic Flight 815! Trust me, if you’re into Lost, this is a big deal…
In the show, this flight ultimately crashes, leaving our stranded cast of hunky characters to fend for themselves against smoke monsters, polar bears, the Others, Ben and a bunch of other forces that have yet to be explained (umm…Jacob? What the hell?)
I won’t lie. Seeing a fictional flight on Kayak’s very real travel site was a thrill for this die-hard Lost lover. Sadly, buying the $4,839 ticket won’t give you a ticket to the magical and mysterious island, but it will redirect you to Lostpedia, a fan wiki site with all things “Lost.”
Bravo Kayak. Very funny stuff!
February 2. The season premiere of Lost. OMG.
Witches market in Mexico City… is love in the air?
Drug, kidnappings, violence and Swine Flu. It’s been a hard year for Mexico. With these kinds of reports coming out of the country, it’s no wonder tourists have shied away from traveling south of the border. But, as The New York Times recently reported in their feature travel piece “36 Hours in Mexico City,” Mexico is on an upswing, with chic restaurants, new galleries and hotels at huge discounts (some luxury hotels slashing their room rates by up to 65%.)
Times writer Brooks Barnes suggests a variety of things to do while in Mex-hi-co: visit the home of unibrow painter Frida Kahlo, spend your money in Condesa (a hip neighborhood with great shopping), chow down in Polanco (a strip with the latest in Peruvian restaurants) and relax at the “floating gardens” of Xochimilco.
What the Times doesn’t mention is that there’s a most unusual, off-the-beaten path attraction… perfect for the traveler who wants to get their fire burn and caldron bubble.
Eating guinea pig in Ecuador
With their big innocent eyes, cat-like whiskers and soft fluffy fur, guinea pigs make for great family pets. But here, in the Andean mountains of Ecuador, guinea pigs aren’t treated as cuddly companions; they’re bred, boiled and deep-fried for dinner.
Guinea pig or Cuy as it is called in South America is a local delicacy that’s unique to the highlands of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Cuy is most often eaten for special occasions, an indigenous tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Incan empire.
I was curious to learn more about this unusual cuisine, so I set out to the region of Otavalo, a two-hour drive from the capital city of Quito, to find out more.
Desert Days – Camel safari in the Moroccan Sahara
Sitting atop camels with knobby knees and yellow choppers, our group of young travelers trekked single file into Eastern Morocco’s Sahara desert. The scene was very Lawrence of Arabia: camel caravans, white gossamer head scarves and a setting apricot sun casting shadow puppets onto nearby sand dunes.
This was day one of a two-day camel trek through Erg Chebbi, a giant dune near the scruffy little town of Merzouga. Boasting some of the largest sand dunes in all of Morocco, Erg Chebbi draws adventurous tourists looking for an alternative to the bustling souks of Marrakech.
After a few hours commute by camel-back, we arrived at camp. It wasn’t much more than a few thin woven mats scattered in the sand but it felt good to be ‘home.’ A few hours on a camel and your inner thighs really start to (Keep reading.)
Heli-Yoga in the Rockies
Martha of Martha’s Heli-Hikes
The best part about starting a new year is the chance to wipe the slate clean and achieve a fitter, slimmer, richer, smarter you. If fitness, natural beauty and all-round relaxation are on your resolution “to-do list” for 2010, consider a trip to Canadian Rockies’ snow-capped mountains. While they boast some of the world’s best skiing and wildlife viewing, this region is also home to an unusual tourist activity called heli-yoga, a practice that combines the meditative properties of yoga with a traditional helicopter sightseeing tour.
Just a short drive outside Banff National Park near Alberta’s Lake Louise, Icefield Helicopter Tours takes the conventional aerial experience one step further. This helicopter tourism provider has partnered with Martha’s Heli-Hikes, an outdoor adventure outfitter, and together, they are offering a variety of high altitude activities, from hiking to snow shoeing, ice walking to yoga.
Tourists keen on connecting with nature may find themselves high on the mountain top, resting in “child’s pose,” overlooking some of our country’s most stunning scenery. There’s nothing quite like “tree pose” at 9,000 feet. There I was, balancing in this classic yoga (Keep reading.)
Julia’s Top 10 Hottest Travel Destinations in 2010
The Philippines
All the big boys do it. Conde Nast, Lonely Planet, Frommers. It’s an annual travel industry tradition (much like the Academy Awards minus the emaciated actresses) to select hot destinations for the new year.
When considering such a big endeavor, one must look at several factors: pop culture events on the calendar, value for your dollar, under-appreciated cities, up-and-comers and general awesomeness.
Between research, real-life experience and peering into my travel crystal ball, I offer up my personal picks for the Top 10 hottest travel destinations in 2010.
British Columbia, Canada:
Brace your bobsled, the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver, Canada from February 12-28. With over 97 nations qualifying for such sports as alpine skiing, curling, figure skating, luge and ski jumping, the world’s eyeballs (and tourists in turn) will look to British Columbia. Beyond the Okanagan wine tours and great surfing, it’s a province famous for its ski resorts, rugged coast line, temperate rainforests and – as it is affectionately called by local pot heads – “BC bud.” Grab a Canadian flag and get “Out and About.”
Quick Tip: For a cheaper way to get to Vancouver, fly to Seattle, rent a car, then drive a few hours over the Canadian border.
Philippines:
If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, Philippines is an affordable option for an exotic retreat. With over 7,000 islands in the archipelago, Philippines offers world-class diving, snorkeling, whitewater rafting and some of the world’s most pristine wilderness. Check out Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a 5 mile river on the west (Keep reading.)
Is the cold weather getting to you? Try a GPS tour of South Beach, Miami
Cruising the palm-tree lined strip of South Beach Miami, I felt a little like David Hasselhoff from Knight Rider. Like his crime-fighting car companion Kitt, my ride also talked, cracked the occasional joke and advised me about where to turn left. But unlike Hasselholf’ s pimp Pontiac Trans Am, my car came in the form of a three-wheeled yellow GoCar. A GoCar is a two passenger, “storytelling” car that offers tours of famous South Beach, home of luxury lifestyles, reality-TV tattoo shops and the no-carb diet. Complete with GPS, it’s both navigator and audio guide for visitors who want to drive through Miami’s hot spots.
Puttering around in this lemon yellow mobile, I took in the sites, from the famous Miami Beach hotels along Collins Ave. to quaint Espanola way, a strip of restaurants in historic 1920s buildings. Against a backdrop of pastel-colored Art Deco edifices, I drove around the celebrity playground of restaurants, bars, salsa clubs and Miami vices. I traveled from the Botanical Gardens to the Holocaust Museum, from the Venetian Causeway to downtown Miami.
“Go left onto 15th street,” the computerized female voice commanded. I touched the scooter-like hand-breaks and slowed down to turn. “Continue straight” the voice told me. Beyond the (Keep reading.)
Happy new year! Here are my top 5 adrenaline rushes for 2010
Attention thrill-seekers! Find yourself bored by lazy beach life at all-inclusive resorts? Do you dream of pushing the limits, testing your nerves and your bladder control? For the brave and ballsy, here are five adrenaline-pumping activities that will rock your next vacation:
1) Race Car Driving School in Arizona:
Those with a need for speed will love the Bob Bondurant High Performance Driving School, where students learn to drive like the pros. Located in Arizona, this 60-acre racing facility offers four hour to four day courses specializing in racing techniques, car control and accident avoidance on an open track. Under the supervision of top instructors, you can take a Corvette Z51 Coupe for a spin around the block for some Grand Prix goodness. http://www.bondurant.com/
2) Macau Sky Jump in Hong Kong:
Imagine yourself standing on the edge of the Macau Tower, preparing to plummet 233 meters toward the Earth. For Superman wanabees, the Macau Tower offers the world’s highest SkyJump where you “fly through air at 46 mph in 20 seconds before decelerating to a comfortable landing speed.” According to the Guinness World Records, it’s the world’s highest commercial decelerator (Keep reading.)
