Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 7 (Final entry)

Berlin, Germany

We arrived in the city, now seasoned travellers. We thought we had seen it all, but nothing can prepare you for what you see as you walk down the city streets of Berlin. Seeing the bullet holes on building walls, memorials from WWII and the Berlin wall, and just the lifestyle of the people living here. Remember, we were here just 5 years after the fall of the wall, and although the East/West has changed dramatically, you can still feel it.

We took the train to a spot where the wall was still prominent and walked along the western side of the wall. It stretched for what seemed like miles. At one point, there was a break, so we thought we would take a peak to the east. People were living in small caravans, like gypsies you see in movies. Some were colourful and some were in disrepair. Either way, no one liked tourists peering in like animals in a zoo. A man came out yelling, and shaking an ax at us. Ok, we get the point.

Sad to think that there is this opportunity to live a better life now that the wall is down, but some still choose this lifestyle. Life - there is a point where you have to choose left or right when you reach a fork in the road, in this case, some people still choose the right. We spent the rest of our time here exploring the Neues Museum and visiting the different memorials such as the Holocaust Memorial.


Amsterdam, Netherlands

There really is something for everyone in Amsterdam. There are the historic sites & museums, beautiful parks & canal boating trips and more bars & restaurants in a city block that would satisfy even the most picky visitors. But funds were running low, so no visiting museums, taking a canal tour, or eating in fancy restaurants. Life was just hanging out, chatting with friends and sleeping! We camped outside of town, across the river, and over a couple of locks. But it was fun. I call it the hippie commune, about 50 tents and shared facilities.


England & Wales, United Kingdom

For a group of people starting to run out of money, you would think heading to the UK would be out of the question. But with friends in Bath & Spalding, and free accommodations offered, who could say no?

We rented a car and drove around areas in Wales and the UK taking in all the sites such as castles and cool little towns such as Portmeirion. We were having fun, not paying attention that our departure date to go home is looming - until it was almost too late!

We booked our bus ticket to get back to Frankfurt. This is where our plane was leaving from. When we were booking the bus, we were going off of Aimee's plane ticket, not mine, until I pulled my well crumped, hand-written airline ticket out and notice that I was leaving a few hours before Aimee... which meant, by the time the bus arrived in Frankfurt, and if on time, I would have about 40 minutes to spare. And to travel from the UK to Germany without issues, this was going to be a feat out of my hands. With stress at the max, and making multiple stops along the way, we arrived at the airport with 45 minutes to spare... just long enough to run to the gate and hop on the plane.

Almost 4 months later, I arrived back in Vancouver. Who would have thought that 4 young Canadian adventurers, grew to 8 international backpackers, decreased down to just 2 on the last haul and finishing with 1.

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 6

Eastern Europe - Love it or hate it? Hmmm, I think I would have to say that I loved/liked it, even though the stories I'm about to tell, would probably make the average person lean towards "hate it".

Budapest, Hungary

7 days of adventure...or something like that. The first day we arrived in this city, we hopped on the bus to go to our campground accommodations. But we didn't make it in one piece. We got in a bus accident! The bus was packed, we didn't get a spot to sit, so when the the driver slammed on the breaks, our top-heavy bodies (due to over-filled backpacks) got all topsy-turvy, and flew. Most of us travelled as far as our arms would allow us, but not all of us had this luxury of Daddy-long-leg arms, allowing us to hold onto the roof bars. My friend Chelsea travelled the distance to land her near the front of the bus. She did come out with all limbs attached, but I do think this sprained ankle business, has come to haunt her.

We finally made it to the campground, unpacked, and decided to head out again for more drama, although, we did not know it at the time. We hopped on another bus and headed into town. When we all got off, something was just not right. As it turns out, there were pick-pocketers on this bus, and hit Jenny (bud from the Oz) up for everything she had, including her passport. So off we went to the Police station.

If you think the doom of Budapest is over, think again. Our time spent in the campground cabanas was disturbing & hilarious all at the same time. It turns out, there was a resident Peeping Tom. One day, a friend & I were hanging out in the cabana, and this man walks into our room. Apologizing saying he was sorry, he must have got the wrong room. We did not think much about it, since the cabanas did look all the same. But then he returned, the fool, as the guys were back from their day out. They chased him away, we all believed that was it, so we spread the word to all the campers in the park. HE CAME BACK, peeking in Jenny's room. That was it. The guys went berserk and surrounded the man. The cops ended up coming and took his side as the Tom spoke Hungarian and we did not; we spoke English and the cops did not. So we had to let it be, off to a hostel we go.

We wanted to move on, leave this country and all that we experienced but we couldn't until we got our visas to enter the Czech Republic. We could not believe our luck. No line-ups and no hassles filling out the documentation. I even got the stamp in my passport to prove it, until it came time to pay for it. I handed them their countries currency, but because the country was so unstable, they do not accept it. Fantastic. VOID! The next day, with a pocket full of foreign funds, ACCEPTED - and I have the stamp to prove it!


When I read back what I wrote, I think to myself "Did you really enjoy your time there?" It has to be because of the people I was with, and not because what this city has to offer! Czech Republic, here we come!


Prague, Czech Republic

We arrived in Czechoslovakia during the rising tide. It was changing. Bands like REM were playing in Prague, there were many international students studying at the University... life in this country seemed to be coming into it's own. But we were still in a new, developing country as the final, peaceful split from Czech Republic / Slovakia did not happen until January 1993.

Prague itself was a fun, relaxing place. Just sitting on the Charles Bridge, watching the people walk by, looking at local artists' work or rowing down the river in rental boats, it was a fantastic way to get to know the city.

We decided to take a day trip south to a suburb called Sedlec, located in Kutna Hora. Here you can find the 'Church of Bones' - real name Kostnice. I was going to give you a description of this place, but I thought this video would do a much better job. All I can say is that this place is amazing, creepy yes, but amazing all the same.





The next posting will be the last of this mini-series. I did not mean to make it go on so long... but I guess being in Europe for almost 4 months warrants a longer story then others. So stay tuned!

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 5

As much as I loved Turkey, it was time to go. But it was difficult... as our flight was cancelled to France, so we had no choice but to stick around until we could get out, out to anywhere!


Heidelberg, Germany

So it turns out, the earliest flight out, was to Dusseldorf, Germany. Now I can't say that I loved this place, nor can I say I hated this place. In fact, I think I only stayed in this place for all of 5 minutes. The moment we arrived, we hopped on the train, and headed to Heidelberg, Germany.

Wow... school days! We stayed at a hostel that was basically being held hostage of a multitude of school kids. For 4 days, we wandered, shopped and just hung out. But like all good things, this too must end - of course, until we hit Monte Carlo, baby!


Monte Carlo, baby!

As it turns out, being on a major budget, Monte Carlo is not the place to lay your head at night. So the next best thing (and really, only slightly less expensive), Nice. Every night the city puts on a fountain display with lights and music, buskers entertain, and local food vendors selling oranges & pretzels. Up on the hill and over-looking the ocean, a marine museum sits. I decided to check it out. There was a telescope set up, so I had a peak. OH MY GOD! Who would have thought! The two guys running the museum must search the topless beach daily to find the perfect person to focus on. Today, was a lady in her 50's, over-weight by 100lbs, topless! Hahaha. I was laughing my head off! That made my day.

Monte Carlo - money flashing everywhere. And you know, there were people there down-and-out. But saying that, they actually looked better then us! We took sometime in the marina, pretending that we belonged there, with our ripped, dirty jeans and over-sized t-shirts. But since we were trying to stay in Europe for as long as we could, we had to get the heck out.


Vienna, Austria

I have to say, I might not have stayed here long enough to give it a good chance. We were here for only 3 nights (only paid for 1 night) which was fine by me. I didn't find this city very interesting, but I did enjoy the architecture. Most of it was built by the Romans, such as the city hall & parliament buildings. If anyone reading this blog has a different opinion, please state... maybe I completely missed something here.


Salzburg, Austria

Ok, maybe because we just came from Vienna (which was a downer), or possibly because Mozart grew up here, and just maybe, the Sound of Music was filmed here, but I just loved this city. It rained for 4 days out of 7, but it was fantastic. We camped here, and had to walk for miles to catch a bus into town, but there was just something about this place, that I would have to say, I would go back in a heartbeat - it was my most favourite place in Europe. What could I say must be a must see? Not sure, really. I didn't go to the castle, as it was always foggy, did not go to Mozart's house and I did not go on the Sound of Music tour, but there was just something about this place. I love you Salzburg!

I did not think I would need to write more posts to finish off my Europe trip, but as it turns out, Hungary & Czech Republic is definitely a story unto itself, Berlin & Amsterdam, is another one for sure, and the UK and getting home definitely deserve another. So will you stick with me?

Stay tuned for more!

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 4

Turkey

Like I was saying in the last post, there is this "friendly" angst between certain countries, and Greece & Turkey fall within that category as well. I mean, they have a reason to feel this way. If I was asked to move to USA because of my belief, I would be so angry (unless it was Maui). Even though the 'exchange' happened almost a century ago, it is still felt when you travel between the 2 countries.

My tale starts on a train that travelled from Athens to Istanbul. Travelling by train can be quite relaxing, unfortunately, this train trip was not. It was dirty and it smelled like a week old hotdog. I do not remember the amount of the ticket to get from A to B, but the train conductor tried to tell us that we did not have the right ticket, we needed to buy another ticket for $50 each. Scammers. Nice try.

At some point during the trip, after a couple of drinks and a snack or two, one needs to visit 'the ladies room'. Imagine this, an old train travelling down tracks, slightly shaking side to side, open the door to the bathroom, and oh the smell! So this is where the old hotdogs live! 'Life' was everywhere... on the floor, walls, you name it. And peering down the open hole and watching the tracks go by... hmmm... I'll hold it until I get to Istanbul, thanks!

There was 5 of us packed into 1 train compartment for the 24 hour ride. But sleep, we must. Unfortunately, we were not left alone for very long, every hour or so, a train conductor would come by and ask to see our passports. EVERY HOUR!

But finally, we arrived in Instanbul. What a great place, and at the time we were there, cheap! We spent the time walking around visiting the many tourist attractions; the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and of course, a spa. I believe anyone going to Turkey must take part in a Turkish Massage. In the bath that we went to, the men & women were separated. I had no idea what to expect, especially not what we received anyway! Us girls were told to undress and wrap ourselves in sarongs. A young girl came by and showed us into the bath. It was beautiful... marble everywhere, waterfall type showers and lots of steam rising to the arch ceilings. We were motioned over to the marble slabs, but they did not speak English, so we were not sure what they were asking us for. Then the young girl came up to a friend and ripped her sarong off! Holy cow. We were laughing so hard! After waiting awhile, a 300lbs naked female masseuse came up to me, took my hand and brought me over to the waterfall shower to rinse off, then she poured cheesecloth suds all over me, this was lovely. The massage on the other hand, was painful. She scrubbed every part of me, kneading my knees into the marble and taking off layers of skin. This is no exaggeration! After a 1/2 hour massage, I came out of there, with no tan. Would I do it again? You bet.

Other then spas, we were planning on doing a couple trips here and there within Turkey. We did go to Gallipoli for a couple of days, but our heart was really focused on Butterfly Valley.



Great video, eh? Well, too bad Chelsea & I did not get there. It all started when we ran into old friends from work at Mount Seymour. They were telling us all about this place called Butterfly Valley, not a tourist trap, just beautiful scenery, and of course, butterflies. We decided to break off from the group and take a side trip with these friends. Chelsea & I have not been to the ferry terminal before, but really, it is at the port, right? Boy, the rain that day was unreal. We got to the port, but could not find the entrance. There were chain-link fences everywhere! We started down this wharf, with local fisherman casting their lines hoping for the big fish of the day, thinking it would provide us access, but it didn't. We were checking the time and knew we were cutting it close. What do we do? Run around to try and find another entrance? Climb the fence and hope that on the otherside there is a way in? Well, with our backpacks on, we decided to hold onto the fence and claw our way around it, with water rushing underneath. Once we made to the otherside, we heard the horn of the ferry, and watched it sail away. We were bummed. The rain started coming down even more, puddles were forming on the streets, and we were soaked all the way through.

Our time in Turkey was coming to an end, but not the end of the European adventure! Stay tuned for the next addition of Europe on LESS then a shoestring, where I visit Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, South of France, UK & more!

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 3

Greece

Corfu

From the ferry from Brindisi, Italy to Corfu, Greece was an overnight adventure. I had never been on a Greek 'cruise ship' or any cruise ship in fact before this, and I tell you, strange. They keep birds. Not sure if it is because it is good luck, just the love of birds or maybe they were used as an early warning system for toxic gases such as carbon monoxide or methane.

We arrived in Corfu at 6am, and went directly to the Pink Palace for 3 shots of ouzo. I think this was the glue that we needed to stay here for 1 week. It was a party every night, with singing and dancing, more ouzo shots and lots of smashing plates. and yelling OPA!

We spent out time here relaxing on the beach, swimming in the pool and riding around on mopeds. Have you ever rented mopeds? It seems that getting into accidents, hitting stuff, falling off is just the norm. I have done that... faceplant on the beach, but not here (I kept that for the USA). But, Aimee flew off and Chris sideswiped a wall. But both survived, and no pictures to show for it! Good thing there is always ouzo!

Santorini

We cruised from Corfu to Santorini in just a few hours, and settled at Perissa Beach. A quiet little town (at least it was in '95), and rented the top floor of a hotel for the group of us. Since it was a sleepy little town, the owner of the hotel was so greatful to be renting his place for a whole week. He pointed out a restaurant called Anna's that was linked to a rundown hostel. We ate there every night. Free ouzo! OPA!

I have to tell you about another moped story. You would think we would learn, but this is the cheapest way to get around the island. It all started off with Smith running out of gas. While the guys siphoned some gas from one moped to the other, some local kids between 7-10 years of age came to hang out. They wanted to get on the mopeds, but of course, that was not an option. The next best alternative, revving the gas on the handlebar. They thought this was just too fun! Vicki came to meet us after doing a little bit of grocery shopping. She didn't know about Smithy running out of gas, nor the kids playing revving the gas on the mopeds. One little guy came running up to Vicki and revved the gas on the moped. Wouldn't you know it... Vicki, the little boy and the moped went flying. Not too worry, everyone survived without injuries, which is a good thing because we were all laughing so hard, not sure if we would have been able to help otherwise.

Milos & Cankiwos

Some of you might be thinking "ok, I have heard of Milos, but I have never heard of Cankiwos... and it doesn't even sound Greek!"

Milos is a great island. Small towns with fishing and local farming being their main industry. In the peaks times of the year, they do gets tourists, but mainly Germans, and not many wanting to camp. We walked a bit of the island looking for a place to sleep for the night, but finally went to ask a local travel agent where we can stay on the island. What she said was "No camping, but free camping." OK, whatever that means, we took it to say we could camp, and that is exactly what we did. We found a nice beach on the otherside of the island, within a few steps of a small restaurant called "The Blues". As it turns out, what the "No camping but free camping" meant was NO Camping. The local αστυνομία (police) came out for a visit. They told us we were not allowed to camp, but soon felt bad and left us alone.

Since there was no other restaurant around, we became 'good friends' with Jim, the owner. He said if we wanted to go stay on a deserted island, he would take us on his sailboat. OK! I know what you are thinking, we are crazy. Yes, we were. I can not deny this. But 8 of us packed our bags and headed off on Jim's sailboat to a deserted island. Our plan, just stay for for 3 nights. We sailed for about an hour and finally arrived on an island with no name, at least no name that we knew of. Because we were planning on staying here for a while, we needed a name. Cankiwos sounded good (combo of Canadians & Kiwis). There were no trees on the island to shelter us, no where to hide our food/water away from the blazing sun, and most of all, no people. What we did find on the island were donkeys, and pregnant ones at that. Being on a deserted island, there is not a lot of stuff to do. We went exploring... found an old house/shack that had 1908 carved into the door, but mostly, we just hung out. We slept on the beach, in the open, watching the stars. I think we were the first people to view Hale-Bopp Comet, even though scientist say you could not view it until March of 1996. Hogwash. Remember Jim? Well, a good guy that he is, he did come back. He did so everyday... bringing us food & water/pop/beer. And, he did come pick us up at the end of our 3 day adventure... couldn't wait to have a shower.

Athens

We arrived in Athens and immediately checked into our hostel. We needed showers and clean clothes! A couple of us walked around Athens, taking in the sites. We decided to walk to the Acropolis, up the big hill, in the heat, only to find it was closed. The next day we had another go, this time successful. Wow! Amazing! Just being there knowing that people from the Helladic period 2800-2100 BCE (and earlier, really) walked on the same land, maybe even the same marble stairs as me.

Our time in Greece was soon coming to an end. We purchased our train tickets to go from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey.

It seems to be a common thing between 2 countries. A love/hate relationship. Canadians and Americans have this type of relationship. Canadians don't want to be branded as Americans when we travel, but yet, we love travelling to the US. Australia & New Zealand have a similar feeling, my rugby team is better then your rugby team. Greece & Turkey are not excluded from this list, as we will discover on the train.


Stay Tuned! Turkey is the next entry in the 'Europe on LESS then shoestring.

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 2

Florence
We stayed at the hostel Villa Camerata. Back in the day, this hostel allowed camping. Even though our group didn't have a tent, we met a lot of people along the way who did, and that's just what you do, crash with others you don't really know. But it was fun. We spent the evenings hanging out playing games (I never, the Rock game & more) and going over tales of the day. We did hear of a couple who got their wallet stolen from gypsies, and do not get on bus #X as it is full of pick-pocketers. We walked around checking out Ponte Vecchio (covered bridge for shopping), the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and of course, checking out Michelangelo's David. And of course, more gelato.

Rome
We arrived in Rome with a large group of 8+. and checked into the hostel used for the 1960 Olympic Games. It was old, and looked like a recycled hospital (it probably was), but the location was fantastic! We were right beside the Olympic pool & the Olympic tennis courts. One night, around 11:30pm, a group of about 4 people decided to go for a swim in the Olympic pool, but it was closed. Did it really matter that there was a high chain-link fence around the pool, no, not really. Next thing you know, the polizia came. With flashing lights on their cars, and flash lights in their hands, they were going after the swimming criminals. Unfortunately (or fortunately... depending on how you see things), this tale was not about me. But I was soon brought out of my sound sleep to be told of this crazy story.

Rome was fantastic. I loved walking down a city street, and looking over to archeologists digging up part of the sidewalk. Or thinking that the stairs that I was just on was walked on hundreds of years ago. But I was in shock to see how people took care of historic monuments. I remember being in the colosseum and looking at all the discarded orange peels or the writing "Marcy + Steven = 4ever" written on the walls. How sad, but I suppose you get that anywhere.


Pisa
The leaning tower of Pisa built in the 1100's. Because of the soil, the tower started to lean almost as soon as construction started on it. So what did the Italians do? If the one side was leaning, let's build one side of the building's rooms with longer walls. Then it started to lean the other way. And so on, you get the point. If you really look at the pictures, you can tell.


Naples
We didn't have much luck in this city. We arrived just fine, but then the transit when on strike. Great. There was protesting outside of our hotel. Great. We tried to go for a meal, and nothing was open. Great. Tried going to the archeology museum, but a tram was needed to get to the top, and of course, it was broken. Great. So we left for Sorrento the next day. GREAT - really.

Sorrento
Loved this little city. There was a lot to do in such a small place. Eat pizza, shop for cards, and drink lemon alcohol. For those who know me realize there is no way I could have had the latter, which is true, but it was abundant. Besides being a great little town to hang out in, it is also a great place to do day trips to the Capri, Pompei and Amalfi Coast.

Isle of Capri
A rough ferry ride to a beautiful place. Where the stairs go straight up the mountainside, with orange & lemon trees lining the way. The views were amazing at the top, but the wind was making sea air very cold.

Pompei
I was so excited to be able to go to a place that was studied in my grade 7 class. But nothing prepared me for what I was going to see. A city of destruction, yet very beautiful. Walking along the ruins that were once grand homes with beautifully decorated tiled floors, baths with marbled walls and meeting halls with rows of seating, not to mention the feeling of sadness to see the bodies that were preserved in ash from the volcano. We spent 6 hours here, could have spent more time.

Almalfi Coast
Wow! It is crazy to think that building homes along the most windy road, side-by-side and stacked, would be a good thing. Add with a road that is so skinny, that in some spots it is only wide enough for a car or a bus. Travelling quite fast on a bus heading to town, we found that we had to stop, many times, in a hurry. Reason: a vehicle was coming around the corner and we had to either A) squeezed by with the bus windows inches from homes and inches from the opposing vehicle, or B) back up or have the other vehicle back up until there is a spot wide enough on the road so one of us can get by. For those who get motion sick, this is not the ride for you. I don't know how I managed, but one poor boy about 10 did not do too well. Something the bus drivers are all to familiar with.


Brindisi
Leaving the beautiful town of Sorrento, we had no choice to head back to Naples to catch the midnight train to Brindisi. For those of you who have never heard of Brindisi, I am not surprised. Not much there, in my opinion. But to get to Greece by ferry, this is the only choice (sorry, I should say cheap choice!).

Our group was getting a lot bigger now. We were travelling 12 strong! 4 guys, and 8 girls. We heard horror stories of people getting robbed on this night train to the other side of Italy, so we had a plan. 1 guy in each train room and tie the door closed. Well, it worked. No one got robbed and we arrived safe and sound in the cement city of Brindisi. Even though we were then stuck here for most of the day, we didn't really care. There were clean showers at the ferry terminal, a cafe nearby and the next day we would be in Corfu. Can't wait.

Stay tuned for part 3 - Greece & Turkey

Europe on LESS then a shoestring - Part 1

I love all those books that claim that you can travel through Europe on $25 or less a day. I didn't read any of those books before I left on my 3 1/2 month backpacking trip, if I had, I would have had a more luxurious adventure!

I'm not going to go through in detail of places to stay, restaurants to eat in or the 'must see' tourist attractions. Just some quick tales of 4 kids with Canadian flags sewn onto their backpacks travelling around Europe in 1995.

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We landed in Frankfurt, Germany and decided that we should stay in a hostel for a couple of nights to figure out what we were going to do. I do have to say, the German hostels are the best. They supply comfortable duvets & pillows and a healthy breakfast. But being on a budget, we had to get out of Frankfurt - actually out of Germany.

We hopped on the Eurobus, and headed out of town to Heidelburg. But like Frankfurt, this place was pretty pricey, so we left for the more 'cheaper' country, Italy.

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Italy - The city of food! The yummy
blood oranges, coffee and gelato (or in my case gelati - yes that is plural for all that I ate in one day).


Venice, a beautiful place. Where vendors sell everything from bread to bird seed to $10 T-shirts. A city where you can get lost in the maze of canals. A destination to visit for the love of history.

We stayed at a campground called Camping Fusina. If you want a cheap place to stay, a good party in the evening (with Contiki & Top Deck), and just a short boat ride from the historic Venice, then this place is for you. With outdoor plumbing, converted barns to sleep in and a shop that sells $6 jug of wine, what else could you ask for?

In the San Marco Piazza, there is the St Mark's Basilica. Probably the most visited tourist attraction in Venice with entrance lines too long on a nice day. Right beside the Basilica, there is also this great building called Doge's Palace. If you are sneaky, there is a set of stairs on the side of the building that goes to the second floor which gives you amazing views. So Aimee, Chris and our new friend from New Zealand, Ricky, decided to check it out. But were we shocked to find out, that through that locked gate (which happened to be open at the time) is the police station! Whoops! No worries, they didn't get caught, and they got some nice photos to prove it.

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Playa Blanca - Dónde estás ahora?

Who would have thought. The best in Club Med Resorts, gone with the retreating tide. Playa Blanca on the westcoast of Mexico, was the best thing to happen since slice bread.


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A friend from work (the Body Shop) wanted to get away. She had never travelled before, and thought it was a good idea to go with a seasoned traveller. Yes, I have only been out of high school for a few months, but I have gone to Disneyland about 4 times - driving!

So, here we were. Taking the plane to Manzanillo, then hopping on a bus for the 60 mile transfer. But what fun. We were exploring. Never been to Mexico before, let alone a Club Med, I didn't know what to expect.

Amazing place in the middle of nowhere, with lush gardens and a cove to keep the waters safe to swim in. Most of the rooms are built on the hills with stairs the only way to get there. If you drink too much, you might be sleeping on the lounge chairs at the pool. But lots to do: Trapeze, lawn bowling (with coconuts), horseback riding, Disco, kayaking, and more, way more!



We had a blast, but it almost ended with an abrupt finale. Sitting on the grass, trying to take in the beautiful beach with the bay's island in the distance, when 'PLUNK', a coconut falls from a tree and lands not 2 feet from where we were sitting. Holy cow! Must be a sign.



We survived, but unfortunately, Club Med's Playa Blanca died. They closed her down a few years after 911. What will happen to her? I heard that it has been sold to a private buyer. A luxury villa estate.

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I love reminiscing, but isn't it better to do this with old friends? Emily Stone, where are you?