tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32830439811183532062024-03-12T23:16:00.662-07:00Travel The WorldFlorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-40724497487342057702014-07-16T15:21:00.001-07:002014-07-16T15:28:58.459-07:00Nova Scotia and PEI, June 2014This was a late night flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Westjet flight left Edmonton at 11:15 PM and arrived about 7 AM (time is 3 hrs ahead). We stayed two nights in downtown Halifax at the Westin on Hollis. From here we were able to walk to the harbour and pretty much the whole downtown area. <br />
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When we got to the airport in Halifax we picked up our rental car (Avis - Electra). It was a little difficult at first because we hadn't slept on the plane and this was our first time in NS. The MacDonald bridge has a toll of $1. After we crossed the bridge we managed to find the hotel. It was only 8:45 in the morning, but the hotel had a room ready. We went for breakfast and then had a sleep before heading on our first walk along the waterfront. We stopped in at the tourist information building. They told us there was a street festival going on that day and to follow Spring Garden Road to the downtown. Along the way was a Fries Wagon (Buds Spuds), so that was our lunch. Very good french fries! The downtown Public Gardens were pretty. Many older churches and an old graveyard. Craft shops, one was called Jennifer's of Nova Scotia had many nice items.<br />
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The second day in Halifax our first stop was at Pier 21 and we arrived just in time for the 10:30 guided tour, followed by a film showing a variety of present day immigrants. It was very interesting. In the afternoon we walked on the historic waterfront boardwalk visited the Maritime Marine Museum which has a titanic display and the Halifax explosion. For a treat with had a beaver tail cream cheese/chocolate bits. Very gooey! We walked the boardwalk as far as the ferry terminal and then up Duke Street hill to the old Town clock tower in Citadel National Historic Site. Then back down the hill on Prince Street to Lower Water Street. By then it was time for supper which we had at a restaurant called McKelvie's. I had Nova Scotian Clam Chowder soup with a sort of soda bread with raisins or dates. It was very good.<br />
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The third day we left Halifax about 9AM for Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg. It was Canada Day and to be patriotic, we wore our white/red shirts! :) We took highway #333 from Halifax to Peggy's Cove. There was a cool wind blowing at Peggy's Cove, but it was sunny. We had a second breakfast there because they had a Canada Day special for $5.99. Then we were off to Chester and Mahone Bay. Mahone Bay has three churches in a row and buildings are painted bright colors. At one very busy little restaurant we had milk shakes. They ran out of the usual large glasses, so we were given one large shake and one in a small glass, but the price was the same. Then onward to Lunenburg where we spent the night at the Smugglers Cove Inn. They painted their buildings with bright colors too, green, pink, blue, yellow.<br />
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The fourth day we drove to New Glasgow. The next morning we were at the ferry to take us to PEI. In PEI we stayed in Charlottetown. We drove up to Cavendish to Anne of Green Gables and also stopped in North Rustico to see lobster traps. That evening we walked the streets of downtown Charlottetown.<br />
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On our final day we drove to Borden Carleton and took the long bridge back to mainland. You only have to pay when you are leaving PEI. The toll to cross the bridge was $45. The bridge brings you in to New Brunswick for a short time before you exit back to Nova Scotia. On the way we took a side trip to small town of Springhill to the Anne Murray Centre. It has all her history and memorbelia on display. What a busy gal she was! Our final night in NS was at the Quality Inn by the Halifax airport. Hurricane 'Arthur' rain, wind and fog arrived overnight and we were fortunate our flight was able to leave in the morning, though it was a turbulent take off. <br />
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-63143298275183165872014-07-15T15:41:00.001-07:002014-07-15T15:41:32.194-07:00Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico May 11-18, 2014Our airline was Sunwing and our all-inclusive was at Hotel Riu Vallarta in Nayarit. This is a five star resort and has a large selection of food. Which is great when you spend your day looking forward to eating. LOL.. <br />
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This was an early flight on Mother's Day. We left Edmonton airport at 6AM. Arriving in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico about 5 hours later. Oh and we had an empty seat in our row, that doesn't happen very often, like almost never. Sunwing still serves food on their flights, so we had breakfast at 7:30AM, a double cheese or egg, bacon, cheese on English muffin. Plus a slice of banana loaf.<br />
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The airport in P. Vallarta has been updated since we were here (2 yrs ago). The plane now goes to the building instead of dropping passengers on the tarmac. On our return flight we noticed a lot more shops inside too.<br />
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Another thing that was different and maybe it's the resort that does it this way. We received our wrist bands before boarding the shuttle bus, and we filled out our hotel registration forms on the bus. This is usually done at the hotel. We were on the bus at 12:30 local time (1 hr ahead). We couldn't check into our rooms until 3 PM, but since we had our wrist bands already, we could go for lunch. The Flamingo restaurant on the beach was open at 12:30. The main dining room opens at 1PM for lunch. Supper is at 6:30 PM. Something that seemed strange to us at this resort was that the birds flew in and out of the dining room. At the Flamingo it was worse than in the main dining room. If you left your plate of food unattended for a minute, the birds were at your table to eat it for you.<br />
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The Sunwing representatives were in the lobby everyday 9-4 if you had any questions or wanted to book a tour. In some resorts they were only there a few hours. This resort had a fridge with water and pop, restocked every other day.<br />
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We found this area (Nayarit State) to be further from shopping. We took a taxi to Paradise Plaza Shopping Centre. A nice smaller mall. It cost 90 pesos one way. We took the bus back to the resort. The bus was 8 pesos each. Another day we walked to the nearby Riu Jalisco and Riu Palace resorts and then on to Mega Mall. This mall was only a large store with groceries, clothes, hardware similar to Wal-Mart. We had an oreo ice cream at McDonalds 10 pesos each. From this street it was difficult to get back to our resort by bus. We should have taken a taxi because it was quite warm out. The weather in May is too humid and uncomfortably hot, so I would not recommend going that late in the year, November to March is better.<br />
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The bus went towards downtown which was the opposite direction of our hotel. And with the language problem, the bus driver didn't speak English and we don't speak Spanish. We decided to get on the bus instead of standing outside in the sun. We paid 14 pesos each to go to downtown Puerto Vallarta and assumed we could get a bus back from there. Another passenger on the bus understood English and told us where we needed to get off to catch the bus back to our Riu resort. We paid another 15 pesos each. On the bus was a man who was going to his job at the Riu and told us it was the right bus to take to our hotel. Each state has their own bus system. We were in the town of Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit State and downtown Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco State.<br />
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On Thursday morning we went on a city bus tour of Puerto Vallarta, to the Malecon boardwalk, an old church, the downtown flea market, a silver store, a drive along coast to southern area, a restaurant for lunch of grilled chicken fillet, or grilled fish fillet, the restaurant was located in a rocky area. Then on to a tequila distillary, and back to hotel by 6:15 PM. It was a long day.<br />
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On Friday we took a taxi to the town of Bucerias. It cost 85 pesos for taxi. Some people can walk to this town by way of the beach. For us that thought was to tiring and hot. I think all that is in this town is a very large flea market. It is easy to get lost too because the market is on several streets and after walking for some time we no longer knew which direction to find the taxi's. We asked a lady who did not speak English, but a man overheard and told us which direction to walk. After walking another block, we still did not see the taxi's but when we turned the man had followed us and said we had to walk another two blocks. It turned out he was right.<br />
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Another thing about this resort, there were no Mexican shops in the hotel, only on the beach there was one. We were not bugged by time share presentations or vendors. If you didn't want that, this is the perfect place. Just relax, eat, swim and suntan.<br />
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-86956553436182602362014-01-29T15:14:00.000-08:002014-07-17T15:55:06.969-07:00Manzanillo, Mexico January 17-24, 2014<div>
We arrived at the Barcelo Karmina Resort about 3:30 pm our
time. That's 4:30 Mexico
time. It's lovely and warm! The resort looks nice. We are in room 3015
... It's way at the end of the hallway. We will get some exercise
walking to
the buffet restaurant which is on the opposite side of the resort
property. Our room is on lobby level, which is on the third level...
the first night is always confusing too
tired so it takes a bit to figure out location of things.</div>
<div>
Wifi is available free in the lobby ..reception area. In the room it's
$13 for 24 hrs and she said it's more reliable in lobby and free there.
Tomorrow at 9:30 am we have our orientation meeting..</div>
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On
Saturday morning we went to the meeting. The lady originally from
Quebec City is the Transat rep. She gave us lots of good information,
and recommended we take the city tour in the afternoon. It leaves the
hotel at 2:15 pm. The bus was really an open air truck, it worked well
for taking pictures out the side, no windows. This included a pick up at
the Las Hadas resort and then stops at a strip mall and the flea market which is
in a big field which is only open on Saturdays. We were late getting
back to the bus so the tour guide had to come find us. Luckily he
remembered what we looked like. We also walked the Malecon in the city
of Manzanillo and visited the shops in the area. On the way back the
driver stopped at the Iguana Sanctuary where there were so many Iguanas all
over the trees. Kinda creepy looking.</div>
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<div>
In the
mornings it is a bit cool, until about 9:00 when it starts to warm up.
By noon it's 28-29C. Three times we walked to the plaza mall, and two
times to Walmart .. There is also a local flea market beside Walmart
..it's nicer
than the one the bus took us to on Saturday. It's about a 30 minute
walk each way. The road from the hotel to the main street is long, a bit
up hill and quite warm walking into the sun when you return.</div>
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<div>
Oh
ya..one night when we came back to our room from dinner, we were
surprised to find a little lizard in our room. It took two phone calls
to the desk to be understood what the problem was. Then a maintenance
man came and rescued the poor little creature from the mirror ... in the
corner high up by the light bulbs. </div>
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<div>
Tuesday's bus tour was awesome. Really interesting. It was another sunny
day so we had a good view of the volcano. It was smoking today..lava was
running down the side. Driver told us the lava runs into a canyon so it
doesn't come on the town. </div>
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<div>
There
were only four couples on this tour, and we had the same guy as
city tour, Poncho. But this time we had a real bus, well smaller
bus..big van. Driving up into mountains reminded me of BC. </div>
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<div>
We
went to a hacienda, an artist named Alajanero?, who died in 2000, was a
famous painter in Colima. We saw artifacts, ceramics which
were carbon dated to 500BC. Two kinds of dogs, one kind they fattened up
on corn and then cooked and ate. None of that breed exists todays.. all
figures were hollow rather than solid clay. He bought these ceramics to
preserve them so they wouldn't go out of Mexico. He also designed
furniture, cupboards, chairs, tables.. Etc. he painted pictures,
sculpted in metal, he even made the lights. </div>
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<div>
We
also walked around in his gardens. Flowers, trees, lots of bamboo
trees, cocoa trees, vanilla, banana trees. There were also two gift shops
there.</div>
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Then we drove to Comala, a smaller town were we had
lunch. Before that we stopped to take pictures of the volcano and drive on
the magnetic hill.</div>
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The typical tapas lunch included, quesadillas, tomaloes,
enchiladas .. and just for me, ponagranate juice with moonshine in
it...hahaha! It was very mild! We asked if they had coke, it came in glass bottles! How cool! Then we
had time to shop for a half hour .. it wasn't long enough. Got back to our hotel at 5:15
pm..now it's almost time for our supper hour..which is from 6:30 ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7Q9u7TB-z227_k3ZRMJ2J_NRYmWv-H0uM8E5r_yPLOfYyo1C_8KQnTMABo3m4AA1QyLo-4LLz-W0z3-vyDZUYlrhpSI9ddtGkIpxCdxtGvhZ77MS_keNBHjSwVs4TUoJVFzEebhsWpI/s1600/DSCN0574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7Q9u7TB-z227_k3ZRMJ2J_NRYmWv-H0uM8E5r_yPLOfYyo1C_8KQnTMABo3m4AA1QyLo-4LLz-W0z3-vyDZUYlrhpSI9ddtGkIpxCdxtGvhZ77MS_keNBHjSwVs4TUoJVFzEebhsWpI/s1600/DSCN0574.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malecon at Manzanillo </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3129K2D4DvuJLSmo-UTo8knMX7lUD8uUAdQC25n4XdpBB5SNVGRet5QQ3nhl-eQXaHbuTjWkOxL0n-dMw-xRS-XKYFOz2YYyYcNFyl2yXpG205zbyxiwI5w9OgB5ODJ4EzbPM2QKuJGE/s1600/DSCN0635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3129K2D4DvuJLSmo-UTo8knMX7lUD8uUAdQC25n4XdpBB5SNVGRet5QQ3nhl-eQXaHbuTjWkOxL0n-dMw-xRS-XKYFOz2YYyYcNFyl2yXpG205zbyxiwI5w9OgB5ODJ4EzbPM2QKuJGE/s1600/DSCN0635.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iguana Sanctuary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXGLs2UzotTNLFXFLkHvdeX65Pl4HcIVg34WIQV8IBc4hU-mpgIGLu8-xAzOKN2oqSLHrn7zEBfzCOvmJaWVxOksbzMqpPtUQSa-eVtyk7gybpOPp51JYgrOZwc_vapnQVgl2i24ITrY/s1600/DSCN0795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXGLs2UzotTNLFXFLkHvdeX65Pl4HcIVg34WIQV8IBc4hU-mpgIGLu8-xAzOKN2oqSLHrn7zEBfzCOvmJaWVxOksbzMqpPtUQSa-eVtyk7gybpOPp51JYgrOZwc_vapnQVgl2i24ITrY/s1600/DSCN0795.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highway to Colima</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx8W8EyLgBYALfzdOtJfGrFbvquy3KySh4aRP81ecjAyon5YhjI4gLnRF8wNmTyw83NuJq2hhCtcSX6522TCdxzjiHvqA5dJyEjcuJEP_r7L-_JvRAmi7UGhlwauvdj7SCKeoaQm8x6w/s1600/DSCN0826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx8W8EyLgBYALfzdOtJfGrFbvquy3KySh4aRP81ecjAyon5YhjI4gLnRF8wNmTyw83NuJq2hhCtcSX6522TCdxzjiHvqA5dJyEjcuJEP_r7L-_JvRAmi7UGhlwauvdj7SCKeoaQm8x6w/s1600/DSCN0826.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of State of Colima </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBZy_myzZM5teOoEQFhMaePhfUAjaq-PPb_-xEL2h3OaqdLQIlD2d3je_2bSwI9_UEHtN6BReVvDFUfRHwgislSQiO5KwaAO06Sp39RVP9f1nSPmJwJ8A9xJFegSPeJIFYFM1TusfsFo/s1600/DSCN1333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBZy_myzZM5teOoEQFhMaePhfUAjaq-PPb_-xEL2h3OaqdLQIlD2d3je_2bSwI9_UEHtN6BReVvDFUfRHwgislSQiO5KwaAO06Sp39RVP9f1nSPmJwJ8A9xJFegSPeJIFYFM1TusfsFo/s1600/DSCN1333.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agriculture - not sure if these were watermelons or something else</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5wD2tYWYSKFb8NWWonHKIEleRb8W_j8bkUhGCmDN3L_gH5wj5yDHpNxyJMweumYmSJb2gVqcYLtHj62QVOVcSvZivAUXQFa32zBvqGRxknsryRqpJu8zRNSvtaFqRs_JyCC9SPQRy3U/s1600/DSCN0611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5wD2tYWYSKFb8NWWonHKIEleRb8W_j8bkUhGCmDN3L_gH5wj5yDHpNxyJMweumYmSJb2gVqcYLtHj62QVOVcSvZivAUXQFa32zBvqGRxknsryRqpJu8zRNSvtaFqRs_JyCC9SPQRy3U/s1600/DSCN0611.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our open-air bus/truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-56607248766212962442013-09-03T17:03:00.001-07:002013-09-03T17:04:22.219-07:00CaliforniaWe flew with Westjet to LAX (Los Angeles) airport Sat. Aug. 24, 2013. It's not a long flight only about three hours. Our shuttle was another story.. Our piece of paper said to wait outside the baggage claim area in all terminals at the center island under the overhead green sign. This we did. Buses were supposed to be wrapped with Disney characters. After many buses passed by our stop and some stopped to ask if we needed a shuttle, we were told the buses were no longer wrapped in Disney. That they were just a big white bus that said Disneyland Express. At least we were not waiting alone and the big white bus eventually came and took us to Anaheim and our Super 8 hotel.<br />
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The next day we bought a one-day pass to Disneyland ($92/person). We walked from our hotel and spent all day walking around Disneyland.. it was sunny and hot.. should bring water, a hat and sunscreen. Enjoyed the horse-drawn wagon, express train, Mark Twain paddle wheeler, monorail, Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride, and the Mickey Mouse Parade. After a few hours back at our hotel, we returned for the fireworks at 9:30 PM.<br />
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Our second day we visited the former Crystal Cathedral.. it's not owned by the Catholic Church and is called Christ Cathedral. It was an interesting place to see.<br />
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On Tuesday we took a city bus tour to Los Angeles. Visited downtown LA, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood, Stars, Beverly Hills, The Grove Farmers Market where we had lunch. Sunset Strip, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. Returned to our hotel at 4:30 PM. Had supper at The Cheesecake Factory.</div>
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On Thursday we took a bus tour to San Diego. It was also a whole day. Our first stop was at Legoland and second at Sea World to drop off other people. We continued on... and our first stop in the city was at a Mexican Restaurant and very colorful shops nearby. The products were made in Guatamala. We also stopped by the shipping docks and walked along the pier. From there we went to Coronado Island ... lovely view from the bridge. </div>
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-25488367697076725102013-07-21T08:14:00.002-07:002013-07-21T08:21:45.251-07:00Mexico - All InclusivesWe enjoy going to Mexico when the weather is cold at home. It's a little summer in the middle of winter. Our first trip to Mexico was in 2010 (April 18-25). We flew to the Cancun airport and stayed at Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort. The Concierge told us it was safe to wait on the highway for the local bus (really a van). We did this. Went one direction to the town of Playa Del Carmen. The other direction from the resort took us to the Tulum Ruins.<br />
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Grand Sirenis Resort</div>
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Tulum Ruins</div>
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Playa Del Carmen</div>
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The second trip to Mexico was in 2012 (Jan. 21-28). It was to the west coast of Mexico, to Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at the Canto del Sol hotel. We took a couple tours, one was to city centre, and also to San Sebastian in the mountains. In January 2013 we went to the same resort in Puerto Vallarta, but this time we walked to downtown and spent some time wandering thru the shops. We were back to our hotel in about four hours. You have to start early, or it gets too hot.<br />
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Puerto Vallarta</div>
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From balcony at Canto Del Sol, Puerto Vallarta</div>
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In Oct. 30-Nov.6, 2012, we went to Huatulco, Mexico. It's further south on the west coast of Mexico. It is a newer area so not quite as busy. We went on a city tour and a tour of local condos. It was the first flight of the season and not everything was up and running yet. It was warmer early morning, than in Puerto Vallarta. At six o'clock you could already sit on the balcony and have your coffee, it was warm enough.<br />
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From balcony at Barcelo Hotel at Huatulco</div>
Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-87159920501548062672013-07-21T07:46:00.001-07:002013-07-21T08:18:40.568-07:00Las Vegas 2012Las Vegas - Monte Carlo Hotel May 12-19, 2012<br />
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The weather was hot and dry. We walked the strip one day and got very exhausted. Then we found out there were trams that ran between hotels. The hotels are huge in Vegas. They have replicas of famous places in the world, like the gondalas in Venice. At the Bellagio Hotel, the fountains are turned on at 7:00 PM. They were really spectacular. In Casear Palace they've painted the ceilings, it looks just like you are outside. I enjoyed the New York hotel too.<br />
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We didn't want to go to another presentation but ended up there when they offered us a free show. The show we went to see was called 'KA' at MGM hotel. We went on a day tour to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. These were very nice to see too.<br />
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-58871439002816743062013-07-19T16:14:00.002-07:002013-07-19T20:10:11.467-07:00Welcome to Scotland 2011The Best of Bonnie Scotland June 22-29, 2011. The flight and hotels were included in the price. We flew to Calgary and then on Thomas Cook Airlines to Glasgow, Scotland, arrived at 6:18 AM. Our rental car was an Audi, automatic transmission. Learning to get into the drivers seat from the right side and driving on the left was scarey. It took us a while to get out of the city and onto the Motorway. But once we were on the highway, it was easier. We made our way to the city of Perth where we were to pick up our hotel vouchers. After a little rest in our room, we decided to take a walk around. I just love the old stone buildings. We saw a ASDA store, it's like a Walmart, also McDonalds Resaurant, they seem to be everywhere.<br />
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The next day we visited the town of Pitlochry and the Blair Castle & Gardens. In Aberfeldy we went to the Information centre and the Bank of Scotland. In the town of Killin, we had lunch at Shutters Restaurant, a Haggis sandwich and a Venison Burger. Very nice. The drive was lovely through the green valleys and mountains. That night we stayed at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel in the village of Ballachulish. It had a view of the water.<br />
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It was at Urquhart Castle that we first used our Explorer Pass. We also visited the Loch Ness Centre, where they explained the legend of the Loch Ness Monster through videos. Our next stop for the night was at Inverness in the north. The hotel was in downtown and there was no parking close by so we had to walk a few blocks to our hotel. When we returned for our car in the morning, the whole parking lot was empty except for our car and the exit was closed with a chain. There was a note on our car that we should leave it chained. First we had to figure out how to open it. As it turned out it wasn't that complicated. This was an interesting town of very old churches and cemeteries.<br />
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The next day we drove to Aberdeen and then to Edinburgh where we stayed for two nights. From our hotel, Premier Inn, we were able to walk to the Edinburgh Castle and used our Explorer Pass for admittance. After the Castle tour, we walked the 'Royal Mile', where there were many neat shops. However, it started to pour rain.. typical in Scotland, I think. We stopped in at a pub for some fries and pop thinking the rain would stop. It continued to rain, so we had to buy some yellow plastic capes, because we had a long walk back to the hotel. They weren't pretty but they certainly kept us dry, and we were able to continue our walk. Stopped in at the Princes Mall and walked past a well kept park.<br />
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We had a bit of a problem getting in and out of Edinburgh, but eventually found our way. Our final destination was the city Glasgow. Here we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. But before we came to Glasgow, we tried to find the New Kilpatick Parish in Beardsden. We finally had to stop and inquire. The funeral home seemed a good place to ask and they were able to call the Parish and set up an appointment for us. It was difficult to find because there was no sign on the street. This was the birth place of a Stewart ancestor. In the city we visited the old Glasgow Cathedral. I enjoyed visiting Scotland. I loved the old stone buildings, the very green hills and valleys, the quaint little towns, and all the historic charm!! <br />
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-65914238497400256762013-07-19T14:31:00.001-07:002013-07-19T14:31:19.123-07:00Maui - March 2011We went to Hawaii in 2011. This was the first year that West jet flew direct to Maui. We stayed six nights at the Maui Coast Hotel in Kihei. The weather was perfect in Maui.. sunshine and temperatures in the mid twenties.<br />
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This hotel had computers available with free internet use. There was a concierge desk in the lobby where you could book tours and a rental car. A free shuttle was available to take you either direction from the hotel to visit shops. (I think it was 3 km). We used the shuttle to go south to the Wailea Shopping Centre and north to the flea market, Peggy Sue's restaurant and some shops.<br />
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Friday we went on the 'Road to Hana' bus tour (Polynesian Adventure tours). This was an all day affair, we left the hotel at
7:30 AM and returned at 6:30 PM. After picking up some others, we were on our way. There were various stops on the way for pastries and drinks, coconut/coconut juice, frozen ice cream, wine tasting. Lunch was at Hana - burgers & chips. Stopped at waterfalls, 7 pools, saw black sands. It was very windy. Parts of the road were
very rough and narrow. It was pretty tight meeting other cars or buses on this road. Probably now so good in a small car either.<br />
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Saturday evening we went to a Luau buffet and show at Mariott Wailea Resort. The food was very good. The dances, so, so, seemed like a long evening. It got cool too, I should of brought a sweater. The next day we rented a car from Enterprize at Makena (Hyundai Genesis). We drove to Lahaina and attended a presentation, these are always a waste of time, but you get the discounts or cash rewards. We also saw the golf course at Kaanapali, we have seen this one on TV. Our main purpose for driving up to Lahaina was to go on a whale watching boat tour. The water was quite rough with big waves. We listened to whales singing by a mic in the water, but didn't see any whales that day. We had our picture taken, cost $10. It was lovely. Had lunch at Famous Dave's Burgers. This was good! The next day we returned the rental car to Makena and took the shuttle back to the hotel. There was a little bit of time for swimming in the hotel pool and some walking on the beach and it was soon time to return to the airport and fly home. Very nice place to visit.<br />
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<br />Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-64553161086198307052010-01-18T19:55:00.000-08:002010-01-26T18:23:23.358-08:00Jamaica 2009We boarded Air Canada for a direct flight to Montego Bay on the morning of Tuesday, December 29th. It had been cold and foggy the day before, and flights had been delayed or even cancelled in the days after Christmas. Instead of driving to the airport in the wee hours of the morning, we decided to stay at a hotel the night before. There was a car park across the road which was handy. The next morning at 6 AM we took the hotel shuttle to the airport. It's busy in the morning and there was a long wait to get through security that day.<br />
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We arrived in Montego Bay about 4 PM. A long walk from the plane and a longer wait to get through customs. Air Canada had given us only one form per couple, when Jamaica customs required one per person. This meant a delay to find another form and get it filled out. In the meantime the line had grown. We were almost the last ones to get through. Our luggage was waiting for us by then. We continued on until we came to someone holding a sign that said "AC Vacations". They directed us to another person with a list of names. Thankfully our names were on it. We were then taken to our bus. The sun goes down early in Jamaica, so our 90 minute bus ride to our resort at Ocho Rios was in darkness.<br />
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Arriving at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort we were offered a glass of juice and a form to fill out while waiting in another line up to check in. It was 10 PM local time when we got to our room #521 in the South Tower. To enter the room we had to hold the card key just so or it wouldn't open. The room smelled musty and bathroom seemed a little old.. but then we were tired we'd had a long day. And we were hungry, we'd not had real food since breakfast. With the buffet closing at 10 PM the only thing open was a grill in the north tower. It was a busy place because many of the new arrivals had not had food. So with the hunger satisfied we were off to bed.. a rest was what we needed.<br />
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</div>The next day, the sun was shining and we felt more like exploring our new surroundings. However, first things... we had to find where breakfast was served. The dining room was located on the lower level. It was wonderful, so many choices of food and coffee served to the table, dishes removed for you. Wow, this is great! We continued to enjoy all the meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. We were also allowed three a la cartes. These had to be booked in advance. We chose the Asian and Italian restaurants. Going to these meant dressing up a little, no shorts or flip-flops.<br />
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The first morning we had a introductory meeting with our Air Canada representative. He talked to us about things to watch out for in Jamaica and about tours available and how to book them. We booked three tours: Annandale Great House; Sun Valley Plantation & Firefly; and Ocho Rios highlights which included a duty free shopping centre, Fern Gully, Coyaba Gardens and Dunn's River Falls.<br />
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Our one week all-inclusive vacation to Jamaica also included time on the beach, at the pools, a 5-minute walk to the town of Ocho Rios, sitting in the lobby in the evening watching people arriving and leaving, shopping in the hotel store and walking around the hotel and resort. It was a most enjoyable time.Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-29338556463094789372009-02-28T14:05:00.000-08:002010-01-26T18:55:30.531-08:00Ireland 2007The Irish Odyssey 12-day Tour with CIE tours began in Dublin. One place we visited was Blarney Castle, where you could climb to the top to kiss the blarney stone. We did not attempt the climb, but many in our group managed to kiss the famous stone. One of my favorite places was the Dingle Peninsula Tour, located on the mountainous southwest coast. The coastal scenery was magnificent with views of the rugged shoreline and steep cliffs. Dingle is an Irish speaking district. I didn't know Ireland had it's own language, but it is taught in the schools and the road signs have Irish and English on them. Another very scenic tour was to the Cliffs of Moher. They are located on the west coast of Ireland, an impressive wall of rock that rises nearly 700 feet above the open Atlantic Ocean. Kylemore Abbey was also located in a very beautiful valley. It is a 19th century Mansion, which is now a prestigious girls' school. Two factories we visited were the Celtic Crystal Factory and the Marble Factory, both interesting history.<br />
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In Northern Ireland we walked in the walled city of Derry, and visited the famous Giant's Causeway on the far north coast. I didn't know what this was when I first heard about it. Our brochures says these huge hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. The volcanic rock formations were strange looking and difficult to walk on. While still in Northern Ireland, we visited the Ulster American Folk Park. The Park traces the story of emigrants by showing how they lived in the Old Country and then sailed across the Atlantic to settle in the New World. It was also the last place to spend our British Pounds. The rest of Ireland uses the Euro. Our final night of the Tour was at Cabra Castle in Kingscourt. It was built in 1760. The story was told of a young lady and her baby who haunt the castle. I don't know, she didn't show up when we were there, just as well, the place was a bit strange with many hallways and stairs twists and turns. One could perhaps loose their way never to be heard from again! Thankfully we arrived back home safely.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Irish countryside </span></span><br />
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</div>Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-75605750411040719852008-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:002010-01-26T19:03:09.719-08:00Israel 2008Yes, our trip to Israel. It was very interesting, and I'd go again just to listen to the guide telling us the history of each area. I probably was sidetracked and too busy looking around to take in all the information he was giving. It was excellent, and our driver who could back the big bus into the smallest of parking spaces and get around all the other buses that were there as well as through the narrow streets, etc. Our leaders from Ontario and the guide from Israel were very knowledgeable and caring. Treated us like family and made sure no one was left behind. I enjoyed the food too. Lots of salads, fish, rice, soups. John liked the meats, he's not a salad person. A regular lunch meal was the "falafal" a pita bread pocket to be filled with salad and something that looked like meatballs but was made of chickpeas. They had a different flavor that stayed with you for a while. John was worried when he heard the pita would be filled with salads, but then there was a choice of having a chicken schnitzel inside instead. He was relieved! In the evenings we were always back at our hotel and had buffet style evening meals.<br />
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Everyone back home asked, what was our favorite thing. Well, at first I thought, the Sea of Galilee, it was rather moving, because to think that Jesus walked on these waters and they are still in the same place. Some other things aren't where they were or it's not known exactly where they were, but the Sea of Galilee hasn't moved. But then I thought the Dead Sea was very unique, but so salty. We couldn't drink the water from the taps and when we went into the Dead Sea we were not to get the water in our eyes or mouth. John got some in his eyes, as did others, and they had to get out quick and find a towel. Then I thought the excavations at Capernaum, Megiddo, Beit She'an, Masada, Qumran were also quite interesting. To think all those things have been buried all these years.<br />
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When we got to the city of Jerusalem, because it was the last days of our tour, I thought I wouldn't really like it there. Our first experience, we found that the bellboys were quite forward and the street sellers were very much in your face. But then we got to go to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb and the Museums, the Mount of Olives, the Wailing Wall and the tunnels underneath the Temple Mount where they have done a lot of excavations.<br />
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Then the famous Via Dolorosa, a mile-long route through the Old City of Jerusalem (Way of the Cross). And I thought, WOW, I'm really here. The Old City I think was my favorite, walking through the narrow walkways and seeing all the Stations and the shops, it was so neat to be there. Our final day in Jerusalem was a free day. We joined three others from our group and we walked to the Damascas Gate and then to Ben Yehuda Street which is a walking only area with many stores. It was fun looking thru the shops and talking to the people and so forth. It really wrapped up a wonderful holiday. And yes, there is a lot of walking, so good shoes are a must. We were fortunate the weather was really good. It only rained one day. They said it hadn't rained much and if it did rain, it would be over in a short while. Well, that first day it poured, almost all day. John had to buy an umbrella. I think some of the group brought them from home, but we hadn't.Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-36824921711368378012008-10-19T19:26:00.000-07:002010-01-26T19:06:34.441-08:00Germany 2006Well, we went to Germany for our 30th wedding anniversary. It was also the year Germany hosted the World Soccer games so there were lots and lots of other people visiting Germany too. The weather that summer was very warm, hot, which is great when you are on vacation. You want the weather to be nice. Sometimes you get tired of +30 temperatures every day, but just have one cold, windy and rainy day and you immediately want those hot sunny days back.<br />
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We started our trip with a direct flight from Edmonton to Frankfurt and stayed with cousins in a place near Frankfurt/Main. For our anniversary we were treated to a boat cruise on the Rhine River and a lovely dinner. It was most enjoyable.<br />
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Further trips included the cities of Koblenz, Heidelberg, Wiesbaden, Kiel, Lübeck, Berlin, Frankfurt/Oder and the Polish border town, Slubice. I very much enjoyed going to the city of Berlin. Along with our hosts we travelled by train between the two cities of Frankfurt/Main and Frankfurt/Oder. We were graciously shown around the area and spent a whole day touring the city of Berlin. Seeing the highlights by open-air bus and then the rest by foot, visiting the famous Berlin Wall, or what's left of it, and Brandenburg Gate which was closed off to traffic because of the Games. Our bags were searched at the entrance. We also visited a Government building which was very secure. Only a limited amount of people were allowed in at a time and we had to go through security screening just like in an airport. I felt privileged to be in the former east zone, something I had only read about.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_NDEfUBAGpzL9_fjnuvCCMgEKqT3DTxiamkqP1wDY5F25Q6a5Rh-f8kCS4ff1sIsOrsPPO0bVjss8SMDuH-MJQP9lI2CaJNdyUEU0VITqJMd1rgm8SMdeWy3GEmwDOQWO9vpbqaLaHg/s1600-h/Rhine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_NDEfUBAGpzL9_fjnuvCCMgEKqT3DTxiamkqP1wDY5F25Q6a5Rh-f8kCS4ff1sIsOrsPPO0bVjss8SMDuH-MJQP9lI2CaJNdyUEU0VITqJMd1rgm8SMdeWy3GEmwDOQWO9vpbqaLaHg/s320/Rhine.jpg" /></a>Rhine River cruise<br />
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We also were fortunate to visit the Baltic Sea. We travelled by train from Berlin to Kiel. My cousin who was spending the summer up there, invited us to visit. We were also to the city of Lübeck and shopped in the city of Kiel before returning by train the Frankfurt/Main. It was a wonderful summer vacation.Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283043981118353206.post-85104600551719069912008-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:002010-01-26T19:11:01.146-08:00Brazil 2005Our first trip overseas was to Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2005. Why Brazil? Well, I was always interested in Brazil because some of my families went there from Poland, in the late 1800's. I wondered what it was like there, how they lived and so forth. With the internet and the younger people learning English, it was at least possible to communicate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNexxI_HerxUlAGvDseRQGIQomG8vJkVxLDwcwwiyJJ4eO8o0nwegV767O-Dw4WZviAeNKPqTjnWtNZ2bp7WQmYuNMWuca3QuPVLeNh_mRfUhPxOKSRtG15nq52-dPVdfC4vVZBnNF6Yc/s1600-h/SP+downtown+traffic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNexxI_HerxUlAGvDseRQGIQomG8vJkVxLDwcwwiyJJ4eO8o0nwegV767O-Dw4WZviAeNKPqTjnWtNZ2bp7WQmYuNMWuca3QuPVLeNh_mRfUhPxOKSRtG15nq52-dPVdfC4vVZBnNF6Yc/s320/SP+downtown+traffic.jpg" /></a>Sao Paulo downtown<br />
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One day I received an email from a cousin in Brazil and so a link was established. We started emailing. I had so many questions that the invitation was extended to us to come visit them. At first I didn't think it was possible for me to go there. I hadn't traveled much at all. I was a little afraid, what would it be like, how much would it cost, was it safe, etc. As the months passed we found out the cost was not so bad and they would organize a reunion so we could meet the families.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMgmlS4XJ7kn2fnY8md6025mPQowL2j4B_XZhos8tSaJmawhg6-4s-T6WO_bUdcb9fs2w_OuxR8Ct8xA6e5Zv9Q2hWZDP6S0V1SzTfOksbc484JXLu967GRCoeiNTELAi8JvCpMgf4E8/s1600-h/SP+downtown+SP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMgmlS4XJ7kn2fnY8md6025mPQowL2j4B_XZhos8tSaJmawhg6-4s-T6WO_bUdcb9fs2w_OuxR8Ct8xA6e5Zv9Q2hWZDP6S0V1SzTfOksbc484JXLu967GRCoeiNTELAi8JvCpMgf4E8/s320/SP+downtown+SP.jpg" /></a>Sao Paulo skyscape <br />
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We flew from Toronto to Sao Paulo in early September. We were met at the airport by family members and it all seemed so normal, not strange at all. We felt like we were among family. Sao Paulo was just like any other big city. The shopping centres, the large companies, the hotels, McDonalds Restaurant, Wal-Mart, people going about their lives. We had a very nice hotel, staff spoke English, and were very helpful, making us feel very comfortable. We had an unforgetable stay.Florahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03610160990368264051noreply@blogger.com0