Through My Lens - Costa RIca

Costa RIca -- Oh The Macaws!

Probably the first thing you notice when you arrive at Puenta Leona are the macaws. If you don't see them right away, you will definitely hear them. Their raspy squawk lets everyone around know they are present and when other macaws get too close to another's food source, you can definitely hear the squabble.

The scarlet macaws were plentiful in our area. They are found in many places in Central and South America and Costa Rica is one of them. The macaw is a member of the parrot family. It has mostly scarlet colored plumage with light blue accents on its tail and yellow and blue on their wings. They really stick out against the green foliage and are a brilliant sight when they spread their wings to fly.

The macaw can grow to 36 inches and weigh around 2 pounds. They feed on nuts, fruits, seeds, flowers and nectar. They fly in pairs or families and can reach up to 35 mph --which explains why they were so hard to catch in flight.

Monogamous for life, the pair will lay 1-2 eggs during the dry season in the cavity of a tree. The adults will care for the young for up to two years and will not lay more eggs until the young leave the nest.

Macaws can live for up to 40 years. When one of the pair dies, the other dies shortly after.

They are amazing birds and it was a joy to see them in a natural habitat.

Wordless Wednesday

Costa Rica - Iguanas and Lizards, Oh My!

Our first morning at Puenta Leona was still a little wet. While our hosts from Pickleball Costa Rica worked on trying to dry the courts and get them taped for Pickleball, Bob and I took a walk around the resort. As we passed a large rock some motion caught our eye. Sure enough a large iguana was running up to the top of the rock with his breakfast in his mouth. It would be the first of many iguanas and lizards of all sorts of sizes, shapes and colors.

One of the most exciting we met was the basilisk. We were headed to the small pool near our rooms. (There were larger pools further down the road and near the beach but we were going to try out the smaller one close by.) There were steps and a handicap ramp. Since my knees were not doing well, I opted to take the ramp. Just as I started down the ramp, a basilisk ran across it in front of me.

The first thought that came to mind was "a baby raptor!" It was running on its hind legs. When it made it to the other side it stopped and looked back at me. Was it thinking "you're lunch when I grow up?" I laughed. Further down the ramp I saw a few smaller ones but none of them ran on their hind legs. And of course, just like with the elusive toucan, I didn't have a camera ready. I doubt I could have snapped a pic that quickly anyway.

Here are some of our other encounters.

Costa RIca - The Flowers

Rather than give you a blow by blow description of our Pickleball Tour, I thought I would give you some of the highlights of seeing Costa Rica from something other than a quick shore excursion which is the only glimpse of the country we'd had until now.

The flowers are wonderful but often overpowered by the immense green trees and bushes and vines that make up the rain forest. When you find them they explode with color against the green backdrop. Here are just a few.

Of course you can't have the warm climate and beautiful flowers without some butterflies so some of my flower pictures are photo-bombed by the lovely fragile creature.

Enjoy.

Costa Rica And Pickleball!

Our arrangement for gathering together to begin our tour was to meet everyone at the airport. Another lady who came in from Arizona met us on the airport shuttle from our hotels and we had the driver drop us at the arrivals area. There was one restaurant in the area where we could sit and wait for the others to join us. Some were flying in that morning or joining us from other hotels.

Since we weren't exactly sure what the lunch arrangements were, we bought sandwiches and a drink and enjoyed them as we waited. Before long, our driver from King Tours found us and took our luggage to the van. Eventually our hosts, Celeste and Tony Horpel from Pickleball Costa Rica, and the others in our group joined us and we were on our way.

Our first destination was the Puenta Leona resort on the Pacific coast. The countryside was green, very green. Remember we were in a rainforest area. That point would be made several times over our stay in CR with rain showers (and at times downpours) almost daily. The heat and humidity hit us all the moment we stepped out of our nice air conditioned van. Were we actually going to play Pickleball in this weather? Yes.

The problem was the rain. By the time we arrived at Puenta Leona it was drizzling--our Pickleball would be delayed. We met for dinner at the restaurant across from our clustered rooms (there were four rooms to each cluster with an open court in the middle). The restaurant was open aired so no A/C. After a bit we got used to it. All of the meals were included in our package and were buffet and nicely done. Our first night was an Argentinian theme with beef on the grill. (There would always be some items freshly cooked on the open grill.)

After a dinner where we got to know others in our group a bit, Celeste and Tony gave us wonderful gifts of local coffee, mugs and t-shirts with their frog Pickleball logo. Everyone was tired from their travel so it was an early evening. Pickleball would happen in the morning provided the tennis courts would dry off enough for taping the Pickleball courts.

It would happen that we would tape and often chalk because it would rain off and on each day wiping away the previous lines. Some days were extremely hot and humid for playing in the sun but we managed to pull it off and also had several clinics with our Pickleball ambassador and coach, Claudia Fontana.

Costa Rica Pickleball Play And Tour

It has started to spread around the world and now so is the opportunity to gather with others addicted to play and tour other places in the world where it's being played. I'm talking of course about Pickleball. If you haven't a clue about what Picklebsall is, check out my blog post about it. Combine travel with our favorite sport activity and we were eager to join the group that was heading to Costa Rica to play and tour.

We went a day early and flew into San Jose. The Hampton Inn near the airport was very nice and certainly up to the company standards. We had not been able to get the local money, colones, at the airport. Either we didn't recognize an ATM machine or there just wasn't one in the arrival area. The receptionist at the Hampton (who by the way was very sweet and helpful and spoke excellent English) suggested we go to the casino across the street next to a Denny's where there was an ATM inside.

On our way, we saw a restaurant sign, "authentic Costa Rica food" and decided we were hungry. The place was called Rostipollo. I knew pollo meant chicken. I don't know what the rosti might have stood for. It is a fast food type chain but table service. I had what looked like a taco salad but was called something else. It was delicious! The refried black beans in the bottom were a little sweet. Different than anything else I've had.

After our authentic lunch, we went over to the casino and found the ATM just inside the door. It took us a while to figure out how much to take out. Bob wanted the equivalent of $50 USD. We figured that the colon was about 550 to one US dollar. An attendant came over to try to help us since we'd been standing there so long. Somehow in the translation between us we ended up withdrawing 5,000 colones which got us a 5 MIL bill. Seems like a lot doesn't it? Turned out it was only about $8.

We were about to go back to the hotel and try to figure the whole thing out (I forgot I had a converter app on my phone) and it began to pour rain. We looked at the 5 MIL bill in our hand and decided to play some slots while we waited for the rain to stop. Bob went to the cashier to get the 5 MIL changed into something smaller. She looked strangely at us but gave us 5 1,000 colones bills (worth just under $2 each). By the time we had played several machines, we finally figured out how much to withdraw from the ATM to get around $50. The afternoon passed pleasantly in the casino as we waited for the rain to stop. Cost of entertainment was only $8 and we got free coffee.

Welcome to Costa RIca.

Wordless Wednesday

Revisiting Costa Rica

[We are visiting Costa Rica once again only this time we will be seeing more of the country with a land tour. Meanwhile here is one of the visits we made from a cruise ship. I know we made one other stop on the Pacific side on another cruise and visited a national park but I can't find that post. Perhaps it was before I started blogging.]

On our recent port call in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, we were privileged to take a tour with a group called Vacations.com. Vignettes. Our travel agent is a member and so we were invited along on a complimentary tour to the Canals of Tortuguero.

We weren’t sure what to expect but it turned out to be a wonderful trip. A bus took us from the port to a place along the canal where we were treated to fresh watermelon, pineapple, and other treats as well as coffee, juice and soft drinks. A local group of musicians played and we strolled around the lovely grounds of the facility looking at red, red ginger and other exotic plants.

A little while later, we boarded narrow canal boats and headed down the canal with eyes peeled to the boarding bushes and trees to glimpse the local wild life. We passed many species of birds and saw two and three toed sloths. You can tell the difference because one moves faster than the other which isn’t saying much for either one. Iguanas hung in some trees and howler monkeys swung from branches in another group of trees.

Our guide on the bus and for the ride on the canal had a wonderful way of putting things. She mentioned that her country likes to “dance” on occasion meaning there are earthquakes once in a while. She promised to show us the good, bad, and the ugly. She came through. There were some areas we drove through that were a bit depressed and some that were very nice. Most all areas have bars on the windows much like we noticed in Puerto Rico. Our guide explained that the bars were there because of tradition and prevention. Traditionally, the bars were originally made of wood and there to keep chickens from flying through the open windows. Now it is more prevention. Enough said.

All in all, it was a wonderful tour and we returned to the ship refreshed, relaxed, and feeling very privileged to have seen a very beautiful part of Costa Rica, the “rich coast.”

Using Your Phone Offline As GPS

Teaching an old dog new tricks is not always easy but I think I just may have this one. An article on SmarterTravel lists several ways to be able to use your phone as a GPS and do it offline, saving data and connection costs especially when you are out of the country.

Replacing paper maps with our electronic versions took a little doing but eventually we got the hang of it. We would use Google Maps and then take a screen shot so we could use the map when we weren't online and were out on the road. That worked pretty well as long as we stayed within the photograph.

We replaced that system by buying a GPS that we could preprogram with all our routes and destinations. That is still the preferred way to go--when you're driving. When you are walking, it's a whole new ballgame.

Bob has purchased sim cards for his phone to get service when we are in a foreign country to be able to use his phone to navigate when we are exploring on foot. It can get a little costly.

Now I discover that our phones can be used offline with some apps not requiring a connection and still receiving GPS signals to help us navigate. Yay! I went to the app store and found a Google Maps app that looks like it will be fun to use. I'm eager to try it out.

I sense some of you smiling. You knew about this all along, didn't you?!

Finishing One Cruise Bucket List

There are lots of lists floating around the internet. People who say this is the ten best, the twelve best, etc, of any given piece of travel. I love checking off those lists to see if I've done the best but in truth, I really don't care. Those were rated by someone else with different likes and dislikes than I have. This latest list I've run across though is kind of fun. With one more cruise, we will have checked them all off.

The 8 Bucket List Cruises Every Traveler Should Take lists the Mediterranean, Alaska, Hawaii, Christmas Markets, Galapagos, TransAtlantic, Around The World and Cuba. This fall we will check off the last one, Cuba. Whoohoo!

Each of the areas they mention are wonderful. The Mediterranean is fascinating with the history of Europe at your ports of call but also amazing is the blue, blue water--so different than the turquoise of the Caribbean. Alaska with it's wildlife and also wild history is a fun adventure. Hawaii is perfection with weather and landscape but I would prefer French Polynesia for that. The Christmas Markets were unique but for us, a been-there-done-that kind of cruise. Galapagos defies description with its unusual animal and sea life. TransAtlantic cruises are a great way to relax and often offer some wonderful chances to hear good speakers or learn a new skill or just have time to do a lot of reading.  Without a doubt our World Cruise was beyond words--new friends, new places, new foods, undiscovered gems.

I would have added one more of those cruises to the list although some people are a bit wary of it--Antarctica. Crossing the Drake Channel can be a bit rough sometimes but oh, the beauty of the world at the bottom of the globe! Pristine--except of course for all those comical penguins. Fun and beautiful.

With great anticipation we look forward to Cuba. While it wasn't on any original bucket lists of ours because of the travel restrictions, it is now open and we are looking forward to exploring. Our list. Their list. Who cares. Let's set sail!

Charge! Wirelessly

Okay, I admit it. I can't keep up with the technology. I am constantly finding out my devices can do so much more than I realized. More than half of what they are capable of I probably would never use anyway but now I've discovered one that just might help me out as I travel.

Have you ever noticed all the people surrounding the large poles in an airport that have outlets at the base? The clusters of people plugged into outlets along the walls?  Or people playing musical chairs  in the airports that have made more accommodations at the charging bars where you can plug in and charge your devices? There are even places in many airplanes where you can plug in now.

Along comes wireless charging and many airports are beginning to offer that as well. I'm not sure how much better that's going to be. I checked out the process after I discovered that my iPhone 8 has the capability to charge wirelessly. You can actually buy a wireless charger to use at home and you just set your phone on top of it to charge. The glass backing allows the charging to take place in whatever magical form technology has created there.

Moving on to the airport stations though. I see just as much of a problem since your phone has to rest on the spot where the charging can take place. There would still be a limited amount of space available so overcrowding could still be a problem. Not only that but setting your phone down on the charger will require you to keep a constant eye on it. I have a feeling it would be easier to swipe a phone that's not attached by a cord to an outlet.

My other problem with the whole thing is that I would most likely have to remove the case my phone is in each time that I want to charge it. That's not an easy process for me. (Remember, I'm getting older.) When I checked out the instructions for wireless charging on the Apple help site, it said that there shouldn't be anything between the back of your phone and the charging pad.

I'm an old fashioned girl. I think I'll just find a spot to plug in and charge ahead.

Wordless Wednesday

Save On That Dream Vacation!

TripAdvisor, our go-to site for checking on destinations, things to do, hotels and restaurants, has come up with a list of nine dream destinations and when to visit them to save as much as 52% on hotels and even on airfare.

Going to destinations on the off season but still on the cusp of good weather is the best way to get a great vacation for a cheaper price. Sometimes finding what the off season is may be a little difficult but with a little online surfing you can usually find your destination and determine when that is.

Our trip to Iceland was on the back end of the season there, September-October. Yes, it was a little chilly and there was a little rain now and then but it was also a time when the Northern Lights were coming into their best season. Some of the places we stayed were closing soon after we left. There wasn't any downside to that. We still got full service and happy staff because the busy season was winding down.

Cruising is also more economical if you check out the schedules of the ships and catch a cruise on the end of the season and they are ready to reposition. If you don't mind days at sea, trans-ocean cruises are a good bargain and even though there are fewer ports of call, you can still enjoy relaxing days on the ship.

Check out the information on the TripAdvisor Luxury For Less Guide. Maybe you'll find your dream vacation there.

Going Out Of The Country? Need A Visa?

There are several trips for us this year that will be out of the country. One is to Grand Cayman where we make a yearly trek to go scuba diving with our grandson. The island country is a British Overseas Territory and since no visa is required for a normal tourist visit to the United Kingdom, none is required for Grand Cayman.

Another trip is to Costa RIca which requires no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Cuba, however does require a visa and since our cruise ship makes a few port of calls there, we will need to have a visa. Thankfully the cruise company will take care of that so there is one less item on the to-do list.

It is always a good idea to check to be sure that the country you are going to visit does not require a visa. Sometimes they can take a while to get approved. Most of the time that we have needed one we have gone through a company that does the work for us for a fee. I can remember one time where we just got off an airplane and had to purchase a visa right at the airport even though we were just passing through the airport to board another plane. Neither of us can remember what country that was but it was somewhere in South America.

On the internet you can find which countries require visas on sites such as CIBTvisas or PASSPORTINFO. They will have a list of countries that require a visa for US citizens or you can search for your destination. If you don't feel comfortable going through an online site for your visa, contact your travel agent or try asking at a AAA office travel desk.

The important thing is not to show up at the airport and get turned away from your travel plans because you haven't purchased your visa in advance.

Packing Tips: Zip It!

As we get ready to pack for another trip my mind turns to ways of economizing space and having less luggage. We don't do too badly. I think our years of experience have taught us some things, others we've learned from observation or travel articles. I ran across one by Anne McDermott called Sit & Zip. Here's how it works.

Buy gallon sized zip lock bags.

Roll your pants, polo shirts, t shirts, etc. into a tight roll.

Put two or three in a bag and then sit on it.

While still sitting, zip the bag shut.

Okay, now I know that requires a bit of coordination not all of us might have but I'm guessing it might be worth a try. Also I'm pretty sure that some shirts, skirts, pants, may not stay wrinkle free or even come close so that might require that you will have access to an iron upon arrival at your destination.

Here's a video for those of you who need a visual picture. Good luck! And don't forget to save those bags for the trip home unless of course you want to buy another suitcase to pack for the return trip.

Kicked Off The Plane? Really?

In this era of "fake news" I read an article on several seemingly ludicrous ways some people have been removed from their flights. The reporting of the incidents is sort of a he-said-she-said kind of thing and I think a lot of it stems from over reacting by passengers and crew alike but here are a few I found interesting.

I remember hearing about the birthday cake incident. A cake in the box carried by a family as they were preparing to celebrate a birthday at their destination created a dilemma of where to put it. It was first put in the overhead bin but then the crew decided it should go under the seat in front of them. According to the family it was the disagreement between crew members of where the cake should ride that led them to become upset and therefore required to leave the plane.

Saggy pants and showing cleavage can also lead to removal apparently. In one incident a singer from a group called Green Day was asked to pull up his pants which led to his getting removed and in another incident a football player was kicked off the plane and arrested when his pajama bottoms were said to be showing too much underwear. Butt cracks aside, cleavage creates a problem as well. When a Florida woman was asked to cover up, it led to a disagreement and eventually ejection. The crew claimed she was intoxicated.

The one I had to shake my head over though was a report that a man who is a prize winning Ivy League economist was scribbling indecipherable notes on a notepad. The passenger in the next seat felt uncomfortable about that and reported him to the crew. He was asked to leave the plane and was then questioned. Eventually it was revealed that the scribblings were actually math equations and he was allowed to continue on the flight that was now delayed.

So believe it or not, there is probably more than one side to a lot of these stories. But just in case, I'll be sure to wear my pants at the waist and button up the blouse as well as do my writing at home. The birthday cake can get purchased at my destination.

Wordless Wednesday

Books For The Road - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

It's been my good fortune to have come across several good reads lately. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian was a book getting passed among some friends we play Pickleball with. I snapped a picture of the cover and looked it up later. It seemed interesting but I didn't know how intriguing it was really going to get.

Here's the description from Amazon:

When Laurel Estabrook is attacked while riding her bicycle through Vermont’s back roads, her life is forever changed. Formerly outgoing, Laurel withdraws into her photography, spending all her free time at a homeless shelter. There she meets Bobbie Crocker, a man with a history of mental illness and a box of photographs that he won’t let anyone see. When Bobbie dies, Laurel discovers a deeply hidden secret–a story that leads her far from her old life, and into a cat-and-mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her. In a tale that travels between the Roaring Twenties and the twenty-first century, between Jay Gatsby’s Long Island and rural New England, bestselling author Chris Bohjalian has written his most extraordinary novel yet.

Extraordinary is right. I found it a little hard to follow at first with the Gatsby story line. It's been a while since I've read Fitzgerald's great novel. But enough pieces came back to me that I soon had the story weaving in with what I was reading. The author does an amazing job of story telling and must have quite a good imagination. I was amazed at the way the Gatsby story fit into his story.

In the foreword Bohjalian explains that while his work is fiction, the catalyst for the story's beginning it the true story of a homeless man who actually did leave behind a treasure trove of pictures. I love hearing about how an author begins their writing journey on any given work.

If you are not up on the Gatsby story, I would suggest reading The Great Gatsby first or at least the Cliff's Notes (do they have those any more?) or rent the movie (Robert Redford made a great Gatsby). It will help you enjoy the story so much more.

Great read for the road!

In Living Tribute

 [This was written almost twenty years ago and I believe our trip to Pearl Harbor was even earlier than that. It still brings tears to my eyes when I remember this tender moment.]

             I remember pausing quietly during school for eleven seconds at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour annually on the eleventh of November. Veterans Day is still significant to me. Growing up in the 50s, while World War II was still so fresh and another conflict in Korea was taking place, the importance of remembering that men and women had died defending the ideals of freedom etched certain dates in my mind. December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor Day, is another.

            So, when we decided to visit our son in Australia, we planned a stop in Honolulu, Hawaii, to tour Pearl Harbor. The beautiful weather exceeded our expectations. The luscious landscape surrounded by deep blue waters could not be duplicated on a painter’s canvas. While the scenery invited us to explore its tranquility, the intrigue of Pearl Harbor, one of the world’s most important historical places, demanded that curiosity be satisfied. 

            Standing on the shore, surveying the harbor, it was difficult to imagine the chaos and destruction of that day long ago in December, 1941. I conjured up scenes from movies of the past. It was difficult to equate this pastoral picture with the horror that rained down that day so many years ago.

            While we waited for our turn to make the trip to the monument built over the U.S.S. Arizona, we toured the U.S.S. Bowfin, a World War II submarine, the only “weapon” untouched by the attack. It was nicknamed “the Pearl Harbor avenger”. We wound our way through the narrow compartments and cramped quarters where the Bowfin crew had worked, eaten and slept during nine perilous war patrols.

            When our appointed time came for our trip to the Arizona, we entered the theater to view an informational movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Joining us were large groups of Japanese tourists adorned in flowered leis still fresh from their recent arrival at the airport. We sat together and listened to the park ranger speak reverently of the monument we were about to visit.

            Discomfort began to set in as I watched with the Japanese tourists the video presentation explaining the Japanese plot to attack the American naval base. The attack began at 7:55 a.m. with the first bomb being dropped on Wheeler Field. At 8:00 a.m., bullets began to rain down on the duty crew of every ship in Pearl Harbor who had assembled for morning colors and The Star Spangled Banner. Within fifteen minutes, the Japanese had either immobilized or sunk almost the whole U.S. Pacific fleet and disabled the total U.S. air capability on Oahu. Five minutes into the attack, a bomb hit the forward magazine of the U.S.S. Arizona, followed by a spectacular explosion that sent the ship to the bottom trapping more than 1,000 men below the surface.

            I watched movie clips of the bombing, the destruction, the loss of life. Emotions arose in me that I never knew were there. The presence of the Japanese tourists made me uncomfortable. Could I be prejudiced? I never considered the possibility before. All my life I had fought off the prejudicial remarks tossed about by some family members and friends as I grew up. Now, I feared perhaps some had stuck.   What do they feel, I wondered?  Why do they come here?  This is our memorial.  I chided myself. I shouldn’t feel intruded upon, as if the visiting team had entered our locker room. After all, it was our fathers and grandfathers who fought that war, not us. This was not a war of the people sitting in this room. Confused and unsettled I filed out with the crowd to the water taxi avoiding eye contact with anyone. I was embarrassed to think that, as a Christian, I could have harbored such feelings in my heart.

            As we slowly moved toward the small boat that would take us out to the U.S.S. Arizona, there was a hushed silence, even among the children. During the short trip over the water, it was explained again that this was a memorial and we should be respectful. Flowers were the only things allowed to be thrown in the water.

            Arriving at the memorial, the passengers disembarked quietly and, in solemn silence, began to spread out onto the walkways. Many stopped, as we did, to look for a familiar name among those on the list of the men who died.

            We strolled out to the area that stretches over the top of the ship. I stood peering out over the base of gun turret #3, the only part of the ship that remains above water level. A buoy marked the end of the bow and another, the stern. Through the crystal water I could see the silent tomb below. Sadness overcame me.

            Lost in thought, I was unaware of the activity around me. The Japanese had found their way out and wandered among us. As I stared at the huge metal coffin buried beneath the water below, a circle of delicate flowers gently bobbed in ripples of water and floated with the current over the length of the ship. Others soon followed it. One by one, the Japanese tourists removed their flower leis and let them slip quietly into the water. A youngster, barely four, following the lead of his parents, removed his lei but then hesitated for a moment. He looked up at his mother and father, a question drawn on the soft face and in the dark almond eyes. They nodded slightly. It was as if God nodded at me as well. In that tender moment, I released the feelings that had surfaced.

Gently the little boy let the prize that had been his for so brief a time slip into the water. Solemnly the pastel hued flowers glided on the ocean’s surface over the length of the ship. The men they honored had given up their prize also, a prize they held for only a brief time.

            A tear escaped the corner of my eye. The beautiful tribute reached the depth of my spirit and kindled the awareness of our humanity. We are all God’s creation.

            The fight for ideals and freedom this memorial symbolizes is more than mere history. It provides the opportunity for successive generations to come together in peace, remembering that we all belong to the same family of mankind. That while we are all different; we are still very much the same. We all need to receive the prize that was given up on the cross. In living tribute to a living savior, we need to strive together to live in peace, a peace to be entrusted to the soft young faces that look to us for direction.

From The Strange Tours File

Last weekend was the big wedding in Great Britain. Meghan and Harry have begun their life as husband and wife. It's the story little girls love--meeting your prince and becoming a princess (actually a duchess). Bring on the unicorns. Like millions of others I watched, at least for a little while. I had to smile as the very solemn faced Brits listened to a very animated pastor deliver a message.

Well now the Brits have given me another thing to smile about. They have a great sense of humor. It's often unexpected and catches you off-guard. For instance there is a London tour company that takes you on unusual themed tours. The name of the company is London Loo Tours. Now if you don't know that the Brits use the term loo for bathroom or toilet it may not strike a chord with you and make you smile. I'm truly smiling as I write this.

So, there are four tours you can choose from, the original loo tour, the Bloomsbury loo tour, the Thomas Crapper's Times and, I'm sure what would be one of my grandsons' favorites, the Fart Tour. The description of the original tour sent me into peals of laughter:

Our classic route runs from Waterloo to the West End, exploring the potty politics of public toilets. From stories of intrigue to practical tips, this tour is an investment in your bladder future! Never be caught short again!

Okay moving on to the Bloomsbury:

We put the Loo in Bloomsbury! This tour travels from Euston Square to Holburn and plumbs the depths of the history of health and hygiene, investigating how the toilet as we know it evolved from scientific discovery and social convention.

Now that seems a bit more educational. Even more educational would be the Thomas Crapper Tour. While he's been falsely credited with inventing the flush toilet, he was still a marvel at depth plumbing inventions and has quite a few patents to his name. Here's the description of that tour:

This tour travels through the Kensington area where Thomas Crapper lived and worked. Learn about the man and the myths and legends that have followed him and his famous surname!

And I finish with the newest tour, the Fart tour:

The Fart Tour with Amber-Loo, which journeys through Soho to celebrate the fun and discover the facts of our greatest bodily function.

So, if you find yourself in London and getting bored with all the usual touristy stops perhaps you'll give one of these a go--if you're flush with some cash of course.

Glamping?

According to the website, Glamping.com, the fusion of glamour and camping equals glamping and is catching on with those who don't want to do camping the old fashioned way. There are lots of places all over the world offering this luxury camping. I remember seeing opportunities to stay in fancy tents on African safari. For the record, we stayed in a very nice resort in a cabin.

I've never been into camping, at least not as an adult. As a teen a group of us girls would on occasion go to a nearby state park and camp overnight. There was nothing glamorous about that but it was fun at the time. Then we did try a couple of camping trips with the teen group from church that we led for a while. To our dismay we discovered what the canoe company meant by "primitive camping." I think that's where we finally drew the line and said our only camping would be done at the Holiday Inn.

And yet there are some beautiful ads that show lovely tents with wooden floors, some with rugs, pretty lights, even couches and of course a nice bed. All in the middle of the great outdoors. Tempting--maybe. And then maybe not. What say you?

Wordless Wednesday

My Phone Was Lost/Stolen!

In the blink of an eye it can happen. My daughter in law set her phone down for a second on the checkout counter at Toys R Us one Christmas season and turned her head for a moment to say something to my son. When she turned back, the phone was gone. No one claimed to have seen it disappear. Suspiciously a few days later there was a phone very much like hers on eBay.

While my brother in law didn't lose a phone, his iPad was picked out of his backpack in the middle of Venice, Italy. Gone in a second in a crowd of people. Several weeks later back home someone emailed him (he'd left a sticker on the back of the iPad with his email address in case he lost his iPad) and asked for his password so they could unlock the iPad. The person complained that they had purchased the device and couldn't get it unlocked.

There is a good article on SmarterTravel about what to do if your phone is stolen or lost while you are traveling. Traveling or not, it would be worth a read through if you don't have a clue about being able to lock or erase your phone so your information can't be used--especially if you have Apple Pay or another app for paying for things on it.

Whatever you do, keep that phone (and iPad) in a secure place on your person. Guard it as you would your wallet. It only takes a second and it's gone.

Books For The Road - My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry

Our book club took a chance on this book. None of us had read it so it was an adventure for all of us to open the pages or fire up the ebooks. I had read another of Fredrick Backman's books, A Man Called Ove, which was good so I had a feeling My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry would be as well. And it was.

Here's the description from the Amazon page:
Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy—as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy. She is also Elsa’s best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother’s stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

It brings a laugh in lots of places and by the time you are finished you realize you've learned some things along the way. The very least of which is to not judge people before you get to know them well.

Along the way I copied down a couple of quotes from the book:
"Improbable tragedies create improbable superheroes."
The argument over what is better a printed book vs. an ebook was answered by: "Soup is soup no matter what bowl it's served in."
And my favorite: "I want someone to know I existed. I want someone to know I was here."

I'm waiting to read another of Backman's books. So far he hasn't disappointed me. Try him out. You'll enjoy this read for the road.

And Then There's The Cheese Trail

A few years ago I would have loved this adventure. Unfortunately cheese is no longer a friend to me but that doesn't mean that following this trail wouldn't be fun.

The cheese trail spans about 60-70 miles between Akron and Sugarcreek. There are only five stops along this trail and unlike the donut trail in Butler, there is no passport or T shirt at the end of the trail.

To find the list of cheese stops and a map, go to the Only In Your State website. 

There's also a wine and cheese trail I happened upon but I wouldn't suggest sampling and driving. That's one you may want to designate a driver for.

Butler County's Donut Trail

Got a hankering to feed your sweet tooth? Butler County Ohio has a unique way to do it--by following the trail. No, you don't have to hike although with all the donuts you'll eat or at least purchase, you may want to get the exercise.  Let me explain.

First of all, you'll need to pick up a passport. You can get one at whatever donut shop you start your sweet adventure. Each place you visit after that will give you a stamp in your passport and you can start collecting some of those delicious treats as well.

When you have finished the 80 mile trail and have made at least eleven stops, you go to the Butler County Visitor's Bureau in West Chester and show them your passport. You then get the T shirt!

Butler County is located between Dayton and Cinncinnati. Go to the Butler County Visitor's Bureau website to find the map and list of shops. Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Buy Me Some Peanuts And Cracker Jack

Peanuts were growing in the US in the 1800s but were mainly used for oil and fodder for animals. As a food for consumption, it was considered a poor man's food--that is until the Civil War. The peanut was discovered as a convenient snack for the troops on both sides. Eventually the roasted peanut became a popular snack sold on street corners, at the circus and then baseball games.

With the more recent growth in peanut allergies, some ball parks actually have peanut-free areas where families can enjoy the game without the worry of peanut dust in the air. FYI, Americans consume more than 600 million pounds of peanuts a year.

While popcorn has been around for thousands of years it wasn't until 1893 when a couple of popcorn makers, Federick and Louis Rueckheim, decided to add a twist to the same old, same old. They began experimenting with adding molasses and peanuts to the popcorn and created a sweet/salty mix. In 1893 they introduced it at the World's Fair in Chicago. One of the people who tasted it said it was "crackerjack," a slang term of the times that meant "awesome." The name stuck.

The Rueckheims discovered a method of keeping the coated popcorn from sticking together which, it is said, is secret to this day.

The first Cracker Jack box to have a prize in it appeared in 1912. Since then more than 23 billion prizes have been found in the delicious mix. Some of the vintage prizes have been valued at $7,000. Wish I had kept some of those. By the way, July 5 is Cracker Jack Day!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Baseball has been around for a long time. Baseball parks, not as long. Baseball was first played in whatever space was available--race tracks, polo fields, cricket fields, parade fields, etc. It wasn't until around 1860 that the idea began to form that it would be expedient to have a ballpark and profit from it.

The first such ballpark, enclosed with stands and requiring an admission charge, is credited to William Cammeyer. He was a Brooklyn businessman and a politician. He purchased six acres of land and first built a skating rink but in 1862 made it into an enclosed ballpark with stands. Admission charge was 10 cents according to one report.

There were other ballparks that may or may not have been first but it was obvious that in the 1860s baseball was finding homes for their teams to play in. This all happening at a time when our country was embroiled in the Civil War. Check out the article on the Society For American Baseball Research to learn more.

By the way, I read that there was a covered area over a part of the stands for ladies to watch the game.