Road Trip Through the South

(Click on photo’s to view in full size and title)

In July I decided to take a road trip in August to the South in “My 7 year old Ford Focus”. This was our first real road trip and I was worried that these two older ladies, the car and I, were not going to make it. I had my wheels, oil and brakes checked before we left and they said we were good to go.

Since I did not have any friends that accepted my invitation I decided “Books on Tape” would have to do. The library saw this lady walk out with 12 books …my road companion.

Why do you ask did I go, well, because it was there and for some reason I felt in the mood to discover. There were about 20 people I could visit on my journey but when I started to map the trip I saw that it was impossible to hit more than a couple. There were also two cities I had heard people were moving to and those were my secondary targets but my main object was hitting the longest flea market in the world. During the first week in August on a north/ south road that starts in Alabama and ends in Ohio there is the longest flea market in the world. Route 127 is home to thousands of antique dealers, not antiques with a capital A but lots of people that just clean house once a year…. a very long garage sale.

I also went for the “road food”. I imagined the south had to offer but I was quite disappointed in that department. Visions of fried chicken, grits, and corn bread danced in my head only to be a vision and not a reality.

I only wanted to travel county roads, if I could, as I did want to see the natives but there were many hops that I had to take the interstates just for the time restrictions. I had picked out B&B’ s for my route before I left so some times I could not dawdle in a cute town that I had found. This was how I planned my way south but on the way home I had no reservations and found that my choices from the road were not as pleasant as my B&B’s going south.

I started out on Sunday morning for Leesburg, Va. I thought I would be driving about 6 hours but 6 turned into 10, as the weather did not cooperate. It started to rain in sheets and according to the local radio in NJ I was quite near a tornado. I could not drive on the Turnpike so I pulled over for almost an hour till it let up a little. It did seem I was the only car that felt that way. It was a pretty bland drive…. all highways until I got to Virginia on the outskirts of Leesburg. I arrived in time for a stiff drink, dinner and bed.

The next morning I checked out of The Holiday Inn and looked for town. Leesburg is adorable. The main street,So King Street,of antique buildings is filled with beautiful restaurants, coffee places (pictured) and antique shops. I hit all the shops except one that was only opened on the weekends that looked really good but it was not to be. I was very sad to leave the town as it was so special. I think it is called a suburb of Washington DC and could be commuted each day; definitely a place to revisit.

On to Charlottesville, Va., where I was to meet up with friends from Paris that were house guests for the month there. The trip was on local roads and a scenic drive was proposed. There is a famous road, Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park, which is a state park that I had seen on the map and decided to go out of my way to take. Big mistake! You pay a $15 charge to enter and when I asked the ranger if I should do this as I would not be trekking or camping or picnicking he said a definite yes. I now say a definite no. There is a 30 mile speed limit through the park and if you get the bad luck to get behind a camper it goes down to 20 miles an hour and all I wanted to do was get to my next destination. I was supposed to go the whole 100 miles but saw a turnoff at 30 miles out of the park and left. It was so very scenic but one “look out” is like the next and just what I was expecting. Lunch was on the road but not memorable. Arrived late afternoon in this much talk about town. It is a university town, The University of Virginia, and horse farms so it is known as a town for the rich. Speaking of universities we have a whole lot of them it seems I saw 100’s over my six day trip.

My inn was just what I dreamed it would be….200 South Street Inn(434 979 0200). Front porch, canopy beds, and a delicious breakfast. Most inns that I visited have a cocktail hour where they give out wine and cheese. I did partake and always had an interesting conversation with the other guests. My friends were not free for dinner so I walked to the downtown area which they had turned into a mall. Dinner was out doors at a well known sort of diner type restaurant on the mall… still not the meal I thought I would be having. The next day I met up with my friends and we toured Monticello, the house of Jefferson. It was delightful and then off to a small mall that sort of served the rich suburb of the town, sort of like Greenwich, Ct. After lunch I was off again to Roanoke, VA..

No scenic drives this time; I learned my lesson but took a combination of local roads and highways. So far the only road I had to pay for was in New Jersey…it figures. I also want to note hear our highways are fabulous and I saw lots of road work being done. I think some of the stimulus money has reached these states. I also saw a road gang cleaning up a road…that was a little unsettling.

Roanoke is a larger city that I was used to on this journey. I stayed downtown in the Hotel Roanoke(540 985 5900). It was built a very long time ago and is huge. It is now a Hilton hotel with lots of meetings and conventions taking place there. It is on the outskirts of downtown and has an overpass to the downtown area…over the railroad tracks. Most of these downtowns always have a railroad nearby and it seems that this town was once dominated by the railroad. They have revitalized this area and one thing that stands out is the Taubman Modern Art Museum, sort of a mini Bilbao and all the restaurants that have opened. I chose an over ambitious restaurant but it was my fault.

The next day I was on to Asheville, NC, and another town that there is a buzz about. Even though the most well known hotel in town is the Grove Park Inn, I chose to stay at The Albemarle Inn(800 621 7435) ,Located in the grand style home area but a short drive to downtown.. The Grove was very expensive and bigger than I like but it is a must to see. Dinner or lunch on the terrace overlooking mountains is breathtaking. Every President has stayed at this incredible place. My Inn was wonderful where each room was someone’s fantasy of what a Victorian room would look like (pictured). The downtown was redone and fun to walk though and see all of the old redone buildings. Lunch at Tupelo Honey Café and I finally found my southern food. I stuffed myself. Shopping and antiquing completed the day. This is a great town or city and I definitely can understand why Northerners are moving here.

Crossville, Tn. was the next stop. I picked a town that was on Route 127 so I could start the next morning, the official opening of the Longest Flea Market in the world. I tried to find a down home place to dine but no one knew what I was talking about.

World’s Longest Yard Sale- www.127sale.com- starts the first Thursday in August thru Sunday- starts in Alabama and goes through Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.I was prepared with lots of cash and comfy old clothes to pursue my antiques. I think I stopped about 20 times and then said to myself enough is enough. I found a roadside barbecue trailer and I and the workman had a fabulous lunch. Mine was all of $5 bucks. After lunch I thought I should drive as far as I could homeward and pull over and find a hotel when it got dark. I made it all through Kentucky and slept in Ashland, Ohio. A worker’s type town but there was an antique car show going on so that was the night’s activity.

When I got in the car the next morning I did not want to sleep in another hotel so I was determined to make it home. I stopped to eat and pee and gas up and was in my own bed at 9:30PM. I did it!

I had a wonderful trip. I loved seeing new parts of the U.S. and getting out of NY. By the way I did not meet an unpleasant person the whole week. The south is welcoming and everyone is friendly and nice. Books on tape did not disappoint either.

Israel…Five days on the ground and running

June 8 to 15^th 2009

It was a short but wonderful trip. I was very curious to see the difference between Israel and Jordan which I had visited Last year.

I went with a few woman friends and the trip was mainly planned by one of my friends who was on her 22^nd trip to Israel. She along with her connections to UJA Federation planned a fabulous and truly complete trip. We were five women, our wonderful guide, our security guy (well young man) and our adorably bus driver. And our wonderful friend had invited speakers to some of our lunches and dinners so we got to understand the politics and culture of the country. A special part of the trip was to several nonprofit organizations that my friend is an advocate and fundraiser for.

We stayed at the Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, which is a modern large hotel well located, I think a 4 or 5 star hotel. As we were busy from early morning to evening we did not spend too much time there. But I will say that they were not very service minded and not well organized. The breakfasts are really very disorganized but could me much better with just a little tweaking.

We did the usual sights including the Golan Heights, Masada, The Dead Sea and a short time in Tel Aviv which I would like to go back to. Just before I left I had read a long article about what a swinging city Tel Aviv was. A half a day was not enough.

Jerusalem:

Newest delux hotel:Hotel Mamilla- near Citadel- did not stay as it was just being finished

Our guide: Lauren Michel-Shachar- T:972 2 652 4561 or 972 52 885 0991- lauren79@netvision.net.il- Lauren is not just a guide but a very sophisticated lady who has lived both in the states and Israel and her father is a very well known author. Besides a superb guide she was fun to shop and dine with.

Our Bus Driver: Eppi- 0546940632 or 02 5859268 (home) I do not know if he drives any other vehicles but this bus but really was very pleasant, efficient and a good driver.

Tour Operator- Gil Travel- att: Dalia Djiji-W:03 972 7564 or C:054 678 7863- ddjiji@kenes.com

Places we visited:

The Old City, Herzl museum, Elvis (yes our Elvis) diner ,Yad Vashem, The Tisch Biblical Zoo, Independence Hall(Tel Aviv)

Non Profits:

Shalva – a home and school for special need children- a serv ice that does not exist in Israel- please read more about this incredible organization at www.shalva.org

Mevasseret Zion Absorption Center- a place to integrate Ethiopian immigrants that come to Israel without any support. Here they teach them to be Israel citizens

Restaurants:

Adom-31 Jaffa Street- Finegold Yard- T:02-6246242-www.adom-bar.co.il- casual very good local   food

Caravan Inn- in Abu Gosh-T:02-5342744- oriental food

Tel Aviv:

Restaurants:

Lilit- 2 Dafna Street Asia Building- T:036091331- lilitrest@gmail.com-the chefs here are graduates of a special cooking school for youths at risk-  and the food is very international and modern. Sophisticated.

And the surprise of the trip. Our bus driver and guide drove us the airport (they ask you to be there at least 3 hours in advance) where we were met at the door by VIP Service-they totally navigate you through customs, luggage, tickets, security, and passport control. They know everyone at the airport so no lines and they carry your hand luggage. I hear the service is about $70 a person and you tip them but it is better than “sex”. Att: Laufer  T: 03-975-4333 or 057 778 1022- leave it to the Jews to think of this service! Loved it!

Note: When I was in Jordan we visited the other side of the Dead Sea and stayed at the Marriott. This hotel plus the other 3 are so much superior to the ones on the Israeli side. If you want to experience the Dead Sea do it in Jordan. The Israeli hotels are run by Russians and are really bad.

Israel is a little like India once you have spent time in these countries they stay in your mind forever……

London in May 2009

Restaurants:New

La Petite Maison- 54 Brooke Mews W!- T:02074954774-www.lpmlondon.co.uk- the social place to go. Owner is from Nice, France- very organic healthy slant and lots of sunshine to make believe you are in Nice.

Aubaine-260-262 Brompton Road- SW3- T: 02070520100-www.aubaine.co.uk-Open café French brasserie- great meeting place for lunch

Coq d’Argent-1 Poultry,EC2R T:02073955000- www.coqdargent.co.uk- in the financial area- on top of a tall building. There are lots of different areas both in and outside. Slick modern and definitely an occasion place.

Dayles Food Organic- 44B Pimlico Road- SW1- T: 0207881 8060-www.daylesfordorganic.com- a store and dining- good for light dinner and lunch and brunch.best grocery store in town

St John’s- authentic English

Bam-Bou-1 Perry street- 020 7323 9130-www.bam-bou.co.uk- Asian fusian-on lots of small floors so nice place to have a private dinner with a group of friends

The Commander- 47 Hereford Road W2- 7229 1503-www.thecommander.co.uk-In Notting Hill a new foodie bistro destination

The Wolseley-160 Piccadilly- W1-020 7499 6996-www.thewolseley.com- old fashion but good again

Plays:

Duet for One- a must

War Horse- one of the best plays I have ever seen- book way ahead

Stores:

Cos- 222 Regent Street- W1- but all over- a division of H&M- very Jil Sander- well priced clothes for men and women- modern minimal

Dunhill- reinvented- very chic for men’s – attached to a new private club- Arthur’s

Dover Street Market- a vertical market of lots of different designers put together by Comme des Garcons- great items but all to precious for these times- good idea byt then came the recession

Jaeger-has reinvented itself – new concept store on South Molton Street

Private:

Mark’s- has redone their Red Room- the place to dine if a member

New:

The G Wiz car- all electric and adorable- not here yet

Connaught Hotel-Carlos Place-Mayfair-W1 -44 020 7499 7070-www.the-connaught.co.uk- owned by an Irish group and totally redone- new dining places also

Driver:

Tim Bryne-07747 567 919- 0800 587 3055-www.pegasuschauffeurdrive.com-    bookings@pegasuschauffeurdrive.com- new Mercedes SUV- handsome old school- loved his “MUM” to me…..

I will not fly this airline!

In-flight Cell Phones Coming to Ryanair
By pbb, 2008-09-25 14:30:34
Section: Travel, Topic:

Ryanair will start letting passengers make in-flight cell phone calls on some flights in the next couple weeks, and the carrier will charge about £2 ($3.50) a minute for the privilege.

Worried about having to hear stupid conversations? “Stop whining!” says CEO Michael O’Leary:

If you want a quiet flight, use another airline. Ryanair is noisy, full and we are always trying to sell you something.

Such refreshing honesty from an airline!

Related Stories:
· “Hello? I’m on the Plane.” [The Independent]
· In-Flight Cell Phones coverage [Jaunted]

Dubai, UAE

A Fashion Visit to Dubai

2004 and updated August 2008

Dubai, for those not in the know, is in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. It is known as “the shopping capital of the world” and it might very well be. It is a modern city built in the middle of desert. Sheik Mohammed and his family have run it as a kingdom for many generations. They have created an incredible green modern city with the newest forms of technology, especially in the ways of irrigation. No money has been spared. The city is a cross between Miami Beach and Las Vegas. It has the look of a beach resort combined with a modern city of huge skyscrapers.

All of the famous international hotel chains already have huge hotel complexes here. The Ritz Carlton, The Mandarin, Intercontinental are among a few of the hotels. These are deluxe hotels with all the bells and whistles. You can choose a hotel to stay in either in the city or at the beach, which is less than a half an hour away. I chose the city but went to the beach several times, for either lunch or water sports. It is a beautiful city and immaculate. Literally you can eat off the sidewalk, I mean the actual sidewalk. This city is also known for its safety. Most people do not lock their cars or houses. One reason for this criminal free city is they are very strict on crime and the government has placed the prison near the center of the city …I think just to remind all that they mean business.

The population is multi national. Many foreigners come here to work for several years, as there are no income taxes, or sales tax, only a 4% tax on some imports. Usually a firm makes a worker sign a three-year contract and they will provide housing. Rents on apartments are generally inexpensive. Previously, foreigners could not purchase property, but this year that has changed and it is allowable.

Every brand of clothing or cosmetics is here or about to be launched. Each hotel has large shopping arcades and there are at least 6 large independent shopping centers. These are so beautifully organized with valet service everywhere. There are also some centers that are located in large office complexes, but all centers are within half an hour’s drive.

If you visit and do the tourist thing, which is not much, as the city is so young …please skip the desert ride…. Trust me it is not pleasant. You can not visit any of the mosques, if you are a woman, but you can hear the call to prayers five times a day no matter where you are. The calls are somewhat eerie. There are prayer rooms wherever you go, so people do not have to go to a mosque when the prayer call comes.

Most people that live there and are Arabic wear traditional robes. The men are in crisp white robes and the women are in black. The men’s head gear range from the traditional wrap to a baseball cap. The man that we pictured is proud of his NY Yankees cap.

All the men’s robes have pockets, as everyone owns a cell phone. The women’s heads are covered either by the traditional scarf or some of the women are still totally covered except for eye slits. It seems incongruous for the city to be so modern and that the population is still wearing the dress that their grandmothers wore centuries ago. Though what’s underneath I am sure are the latest outfits from the European designers since the main preoccupation is to shop…so let’s shop!

***Villa Moda, the world famous store from Kuwait has just opened a branch here. It is located in a large office complex. It is huge. All on one floor with separate stores for contemporary and men, but all are connected. A beautiful café and bar will be used for entertaining and also for a daily place to drop in to. There is a large glass enclosed area off the café that is empty except if they are having a trunk show and then that becomes a separate selling area. The day that I visited they were setting up for a Chloe show. Lots of young good looking sales people wander the store and are very willing to take you for a tour. The store is mainly filled with European designer brands with a few casual American brands like Seven Jeans. Some cosmetics and shoes complement each area. I was there in January when the temperature was about 80 degrees every day and they had lots of heavy fall clothes, not to be worn there but for those clients that travel. I am sure they know what they are doing, but it was the largest specialty store that I have every seen with lots of designer clothes very scantily spaced around. I do not think rent is that inexpensive anywhere in this city but the location seems a little off the beaten track. One thing is that he has made that building’s other retail space very valuable.

Tel: 04 330 4555 and at The Emirates Tower

Also at Emirates Towers the fabulous Lebanese restaurant called Al-Nafoora.

City Center is the most popular shopping center. It is anchored by Carrefour and Ikea with a local department store named Studio R. There is a vast variety of fast food and movies in the center, 11 screens. Everything makes you feel that you are in the United States, except there are some shops that are so foreign to our eyes. Their Arab robes are usually custom made and there are shops that make them which look like The Custom Shop with bolts of fabric to choose your robe from. They have similar stores that showcase women’s robes. It is so strange to walk into women’s store with everything on the rack in black and the sales people are all men. Another category of stores that are very foreign to us, is the Arabian perfume stores. Everywhere you look there is another store of essences and oils in order to mix your own custom fragrance. The bottles are just beautiful. These stores are very upscale and posh and their fragrances are very, very expensive. However, most of the western higher end cosmetics are sold through a group of stores called Paris Gallery and they have bought a lot of the American brands. However, they do not have individually manned counters, so I think sales are not optimized.

Some of the stores in the center are: Zara, Mothercare, Mac, Debenham’s, Docker’s, 9 West, Top Shop, Calvin Klein Jeans, Mango, Polo Jeans Company, Mexx, Aldo Shoes, Diesel, Next, Giordano, Esprit, Sketchers, Levi Store, DKNY, and many others. Most of the U.S. brands are the lower priced or the jeans segment of the collections.

While I was there the top English music titles were In The Zone by Britany Spears, Blue by Guilty, Life for Rent by Dido, Seven by Enrique Iglesias and Turn Around by Westlife. The Arabic top 5 were Jalsa 6 by Mehad Hammad, Fadel Shaker by Sidi Rohi, Another One Thousand and One Nights by Said Mrad, Now Dance by Arabiaa, and Myriam. All available at one of the many Virgin stores.

***XVA Gallery-att: Mona Hauser-in the 97 150 624 0722

The one unique store that I visited is this gallery/boutique/hotel/café and clothing boutique. It was just opened by a woman from Arkansas who came for a visit with her husband that was a veterinarian and attending the Sheik’s horse team and never left. She picked the old section of town called Bastakiya, where other galleries and restaurants were also opening. Pictured are some of the restaurants in the area that are popping up. It has the feel of a Soho. But her good taste and worldly fashion sense has made this gallery the place to go. She works with young artists and designers to make unusual one-of-a-kind art and fashions. It is also the only chic boutique hotel in town, so the 8 rooms are already booked for several months. Each of the eight rooms are decorated differently and have either a whimsical or modern Arabian look.. If you visit please try to meet Mona as she is very kind and knows everything about the city.

She invited me to a wedding that night at my hotel’s ballroom. Picture 500 women all dressed in black robes drinking juices, eating and dancing till dawn. Wedding parties are either for men or women but never mixed.

The Third Line Gallery in Al Quoz industrial park

The Gold Souk

Even though there are other souks, each devoted to a single product

( i.e. technology, fabrics,spices etc.), the Gold Souk is the one to visit. The old souk is about a city block long with the new gold souk attached. There are hundreds of small shops that sell only jewelry. I went thinking that I could buy some inexpensive copies of brand name pieces, but it was not there. Their copies are interpretations and are all in gold that is a different color than what Americans are used to seeing. The traditional pieces are very tempting but my life style back here does not beckon for this look. I am glad I went but did not buy anything.

Speaking of jewelry this is a category that is very well developed here. Each hotel has the well-known stores and each international brand has a major collection of high-end looks on display. They tend to show the showier pieces. Sean John would have a ball here. Lots of bling-bling. The local chain here is called Damas, who sells most of the prominent global designers.

Dining:

Each hotel has a multitude of restaurants that showcase different International cuisine. They demonstrate modern ethnic richness, but the main hotel to dine in is the Burj Al Arab.This hotel has become the symbol of Dubai, and its image is on all the license plates. It is a giant hotel built to resemble a sailing ship and placed in the middle of a body of water. Rooms are all suites and start at $750.00 U.S. a night. I chose to dine instead of staying there, which turned out to be a wise decision. At the time I was there, the hotel was totally filled and 95% were Russian. The Russians are the ones that are traveling these days and have so much money that they fill most of the grand hotels in the Middle East. The shopping and the beautiful weather are very inviting to them. As this is such a large part of the tourists in Dubai, a lot of restaurants have staff that are Russian or speak the language.

The hotel is exquisitely luxurious. It is the most opulent hotel I have ever seen. Everything is in gold. It is a little over-the-top but it works here. The restaurants are also always booked very far in advance so if you are planning on a trip, book before you go. I chose the Al Mahara Seafood Restaurant on the top floor. The owners of this hotel are the people behind the Armani venture.

Fax: 971 4 3016076 or 301 7601 Telephone: 971 4 301 7777

Whats in the future:

Prestige is the trades show organization for the upper to high-end fashion and lifestyle brands. I think this is a great show to have your first exposure to the Middle East. You would not be looking to sell stores directly but to find a distributor. It is organized by Planet Fair Dubai LLC. They can be reached by fax 971 50 659 0074 or email ashraf.sharaf@planetfair.com or www.planetfair.com/dubai

Dubai Festival City, the 2.5 million square feet retail and entertainment center planned for the banks of the Dubai Creek

The world’s largest shopping center with over 1000 retailers expected.

And many more Americans will be tempted to visit this fabulous city.

Updates:

2006

Etoile by Jacques Garcia- in the mall of the emirates- new couture store

2008 updates

Park Hyatt Dubai- new hotel with Amara Spa

Brownbook- a publication of what’s doing in arts and life style- Publisher Rashid bin Shabid

S*uce-independent boutique

Essa- top fashion designer-owned by Zayan Ghandour

50 degrees C- high end gift store-owner Shahi Hamad

Five Green-avant garde fashion and art store

Traffic- huge gallery-designs- -7000 ft of one of a kind- in Al Barsha

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Seawings Seaplanes- www.seawings.ae-best way to see Dubai-about $200- @ Jebel Ali- about 45 minutes from downtown

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Raffles Hotel- has Fire and Ice and China Moon restaurants

Special Ostadi Restaurant on Al Mussalla Road, Bur Dubai-old part-small and old

The Palace Hotel- Thiptara Royal Thai-Thai food- in the Old Town

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Mall Shopping:

Dubai Mall- ice skating, large aquariums

Burjuman Mall-

Dubai Festival City Mall

The Mall of Arabia – coming

Welcome to Jordan

“Welcome to Jordan”

I recently returned from a week-long vacation in the country of Jordan.

This might seem an unusual destination, but a friend and I were thinking of going to Israel, both for the first time, but it was Passover and reservations were non existent so we chose neighboring Jordan instead.

An escorted tour was not an option for us ….so using our guide books and the internet we booked our air and all the hotels quite easily. However, it was quite difficult to get rooms in the Dead Sea .We did not know we were competing with a world class auto race and a nursing conference in the area, and as there are only a few hotels, it was a challenge. All was done except for the transportation between the cities, but we thought we could handle it with the concierge in each hotel. We even had recommendations for restaurants in Amman. So we thought we were good to go. Generally, I like to stay at small boutique hotels but that does not exist in Amman. So we chose 4 or 5 star hotels in each city.

My friend and traveling companion flew from Paris and I flew from NY. I flew Royal Jordanian, which was unusually good. Foreign carriers are so much better than American ones, unfortunately. We both landed within two hours of each other. Her flight was four hours and mine 14. We both had hotel cars meet us. Landing is very easy. Obtaining a visa can be done when you land, just make sure you have Jordanian money to pay for it (it costs 16 Jordanian dollars). I purchased JD’s from my bank before I left. There are porters (remember them!) to help you with your bags and my driver was waiting for me. I left at 11:30pm and landed at 5:00pm Jordan time.

We stayed at the Marriot and were very pleased. The help was so kind and courteous and we began to hear the “Welcome to Jordan” from everyone we met. We saw the important tourist sights the first day (please refer to the guide books) as there is not much. The taxis are difficult as they do not put their meters on so we were over paying until we learned that you can go most places in a taxi for 1 or 2 JD’s. We were giving five until we learned. Then we never ask and just gave the drivers 1 or 2 dollars and left the cab. It worked.

All the guide books suggest a famous native lunch place to eat in, called Hashem.

My friend and I pushed ourselves to eat in this outdoor cafeteria but I kept visualizing my hospital stay the next day from severe dysentery, but we did eat there and no tummy problems. Do not even think of going the bathroom there. Also always carry Kleenex with you.

A lovely street to explore is Rainbow Road, where there are some antique shops and the Wild Jordan Foundation which the Queen runs. A lovely gift shop is attached. Also, Jebel Amman Street is also interesting to explore for architecture. (Not really spoken of in the guide books)

We were respectful of the morals of the country and wore slacks and non revealing tops but no head scarves. We also found if you go to a shop and stand at a counter and there are men waiting, the woman is always served last, even if she showed up first!

The next day we went to the concierge to ask how to get to Jerash, a city and a very famous architectural site and they are only interested in selling us a private car and driver, of course, with their commission. They do not tell you or help you to know that a yellow cab will take you and wait for you for a fraction of the price of a car. My only complaint about the Marriot was the concierge was very unhelpful for alternative methods of travel and even lied about the availability of buses and taxis.

The ancient city of Jerash should not be missed and the drive there and back is also a good way to see the country…about an hour. It is an afternoon or morning, not more. The rest of the day we spent exploring the new shopping centers in Amman, the newest was the ABC Department Store and then there are the more established ones: Mecca and City, which are quite near each other. Trust me there is nothing to buy and the food courts feature all our exports. No movie theaters in any of the malls.

We tried several times to eat at the restaurant Fakhr el din, which is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Amman and each time we called they were fully booked. So if you are going to Amman book dinner before you arrive at this restaurant. We ate at an Italian restaurant named Romero that was just okay and Tannoureen, also just okay. On our return to Amman we ate at the Intercontinental Indian restaurant and that was quite nice.

We found another car to take us to Petra one way. We negotiated a good price, as it is a three to four hour drive. When he picked us up it was another driver who then took us to the original taxi driver to explain to us that this was his cousin and he had to work at the garage today but all would be well taken care of as the cousin spoke a little English and knew the way. What could we do so on we went? Security is very tight in Jordan. You are checked each time you enter your hotel or a mall and also on the roads. There are many check points on the road south to Petra. The first one we went though, our driver did not have the proper permit to go from one county to another, so the police issued him a ticket. Needless to say he was pissed and not very pleasant to be with. Thank goodness I had a map as I had to guide him a few times but he much preferred to ask a man on the side of the road rather than take my word. It is being “the woman thing”. He was not happy when we did not tip him above the price we had agreed with his cousin. We got to Petra in good shape but it is a harrowing drive through a mountainous part of the country. We soon realized they do not take the highway as I think there are tolls on that road so they would rather take the sea road and not pay. Even though it is much more scenic, you have to cut inland down south and that road is so scary. Do not drive yourself unless you are a very accomplished international driver.

We arrived in Petra to stay at the Movenpick, which is a Swiss hotel chain and 4 or 5 stars. Its main advantage is its close proximity to the gates to the Petra site. We did not want to go into the hotel’s fancy dining room so we hit the streets and walked to downtown Petra for a place to eat and peruse the tourist shops. There are a few restaurants near the hotel that serve good clean simple local food. Some of the shops are run by Bedouin men who are quite handsome and accessorize their eyes with kohl…even the modern ones. There really isn’t anything else to do here but spend the day exploring the ruins. We started out the next day and it is a very long walk even to the first of the ruins. I managed to do three quarters of the entire site and had all intentions of going back the next day but when the next day came I couldn’t bear doing it all over again. We did take the donkey cart back but it only goes a little way of the long way home. My friend was in better shape than I and she did not finish either.

The concierge at this hotel was also not interested in finding any other option than a private car so once again we found a cab and negotiated a price to go to the Dead Sea and also a trip to Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum, an immense desert area is a real tourist trap. They have organized it with different spots in the desert into package deals. We took the 2 hour trip and it was very disappointing. But I guess you do it as it is what you are supposed to do. Maybe if we did the whole deal, which is all day, I might have been more impressed. We brought our lunch so we did not have to eat in their café which looked like it was really only for groups. Yes, there are wonderful parts full of natural wonders but they make it too touristy or maybe we did not do it right. I am sure glad I did not choose to sleep there as they push sleeping like the Bedouins in a tent. If the tent was anything like the 4 wheeler we took I wanted no part of it.

On to our next place which was about two hours away… the Dead Sea. It is not a town but a part of the Dead Sea where hotels, on the Jordan side, are located. Across this narrow sea is Israel. There are 4 or 5 large hotels close to each other near a public beach and the convention center. That is the Dead Sea! The most modern chic hotel is the Kempinski and the next I think is the Movenpick, where we stayed. It is set out like a village with cobble stone walkways between two-story buildings where the rooms are located. There are lots of pools and access to the beach. It is just lovely. They also have placed 3 different restaurants around a square with outdoor tables and chairs. When we were there in April it hit 130 degrees and did not cool off that much in the evening. The food is just okay but the scenic way the hotel is laid out makes up for the food in the restaurants. We did have to stay at the Dead Sea Hotel one night and that is not for luxury travelers. There happened to be a world class auto race when we were there and a nurse’s convention so the hotels were totally booked. One day of relaxing and a mud bath and a float is enough here. They also do not tell you how hard it is to swim in this water.

One day we took another taxi to go to Madasa and Mt Nebo, two sacred biblical spots, which is really just a morning. The guide books promote a small hotel in Madasa called The Mariam and we went by it and were very happy not to have stayed there.

Back to Amman to make our flights back to NY and Paris. We thought we should stay near the airport as my friend’s flight was very late and mine very early. The Alia Gateway Hotel is dreadful but I am not someone who stays at airport hotels very often to compare it to others. We tried to get into the Fakhrei din restaurant again and still could not get a table so we went to the Intercontinental Hotel to their Indian restaurant and were lucky enough to catch a pretty progressive wedding going on in the hotel. A huge group of singers follow the bride in and out of the hotel and it was quite a show. In this wedding the men and women mixed, but the first wedding we witnessed at the Marriot, the men dropped the bride and their women off and the women celebrated by themselves. I guess the men went somewhere but we didn’t find out where. The women at that wedding were covered by robes but this wedding they were wearing very revealing long dresses.

The airport is very simple with strict security. I had a run in with a chauffeur that I noticed was pulling his weight for a young man he was taking care of. He tried to push ahead of me once or twice but he picked the wrong lady. I got cheers for my little speech to him. And then I saw him way past where non passengers were supposed to be and notified security and they started to question him. The young guy he was trying to help was from The American Embassy and trying to get upgraded with special treatment. Ha Ha! I was very happy to see him sitting in the back of the plane with me during the trip. We do not need to be pushy Americans in Middle Eastern countries.

In conclusion, Jordan is a very good trip and easy to go independently. I understand why most high end tour companies tagged it on to their trips to Egypt. The Jordanians are very well schooled about being nice to tourists. I do think they have to work on the transportation systems in this small country especially for tourists. I did read that they were working on a railway but it keeps getting stalled.

Jordan is also very safe and they love America (not George). It was a pleasure to see how different it is from what we constantly hear about Middle East chaos. You do not need guides as your book will explain all the sites for you.

Facts :

1. Blackberries do work here
2. All current is 220 but some plugs are European and some English
3. Lots of Atms and they still take our dollars
4. Hot book for foreigners “Married to a Bedouin”
5. Watch Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones DVDs before you go
6. Read the Jordan Times the local English newspaper on line

www.jordantimes.com to see what’s doing.

1. Check Jett buses to see their schedule and then work around it.
2. The tour books say that the luxury hotels have buses to take you to your next destination….not true.

American Airlines Drunks

I recently had a disturbing flight and wanted to share it with you. I tried to email American Airlines and MADD but were unable to on their websites. I did, however, find a place to vent bad airline stories and want to share this website to you. Please follow the link to join this new friend. http://flightsfromhell.com/stories-passengers.htm

American Airlines

LGA to West Palm Beach

March 27, 2008

Flight #1229 8:25AM

Last week I had the misfortune to be on your flight from JFK to WPB. I was seated in seat 23B right behind two men (row 22 seat A &B) that also boarded in NY. They were part of a group of about 8 men traveling to WPB. Just as we were seated they started shouting to each other and to their friends that were throughout the plane. Before the steward Michael could get the cart down the aisle for drinks they demanded beers. Before their turn, as the cart started in the beginning rows, Michael gave them two beers each. By the time the cart came to our rows they were asking for two more beers and also bottles of alcohol. Michael gave them two bottles of liquor each. They paid $25 for their drinks. Unfortunately they were shouting to each other and kept lowering their backs of their seats and frequently getting up and down to either go to the bathroom or to visit one of their friends, each time they walked down the aisle they had drinks in hand. Next when I saw Michael give them 4 extra bottles and not charge them I asked

Michael when did he think “enough was enough” as it was nine o’clock in the morning. He answered it was none of my business and to keep my nose out of it. The other steward, a black woman, named Delanie sneered at me and passed me without asking me for a drink ( of water) and when I did ask and told her she had missed me she told me ” that I was too busy minding other people’s business”. I went without a drink the whole flight.I estimate they had 4 beers and 6 drinks each. The two men kept opening the overhead compartments and I worried something would fall on my head. By this time they had passed out and for an hour we had silence. When we landed their phones were on before the appointed time and they could hardly walk off the plane as they were still so drunk.

When I left I noted what went on to the pilot but he did not seem at all interested in what I thought was a big problem and was totally caused and encouraged by your flight attendants.

And the end of this story is that these guys were planning on renting a car at the airport. Unless the rental car agent was astute to how drunk they were they probably got a car and drove off drunk. And American Airline’s, if they killed someone, you are responsible. I do not know if the state of Florida has the same laws as New York but you would be as guilty as the killers.

There was absolutely no reason to keep feeding these guys alcohol and not think about your passengers around them who just wanted to read their newspapers for the short flight.

I intend to send the local newspapers in Florida, travel blogs and the FCC of your policy of really promoting alcohol consumption with no stop.Leaving up to Michael judgment is a horrible mistake on your part.

I would really like those flight attendants sited for their disregard for safety and common decency to the other passengers and an apology from them.

Miami Beach, Florida

I recently visited MB for a weekend and did not stay in South Beach. We stayed around 60th Street so we were close to Surfside and Bal Harbor and thought I would write about some of our discoveries.

Hotels:

Boutique: The Mimosa –near Bal Harbor- 6525 Collins Ave- 305 867 5000- www. Themimosa-miamibeach.com- did not see the rooms but looked cute and not in South Beach

Baltic Hotel- 76 43 Harding Avenue-877 622 5842-www.baltichotelmiamibeach.com- did not see rooms and do not think there is a pool

Real Estate Agent: Allison Turk- C:305 450 7965 or Allison@allisonturk.com- with Turnberry Int’l Realty-cute young girl- lived in Miami Beach her whole life

Restaurants:

Adriana-9477 Harding Avenue-Surfside, Fl 33154 -305 867 1220- food from Peru- and beautiful décor

Specchio-9485 Harding Avenue-Surfside, Fl  33154- 305 865 5653-Italian food- very, very good

La Goulue- in the Bal Harbor Shops-305 865 2181- French normal café food but great people watching outside

 

Amtrak Railroad

My trip to Canada by train…..what was I thinking?

July 9.2007

This winter for the first time in many, many years I took the train to and from Florida. It was the auto train and I had a compartment to myself. I thought the trip was so pleasurable and I was so happy that I did not have to face the security issues at an airport, the limit on baggage, the possible delays and cancellations because of weather and all the other niceties of flying today. Having had a positive experience with trains when I thought of going to Canada this summer I thought “why not go by train?”

I was going to visit several cities in Eastern Canada so I contacted Via Rail, which is the railroad in Canada, and booked my four city trip in Canada. They could not sell me the portion of the trip from New York to Montreal, for that I had to call Amtrak. So you call and you book and pay for the ticket and you think all is done. The night before I was to leave I noticed that I had not received a ticket. Since I live close to Penn Station and was going near that area I decided to take my confirmation number and pick up my ticket. My train was supposed to leave at 8:15 AM the next morning and I did not want to chance it.

The line went pretty quickly and when I asked for my ticket they asked me for my passport( which I knew I had to carry with me when I was traveling). I did not have it but said that I did have a valid passport and showed them my New York license instead. They were very careful and specific about my passport and my identity. I did not ask why they had not sent me my paid for “in a month before” ticket as I decided the lady serving me would not know.

I made it to Penn Station the next morning early and the cab left me off at a portal that had only an up escalator and I was going down. I then had to walk around the block with two suitcases and passed a red cap stand but of course no red caps. I finally found a door and spied a down escalator but the door said exit only…screw that I was not going to follow that command. Of course there is a little chaos at the gate with people carefully checking your ticket, bagage, and your passport. Oh by the way, I did finally see a Red Cap….they were sitting near the seating area about 20 yards from the gate. No wonder that is a dying profession!

On the train to Montreal they announce that there is a dining car. I asked if you had to reserve a seat and they said it is only a snack bar. I was prepared for this with a little shopping bag from my favorite eatery with lots to keep me for the supposed 10 hour trip.

The car was not filled and there were no assigned seats. This is not luxury traveling I surmised. I really found that out when I went to the bathrooms that smelled from 20 years of urine. A New York subway elevator smells better than these rooms. But there was paper and soap and towels so I guess I had the basics. Still on the rest rooms, they got much worse as we went and there was no clean up crew. Now I sort of appreciate air attendants coming through the plane collecting garbage during the flight.

Now for the trip itself, you really crawl from New York to Montreal. And you even stop and wait for freight trains. Even though this trip goes four times a week on the same track there was always a freight train in the way. A conductor that I asked how many minutes we were delayed told me the rails are owned by the freight companies and that we were only guests using them. I corrected him by saying that we were “paying guests”.

We were not minutes delayed we were 2 hours delayed.

After what seemed like an eternity, we came to the border and to my surprise it isn’t easy to get into Canada. I have read so often that our borders are so loose and that anyone can get in to the USA especially on our borders with Canada and Mexico. Well the reverse isn’t so.

At the border the Canadian Custom Officers bordered the train. There were 6 or 7 in my car. They were very serious, all young and very thorough. They asked each passenger for their Declaration Card and passport and then started asking questions. This was not directed at suspicious looking people but everyone. They had a manifest of who was on the train and when we bought our tickets.

Where do you live?

How long are you staying in Canada?

Do you know anybody in Canada?

What is the purpose of your trip?

Why did you choose Canada?

Have you been here before?

Please identify your luggage?

Merci!

And then a fellow behind me was asked for his passport. He did not have one. He was from Australia. He had some documentation that he was allowed in the US but it had expired. He was grilled by several officers and several times and then they left the train with his measly piece of some paper and then we waited and waited. One hour later they returned and told him they were letting him in but they doubted he would get back into the States. My big question was how did Amtrak allow him to buy the ticket and check into the train without having the proper documents. When we were finally on our way his seatmate said that he thought he had had a friend with no papers and they got back into the US and I seemed to think he was right he would get back into the states before his supposed trip back to Australia in a month.

Well after 15 hours on the train the first thing I am going to do is cancel my trip home on Amtrak and pick a flight home. I will suffer the indignities of flying which I will endure for a few hours vs. the 15 hours that I have spent on the train. Whatever as I thinking?

My trip home to New York from Toronto

July 17, 2007

About a week later and after many train trips on Via Rail through the east corner of Canada I reluctantly border the Amtrak train to go back to New York. Via Rail is the government operated train system in Canada. Of the four trips I took on their rail system two of them were delayed. One was for a fatal accident on the track ahead. We were given no more information on what was this accident and I did not find it in the paper the next day. But if you are delayed on Via Rail they announce that half of your fare is refundable on your next trip. I could not use it as everything was prepaid so I handed if off to a Canadian friend. But at least they recognize that their paid passenger needs a correct service if not a refund. Bravo!

The Amtrak train leaves Toronto at 8:30 AM from Union Station. Not the rush and confusion that was at Penn Station but no one looks at our passports or ID’s. I board the train and discover that there is no difference between business and tourist class. I sat in tourist as they said there were no seats in business but the only thing I noticed that was different was there were no protector head bibs on the seats.

We ambled along till be got to Niagara Falls and then the train was bordered by American customs. They did grill a few people but were selective. I passed with one question. No one in my car seemed to pose a problem. I think I heard we were supposed to leave by 12:30 so we were a little late continuing but not much. Just before we were to leave the food and health inspectors get on and ask you what foods you are bring in. I had a gorgeous lunch prepared by my hotel that consisted of Shepard’s Pie and a salad. Since it was made of meat they took it with their rubber gloves and threw into a bag they were taking down the isle. Even when I pleaded gently that I would eat the whole thing before getting to New York it fell on empty ears. The man near me with a bunch a bananas and a container of his aunt’s food made it through.

We continued our crawl and then we stopped for repairs of tracks ahead and freight trains and then came the bad news of instead of the arrival of 9:30 pm it is now 11:30PM. Just what everyone wants to be in Penn Station at midnight looking for a taxi or a bus? No half fares on this system…keeping a customer happy is not in this train company’s vocabulary.

Other little tidbits about this train:

It is either freezing or hot in the car…no in-between

The bathrooms are as lovely as on the trip up north.

No one comes around for garbage pick up the whole trip.

And when you go to the snack bar as I was forced to do the exchange rate is nothing that

I had seen my whole trip to Canada. Everyone gave you a Canadian dollar for an

American as the exchange rate was about 94 cents for a Canadian dollar. But on

Amtrak if you gave them a 20 dollar Canadian and your snack was $12 US you got

$6 change.

Amtrak is a non functioning, out of date, no service and has no responsibilityfor the service they are contracted to do. You have to be stupid or have a fear of driving or flying to leave the trip to Amtrak. Next time they ask for a subsidy our politicians should vote no and let this train system die. I am sure some private company can provide a better service. The reason that people do not go by train is because it is not a functioning way of transport for humans.

 

 

 

 

Travel to Mexico 2005/6

MEXICO: December 2005 – January 2006

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

San Miguel is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico…narrow, hilly, cobblestone streets, colorful sixteenth-century buildings, bougainvillea-covered walls, lovely churches, a still-thriving artist community, and Gothic cathedrals.

Great weather in the winter. 80 during the day and very cool in the mornings and evenings. You are very high up in altitude so it has a mountain type climate. Also beautiful in the summer even during their rainy seasons, as it only rains in the afternoon for an hour or so. But you will want a pool in the summer.

I think it is a town to chill out in. Walk to get the newspaper each day in the Jardin, get your shoes shined for a dollar, lunch at one of the many great restaurants and read and relax in the afternoons. In the evenings you have many cultural things to do with great eating. The quality of food is outstanding for a town this size. You never have to eat Mexican food if you do not want to.

The hotel, Sierra Nevada, that was the deluxe one has been taken over by a Mexican chain so I would not say it is 5 star anymore, My choice is Dos Casas which is small and only serves breakfast but with so many restaurants within walking distance this is not a problem.

Things to know:

Cleaners and Laundry:

Franco- on Jesus

Restaurants:

Remos’s for pasta

L’Invito- owner Silvia Bernardini-casual Italian- slow food- in the Instito-Ancha de San Antonio 20

Tel: 152 7333

Ramonos-Hermandez Macias 93-owned by Dick Weber

Italian but known for their steak

T:152 7454 (Wed thru Sat)

Berlin –on Umaran- German food

La Capilla-prettiest restaurant- T: 152 0698

(food can be irregular)

Sierra Nevada-the 5 star hotel’s dining room

Pretty but food not consistent

Great place to have a drink

Landetta- outside of town-short cab ride

Best food in town and beautiful

Great for dinner and lunch over the weekend

Owned by Andrea- T:120 3481

La Aurora-Mon to Sat-415 152 3982

The small restaurant at the beautiful shopping development just on the outskirts of the center

Truly very good food- great for lunch too

Bagel Café- owned by an American

Great breakfasts-Correo 19-154 6524

Tio Lucas-good steaks and has music some nights

Nirvana-101 Mesones-150 0067-beautiful courtyard-modern presentation

Flowers:

Carmen Olivia Lopez-415 154 5769- she comes to the house and does all the rooms

Wonderful way with flowers-

Travel within Mexico:

Agent at Hotel Casa de Café-Hildalgo 18-152 0121

Can do small trips with hotels and all

American Express also

Taxi:

Silvano –private cab-speaks English-154 6039

Pharmacy:

Chelo-Canal 26-415 152 1198

Open til all hours

Dermatoligist:

(Believe it or not she can be better than a NY derm)

Blanca Farrias-Hernandez Marciaz 85a- 152 2321

The best cosmetic store underneath

Doctor:

Dr Jorge Martinez-will come to the house- cell:044 415 153 8832

Shipping:

If you need to ship something before going to SMA..You ship to Texas and he drives it to SMA.
Mark Bartell-bartell@cybermatsa.com.mx

1001 s. 10th st
suite g-619
mcallen texas 78501-
that is his mailing address in texas- his phone here
in san miguel, where he lives-011-52-415-152-8108

Gated communities and Streets to see Houses:

Privada del Sol

Chorro

Los Balconas

Bank:

Intercam-Rafael Gonzalez Aquilar- Pres.

San Francisco 4

415 154 66 60

Masseuse:

Rochelle- 044 415 1512 846

Will come to the house

$40 for the hour- will bring table

Real Estate:

Adela Sanchez Aude-Candela-415 152 1828-cell 044 415 103 3839

candelasma@hotmail.com

(she also gives Spanish lessons)

www.casaselegantes.com- Joe Leto

Hair Dresser and Pedicure/Manicure

At Villa Jacaranda –Christina Marcos de Fenton

T:154 7631

Car and Driver:

Julian Cartas- Tel: 415 152 0079

Cell:044 415 101 6024

j-cartas@yahoo.com

a father and son who will pick you up at the airport or

take you on day trips good drivers and clean new car

Shopping:

Ren Ellis- 8A Recreo-only decent leather store

Sally Leonard-Jewelry- no shop but does shows -415 152 8572

Sollano 16-by Anne Harte- on Sollano 16

Best home store

Aurora- factory outlet setting with beautiful galleries and shops

Buenos Noches-415 154 9624-beautiful linens

La Alfonsina- Hildalgo 36-embroidery on home and children rtw*\

Hotels:

Dos Casas-Calle Quebrada 101-01 415 154 4073

doscasas@prodigy.net.mx

www.livingdoscasas.com

(the only special hotel in town)

 

Third Week in Mexico

Living in a small town in Central Mexico has brought back a little perspective into my mind sight. Mexicans here are very simple and very sweet. They have very little in material things but you can see that there are very important things in their lives. They hold their children with such love. You see them cherish, hold, play and joke with their children. And now that it is Christmas there is a rush to but a simple symbol and a few gifts and lots of candy and spend it with family.

I am living “the simple life” even though I am in a 7 bedroom house with two maids. I started to fluff the house a little and have recovered a lot of seating areas that I was not happy with. I bought lots of unbleached muslin and had decided to pin it to all the cushions and seats so pins were sort. Well, we would buy a box of pins and have a half empty box left over. Well I finally found a store that sold pins after about 10 inquiries. They sell pins individually. So after three trips back to the store my reupholstery was done. With three pins left over….quel surplus.

I am attempting to learn Spanish and am on my third lesson. Senora Adela comes to the house and we spend an hour trying to teach me Spanish. Not an easy feat but we will see.

Ventured out to the shopping center to the one professional movie theatre and saw King Kong. Admission was $3.20. I did not have the nerve to ask for the price for a senior citizen ticket. It was pretty stupid but I do not have a choice. The picture changes each Friday so I am crossing my fingers for Geisha.

The weather is just beautiful. It is pretty cold in the morning. I run to the gym in a down parka…yes gym can you believe it? The whole class is conducted in Spanish so I have to watch the teacher as I have no idea what he is saying. I know that lista? means are you ready. Today there were only two people in the class as a lot of gringos that live here go away for Christmas. Some Mexicans too go to the beach also.

No one here cares about your clothes. You can be in your exercise clothes all day and go to dinner in them. Both my guests have been shocked by the quality of restaurants in this small town. There are at least 5 five star restaurants which I have been to at least twice, once with each guest. I still have not eaten Mexican food. At home my cook cooks what I tell her and unfortunately I can not name my favorite Mexican recipes. I guess I’ll have to go to Rosa Mexicana when I get back.

I am off to Mexico City on Sunday so I will get back to you after that experience.

 

Morelia: January 2006

Got some cabin fever and decided to take a two day trip to another city in Central Mexico. This is a pretty large city relatively untouched with modern building or architecture. In the center are incredibly beautiful colonial buildings that are opened to the public. Of course, there are dozens of churches one more ornate than the next.

I took the bus again but this time it wasn’t so first class. I had to go to Celaya, a city an hour away to get the first class bus to Morelia. So I could take the city bus and which are from the 40’s and make stops along the way or take a taxi. So I called Silvano who speaks English and we set out for Celaya to catch the bus. Thirty dollars was well worth it.

The bus station was not as horrible as the one in Mexico City but I also got there so I only had a few minutes to wait. However, the direct bus makes a stop…who knew? So a trip that should take an hour and a half takes three. Also a lot of the roads are single lane and if you get behind a truck or car that can’t make a hill you are in a traffic jam. My bus ticket was $10 and my seat mate and I never got into any discussion.

The hotel I chose was the Villa Montana which is a Relais hotel and absolutely gorgeous.

It looks like an old monastery where each room is separate so the 30 rooms are all their own individual houses. Mine had a huge space with a living and bed area. The huge fire place which they light for you before you go to sleep was so beautiful to fall asleep to. And another bathtub…yeh.

There is a pool and spa and a beautiful dining room. Of course the first people I saw in the hotel were an orthodox mother and her 5 kids. How ironic but I never saw them again in the dining room or anywhere else on the grounds which made me feel a little more at ease.

Morelia is a very wealthy city. It has the largest zoo in Mexico and a country club with a Jack Nicolas golf course that cost 200 million US dollars to build so I assume there are lots of rich Mexicans here. It is also close enough to Mexico City to be a good place for weekends. The Villa Montana is just outside of town but there is a very regal old hotel downtown that looks like out of the 20’s where I had tea one day. Very few Americans are here and probably no tourists. But if you want to see Mexico, other than the beach resorts, this would be a wonderful city to visit.

By the way, at the time I was there Woolworth was having a 70% off sale. We have forgotten about Woolworth as we don’t have them in the US anymore but this is the third country that I have seen Woolworth’s and they are the leading store in this city. There was a local branch of Liverpool (a Mexican chain)that Hollywood should film in as nothing has been done to update this store for at least 60 or 70 years.

It is really getting very cold here in the night and in the early mornings. I feel like I am back in summer camp when you lived in a bunk and they got you up and you could hardly get out of that heavy wool camp blanket. Yesterday I went to my internet café in my down jacket and typed with my gloves on. Then by 11:00 the sun is so strong that it is hard to sit for more than a half an hour.

Besides exercise and Spanish lessons and chores, that I make a big deal of, I have added a twice weekly game of backgammon with two old men that do not speak a work of English. One is my Spanish teacher’s husband. I don’t know if they will play with me again as both days they lost badly. I now know the word for luck as they kept saying it. How about skill guys? I was looking for a canasta game or mahjong but have had no luck with finding that here.

Movies still are the worse down here. The one theater has the worse taste and the independent theater shows films that are so old I have seen then all. When I get back I will see 3 to 4 movies a day. Thank goodness for TV. I loved “Dancing With the Stars” and thought “The Book of Daniel”was a hoot. Now watching the Sunday morning TV shows but it is not the same without The Sunday New York Times.