Exploring Curitiba and Having Fun

After spending a week here in Iguassu Falls I was ready to search for some adventure within Brazil. I decided to take a one hour flight to Curitiba . Why Curitiba ? Curitiba is the capital city of state of Parana . It is known for its rich and rather unique different cultures of South American, Asian, and European. As one of the largest cities in Brazil , it attracts visitors from all over the globe. In fact, it is becoming a model-city in terms of urban planning and award winning mass transit. Curitiba was even given the Globe Award for a Sustainable City in 2010 and was named the cleanest city in Brazil by Rede Globo Journalism With the help of Ezio Pasouinelli of the Tulip Inn (where I stayed), I decided to take a double-decker bus tour of Curitiba for $20.00 Reais (about $15 US). As I sat on the top deck, with the wind blowing through my hair and on my face, I enjoyed the all the beautiful views and sights of the city. The bus circles the city in two and half hours if you just stay on the bus. But, the ticket allows you to get off at any or all of four tourist attractions. This works our very nicely as the bus comes around every 30 minutes so you can enjoy the attractions at your own pace. To see all four attractions you should really allot all day to this tour, but because I needed to return to my hotel and catch my flight to Salvador, Bahia, I only had time to visit the Jardim Botanico Botanical Garden and the Oscar Niermeyer Museum .

The Jardim Botanico Botanic Garden is a must see sight if you're in Curitiba! Inaugurated in 1991, the unique metal and glass architecture houses a greenhouse with nationally referenced botanical specimens and French-based gardens, all surrounded by absolutely beautiful gardens. It also offers spaces for exhibitions and has a library and an auditorium. I spent over two hours wandering around and taking beautiful pictures, not to mention exploring the boutiques and enjoying local artists’ handicrafts and paintings. This is a must see sight if you're in Curitiba. Museu Oscar Niemeyer ( Oscar Niemeyer Museum ) is also known as the Eyes Museum. It is the biggest and most modern museum in Brazil. It covers 40,000 square meters, and emphasizes science, history and culture.In addition there are 16,000 square meters of available space for special art, design and urban planning exhibitions. Part of the museum itself is unique with an anti-gravity appearing constructional design which was created by Oscar Niermeye and many local artists. I would have loved to here stay all day.Unfortunately, I did not have time to see the famous Portal de Santa Felicidade (Santa Felicidade Gateway) or Teatro Paiol (Paiol Theather). Portal de Santa Felicidade is an area of the city known for it’s many fine restaurants and wineries, with roots dating back to the ancient Italian immigrants and colonists from Veneto and Trentino. Teatro Paiol (Paiol Theater)- Originally built in 1906 as a gun powder barn, it was revitalized in 1970 to become an arena theater, and became a symbol for Curitiba 's cultural change in the last few decades. Poet Vinicus de Moraes composed the song "Paiol de Polvora" for the inauguration of this building. Another reason I came to the City of Curitiba was to take the Serra Verde train tour to Paranagua. This train with its 125 year history is considered one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. Indeed it was! It travels 110 km through the largest preserved area of Brazil ’s Atlantic forest. The Mountain Range Train of Paraná departs from the city of Curitiba to Morretes everyday and on Sundays it also goes at Paranaguá. The trip takes approximately 3 hours with a mini bus return to the city. The train stopped at two small towns: Merretes (where I had seafood lunch) and Antonina. This train tour had a bi-lingual staff, I was able to get a personal view of the history in English from my own personal guide, Vivian! Here is the link if you would like to learn more: http://serraverdeexpress.com.br/en/serra/destinos. With the many friendly and helpful local Brazilians, I never had any difficulty finding my way back to the Tulip Inn from the bus station. Their friendliness and the beautiful and unique sights truly made my visit to Curitiba an awesome experience. Yes, I am honored that I have such privilege of visiting Curitiba . Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Exploring Brazil Day 4

Yesterday was fun. Raymond, my cousin’s husband, came home a bit early from work, took a nap to re-energize, then we were ready for action.

At 5:00 PM, my cousin Luisa, her American husband Raymond, and I drove to Puerto Iguacu , Argentina a 30 minute drive across the border. As it was Saturday many Brazilians flock to Puerto Iquacu for shopping, eating, dancing etc. Yes, everything costs lot less for Brazilians in Argentina . At the border, it took non-Brazilians like Raymond and I a while to go through the immigration process. But patience paid off!

The town reminded me like Puerto Vallarta , Mexico , but without the beach. It was rather rural or like the forest with old little casitas, shops and streets covered with cobble stones. It has a unique old town experience and feel to it.

In town, I went to almost all the leather shops but I only found one store, called Skin, which had my size (average US $300.00 per jacket). Well, I didn't buy any jackets so I headed to a specialty food store to buy parmesan cheese (totally yummy). I bought some wonderful good quality wines made in Argentina (Chardonnay), then headed off to a local restaurant and bought some take out Pintanema. I then bought a local grapefruit drink which was very refreshing for $1.50, which was a total bargain for Brazilians. Oh.....by the way, I had some of the best coconut ice cream I've ever tasted!

It was a fun and interested evening and I enjoyed it to the fullest!

Well, that's it for now. It's almost 8:00 AM and I am getting ready for my trip this morning to meet my uncle in Paraguay . Ate logo meus amigos or maybe I should say, Adios mis amigos in Spanish!

Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Exploring Brazil day 3

It's my 3rd day here. For some reason I didn't sleep well. I woke up around 6, so by 7 I was already up for coffee. I sat in living room and enjoyed the view with sunrise. This is a gorgeous view.

I left later to look for health clubs. First I went to Bio. I had problems conversing with them in Portuguese but someone helped me to interpret. The receptionist then called the boss who spoke
English. He wanted to negotiate with me to join the club for 70R (which is about $55 US) for 3 weeks. Yes, it's expensive compare to what I pay for in S.J. area. Since I have so much time here I think I should join anyway. After negotiating with Bio Gym, I left and went to Median Gym. They wanted the same rate but this gym is not as nice as Bio Gym so I scratch this one off my list. I also checked a few other private health clubs that only do pilates and body toning, but it's too pricey for me. These places are for wealthy and I am not
willing to pay that much ($20.00US PER HOUR).

Shopping- Hmm...........I walked all over downtown Iguassu Falls but found the prices to be quite high. I can get better quality and better prices in the US so I didn't buy anything, but I had fun.

I walked all over downtown and struggled to speak Portuguese in the shops. Luckily most of sales people are very nice and polite. They told me they understood what I wanted so it was nice. I enjoyed talking with the locals. The locals are very nice and friendly. After practicing speaking Portuguese, I believe I am getting better! So there's hope that I can definitely improve. By the way, it's funny the locals asked me if I can speak Spanish, because Iguassu Falls is on the border of Paraguay and Argentina . Hmm..........I can barely speak Portuguese.

I came back around 11:30am and took a shower. I've been taking 2-3 showers everyday to stay clean. It's hot and humid here. Well..........I need to take my siesta soon, so that's it for now.


Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Lin's Surfing Dream Came True!

I just came back from a business trip to Hawaii. I stayed on the island of Oahu , at the Westin Moana Surfrider Waikiki Beach for the first half of the week, and the Sheratin Waikiki for the remainder. I spent a lot of time checking out hotels, so there was not much free time. On my last day, however I managed to squeeze in a few hours of fun. For the first time in my life I took a surfing lesson! It was a struggle at first, but when I was finally able to stand up on the board and surf it was such thrill it go with the waves!

Surfing did not come easily to me. It is a lot harder than it looks. First, I did not have enough shoulder and arm strength to paddle. Then when I finally succeeded in paddling to where the waves were, I got stuck there because I did not know how to turn the surf board to face the beach. Then once I was turned around, I would either be pushed too close to the beach or I would get knocked down by the waves! So, then I would have to get to the surface and climb up on the board again. Once I even drifted away from my class and I couldn't get back to my group where my instructor was! I felt so alone, struggling and not knowing what to do. I almost wanted to give up.



Thankfully, the owner of Hans Hedemann Surf, Hans Hedemann came by to help the beginners that were stuck. I was lucky to have Hans as my instructor. The first thing he did was give me a softer surf board which my feet could grip. This was great. I followed his instructions and did all that he taught me. There I was...........feeling and hearing the sound of the wave as I was gliding through the water. I could enjoy feeling of the wind blowing on my face while surfing. I was totally elated and on a total high after that! A couple things to be aware of……not only do you have to be in relatively good shape, but having good balance surely helps! AND, it takes a lot of perseverance!!!

As this was a business trip, my husband, Ken, stayed home with the kids. I think he had more time for fun and relaxation!! Each day I, along with 43 other travel agents from California , went to inspect and learn the unique features of many hotels. Needless to say, the surfing lesson was by far the highlight of my trip!

Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net 

Located:
Waikiki Beach at the Park Shore Hotel

2586 Kalakaua Ave Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808)924-7778

Fax: (808)926-7779

Email: info@hhsurf.com
http://www.hhsurf.com/hh/index.php

Lin's Fiji Adventure Travel

It's been over two years since I was in the beautiful islands of Fiji. Unfortunately, I went back for a family emergency. Nevertheless, I was able to site inspect the following hotels: Marina Denarau, Radisson, Sheraton Denarau, Hilton and The Uprising Resort. I also squeezed in a 2-night Captain Cook Cruise - 'The Adventure Sailing Safari' as well as trying out Zip Fiji which is located at the Coral Coast near Pacific Harbor. This zip line, the first zip line the South Pacific, zips you over the tropical rain forest!

For more pictures for the trip, click the link -
Click Here to play Lin's Fiji Adventure Video

*Radisson Resort – This property is more like a family resort with kitchenettes. I loved the sand surrounded swimming pools. Fiji Radisson Info

*Sheraton Denarau - This is one of the largest hotel resorts in the Denarau area. Many of the rooms were recently renovated to feel more contemporary. Fiji Sheraton Info

*Hilton Denarau - This high-end apartment style family property was being built when I last visited Fiji two years ago. I was rather impressed with the site inspection. First of all, the staff was the friendliest, even greeting me with a cold drink, something I really appreciated as it was VERY hot in Fiji ! Secondly, the rooms were beautiful with a black and white color theme. Each room has kitchenettes and the bathrooms even have old antique bathtubs. Additionally, barbecues were set-up on the balcony for quick outdoor dining. I definitely recommend this property. Fiji Hilton Beach Resort Info

*Uprising Resort- After the Fiji Zip, I stopped over since it was on its way. Amazingly, it was much nicer than I anticipated. This moderate budget resort has a beautiful ground. The front beach bures looks beautiful and has a beautiful view. The resort also has backpacking style staying in a dorm style bure which cost only $17.00 dollars including breakfast. Great for low budget travelers to families. Fiji Uprising Beach Resort Info

*Captain Cook Cruises’ Adventure Sailing Safari - I've wanted to try this adventure sailing safari for long time, and I was indeed lucky to get a 2-night cruise on such short notice! I must say this was quite an adventure, rustic but yet fun. Fiji Captain Cook Cruise Info

Our adventure began with a full day cruise through the Mamanuca and Southern Yasawa Islands to the tropical base camp- the Barefoot Lodge on beautiful Drawaga Island. We each were assigned a beachfront bungalow, known as a “bure.” Each bure was rather rustic without air conditioning, but instead equipped with only a ceiling fan. Unfortunately it was rather noisy making it hard to sleep.

There was evening entertainment every night. One night was international night where each group of travelers demonstrated their talents to represent their home country. I did not represent the USA very well. I guess I’ll have to practice before my next sailing safari! We also learned/practiced Fijian and Kava Ceremony dances. Thankfully the Captain Cook crew did not follow strict procedures! In the old days, one could be killed for not following the proper procedures doing the Kava Ceremony!

The following day, we visited a local Fijian village to experience the Fijian culture. The tour consisted of visiting the town’s church and participating in a real Kava ceremony (These are traditionally practiced when visiting a village). Though I have been to Fiji 7 times and have visited many different villages and participated in several Kava Ceremonies, I truly enjoy them each time I go. I also truly love how the little children all gather around and always eager to have their pictures taken. They are so cute!

Each evening we return to the Barefoot Lodge where we could swim, play valleyball with the staffs and glazing at sunset with glass of wine. Fijian lovo feast was also part of the fun.

My 2-day adventure on Captain Cook Cruises’ Adventure Sailing Safari cost only about $275 US dollars, including all meals, snorkeling, hiking and kayaking trips! The only thing not included in the price was bottled water. I thought this was rather odd, but considering it is a low budget ship, that was OK with me! After all, my water bill was only $12.5 US. All in all, it was quite an adventure, rustic, and definitely fun for me! Oh yes.......don't forget to bring your own towel!

*Fiji Zip Line - In addition to the Sailing Safari, I also did a Zip line on the Coral Coast . I met Dan (the owner) two years ago at the Blue Water Lodge which is owned by my cousin Fiona Fong. He invited me to come experience it for myself (comp!). So, after enjoying the sun, sand and water in Fiji , I thought “why not do one last adventure before going home?” After all, as I always say, when it comes to adventure, count me in! Fiji ZIP Line Info

The car trip from Nadi Town to the Pacific Harbor was very scenic and took only a bit over 2 hours. The Zip staff greeted us upon our arrival and I was ready to Zip! Although I have ridden zip lines before, I was still a bit scared, but there were plenty of guides to calm me and keep me safe.

As soon as they strapped me into a harness and connected me to the wire, I was ready to zip/slide over the beauty of the rain forest. The ride was 45m (148 feet) above the ground, and one of the rides was 200m (219 yards) across the river. Believe it or not, I actually rode the zip line twice, each with 8 runs--all in less than an hour! With each zip trip I felt more confident and could better enjoy the spectacular views of the rain forest below me! The guides were friendly and fun, and they even helped me with the Flick camera and took many pictures of me zipping along until I was finally satisfied with a photo of me.

The Zip Fiji is a must for all adventure lovers. A truly unforgettable ride!
See the video of my Zipline ride below.













Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Big Five Tours with White Glove Service

When I received a box yesterday from the post office, I was surprised to receive a box of chocolate & greetings from Big Five Tours. It brings back all the good memories that I have experienced with Big Five.

Now that I have worked with Big Five, I have nothing but good things to say. From day one, reservation agent Tatiana did a great job in putting the itinerary together. She was knowledgeable, experienced, and patient. She was so nice to work with. When my clients missed their flights, everyone panicked. Luckly Tatiana was able to change and to renew the itinerary. That was very impressive!
Another impressive thing about working with Big Five was their 24-hour White Glove Service™ guest assistance. I was surprised to get my clients updated traveling information while the clients were already on their journey. No other tour operator gives such services. This gaves me a sense of relief knowing they were enjoying their trip. My clients gave an excellent review upon return of their trip. Moreover, I received a thank you email from their President for the booking. Big Five did surpassed my expectations and I am ready to work with them again. They definitely inspired me. We should all follow their business model to serve our clients.

Try to work with Big Five. You'll be rewarded with exceptional service. www.bigfive.com

i am adding pictures from mendocino