Dreams Puerto Aventuras

The Dreams resort in Puerto Aventuras is an excellent value set in a beautiful location. Puerto Aventuras is a private gated residential community located in the Riviera Maya on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. I would recommend the private community setting to people traveling with small children or to people who want an American feel to their Mexican vacation, not to backpackers or people looking for the 'real' Mexico. Once you pass the gatehouse, it's beautiful but it really doesn't feel like your in Mexico.

Overall Dreams is a wonderful vacation spot. The all-inclusive resort is situated on a private beach and backs to the Puerto Aventuras Marina. The resort is small in size compared to the mega resorts of Cancun and the Riviera Maya. With only 305 rooms, the resort is manageable and every room has either a Marina or Ocean view.

Rooms: We stayed in a marina view room on the 3rd floor. We had exceptional views of Puerto Aventuras and the marina and enjoyed sunset and happy hour on our balcony almost nightly. Once we even saw a stingray in the water directly in front of us. Upon arrival, we were surprised to find the room had a second floor lounge. We really didn't see the point in the second floor unless you had small children who could sleep on the futon, but it's really not the best place for kids because the exposed spiral staircase is much too dangerous for kids. Overall, the room was nicely decorated and very clean. Our mini bar was stocked each day with bottled soda, water, Coronitas and an orange juice. We had a coffee maker but never actually given any coffee to make by housekeeping. The bathrooms were modern and the water always hot. Funny thing about the bathroom was the "convenient" phone by the toilet that only called out to the US, Canada and UK.


Pools/Beach: The resort has two pool areas each with a swim up bar, the activity/all ages pool and the adults only pool. The activities pool starts to get loud early, so if you had an ocean view room, we heard it was hard to sleep in. The activities pool is large in size and is attached to a 30 person whirlpool. The sun sets first over the activities pool, so most adults either move to the adult pool on the other side of the resort which gets a half hour more sun or move to the whirlpool for sunset and happy hour. Although, the adults pool is quiet all day, it does get a little louder at happy hour though. My favorite pool was the quieter adult pool as the activities pool was a bit too Cancun party-party for me.

The beach was absolutely beautiful with white sand and crystal clear water. The beach is small but comparable for the size of the resort. Chairs were plentiful and you could always find a quiet spot to read and relax. The beach service was fast and offered sandwiches, salads and drinks so you could be extremely lazy and never leave your chair. The water is active with small fish in the beach's shallow area so beware if you aren't a fish person. To the right of the beach was a natural rock saltwater pool for swimming and snorkeling; however, one day a small nurse shark found its way into the water and caused a bit of excitement on the beach.

Activities: The resort offers a plethora of activities. Each morning we picked up a copy of the Sundial resort newsletter which detailed restaurant availability and the activities for the day, rain or shine. The resort offered an Explorer's Club for kids which was nice because then most of the kids were cooped up in their own private area. The daily activities ran by the Dreams Entertainment Team centered around the pool and beach including: volleyball, yoga, water aerobics, ping pong, bungee trampoline, etc. The beach also offered free water sport equipment such as kayaks, Hobie cats, and snorkel and windsurf equipment. The nightly activities consisted of a show in the cruise ship like theater. We hit the Mexican dancing show, the Elvis impersonator show and the Halloween show. All slightly cheesy but entertaining as you know the dancers and singers put a lot of work into it. Nightly on the beach was either a movie or American sporting event projected on a big screen or a performance show such as "Dreams Idol" or the Fire and Rain show. The activities kept people busy and the staff always tried to get everyone involved but quickly left you alone if you didn't want to participate.

Food/Beverage: The resort offers your choice of 7 restaurants and 4 bars. All  food and beverages are included in the all-inclusive price unless you "upgrade" your dinner for the lobster or your drink for a specialty bottle of wine. Every day at least 3 different restaurants are open for dinner with the World Cafe and Seaside Grill open for lunch. We never ran into more than a five minute wait for a table for two even during the busier hours. My favorite restaurants were: Gohan for sushi, Seaside Grill for steak and other traditional grilled items and Portofino for Italian. The traditional Mexican restaurant, El Patio wasn't anything to write home about, I could get the fajitas I ate at any basic Mexican restaurant in America. The adults-only Oceana was my least favorite as it didn't have a wide selection of fresh seafood choices. The World Cafe, the family orientated buffet open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, was your standard buffet with food for the masses. The World Cafe was very nice option for a quick afternoon snack if you weren't interested in having a hot dog or hamburger at the beach side Barefoot Grill. Also, you could order room service 24 hours a day free of charge. The food was good for an all-inclusive restaurant, better than I have had before, but the flavors were bland as it had to appeal to the masses.

The resort had 4 bars to choose from. During the day, the best spots were the swim up bars, Sugar Reef and Manatee. I really enjoyed hitting the beach side Barracuda bar at sunset and after dinner for a peaceful drink with a view and ocean breeze. The nightclub Desires, was entertaining for late night people watching and to catch a game in the afternoon. If you aren't interested in partying with crowd, you could always grab a drink and enjoy the view off your room's balcony.

Service: Overall, the service at the resort was great. The concierge, Gina, was very helpful when we checked in. She was pleasantly surprised to find out we had rented a car and would manage our own tours, unlike other concierges who would recommend the "safe" tours and provide us with vague directions to the local sites. We were extremely disappointed that the resort did not have a map of the surrounding area or offer to print one for us.

The rest resort staff and restaurant staff were always helpful and went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable. We always tipped in the restaurants, bars and for room service. I loved to call room service (which is included) as whichever gal answered, she called me "Mrs. Hunt" and when I tried to correct her as that's not my name, she would say every time "OK, Mrs. Hunt." The resort provides you with "Resort Credit" which are really just $200 worth of coupons to use at their resort, such as $10 off a bottle of wine or $20 off a spa service. We never used our coupons and four days into our stay, the front desk called to see if we were OK and if we had lost them. Sadly for Dreams, we didn't spend a penny at the resort but we did have an excellent time!

Hank Med, MD- Mexican Version

On our recent trip to Mexico, I had the pleasure of getting sick and using the hotel's concierge doctor. I had only ever seen concierge doctors on TV shows and movies, the most famous being the USA show Hank Med, MD set in The Hamptons in New York.

After 5 hours of being sick and nothing stopping the sickness, even the bucket of ice, 5 bottles of water and crackers we ordered from the front desk to soothe my tummy, we pressed the little 'red cross' hospital button on our room's phone. We were immediately directed to the front desk. With panic in their voices and assurance that the doctor will be here in 30 minutes we hung up and waited. Of course I started to feel better, but I knew I needed something to stop making me nauseous and kill the infection so we waited and waited. It took a good hour and a half for the doctor to show up, even though the front desk was repeatedly calling him and then calling us to give an update every 20 minutes.

Once the doctor arrived, I knew everything would be fine. Dr. Yuri Ayax Real Ramirez was a short man who epitomized the look of a doctor on TV and lived up to his ridiculously long name. He had two fashionable hospital bags with all sorts of medicine and tools which were exactly like what you see on TV. He was very professional and kind and gave me a thorough exam while I waited for the magical shot to stop my nausea. As he filled the massive syringe with meds, he point by point told me what he was doing and what I will need to do in the coming day in regard to antibiotics. The shot worked like magic but the injection spot hurt for the rest of the trip. Ouch. I had a good time saying to John, "My a** hurts" and seeing the hilarious reaction on the faces of other guests.

To our surprise, at the end of the exam Dr. Yuri asked, "cash or credit?" I just about laughed out loud when he pulled out his mobile credit card machine with a big smile. Of course we wanted credit! With pride he swiped our card and told us how they had just gotten the credit card machines and how great they are and how fun it is it use. I was glad we could entertain him at 4am. Although the concierge doctor was expensive, it was well worth not ruining our trip over a Mexican bacterial infection. The total was $355, including the doctor visit, shots and medication. I would recommend using the concierge doctor to whomever needs convenient and reliable service and can afford the extra cost. Its much cheaper to go to the local clinic but at 3am, it was the last thing I wanted to do. The next day, the hotel manager called to check on me and ask what had happened, what I had eaten and if there was anything the hotel could do. It was nice they took the time to call, even though I knew they called just to cover their butts and to see if a full on outbreak was occurring (luckily it didn't).

After two days of antibiotics I was back to normal and ready to enjoy our wonderful trip. Two thumbs up for concierge doctors!

Cavallo Point

The Cavallo Point Lodge is located in beautiful Golden Gate National Park, just over the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito. The lodge is literally located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. The location may feel remote as you are tucked away on a small cove but you are just minutes from Sausalito and 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco. It's the perfect spot for a romantic getaway, a family vacation or a relaxing retreat.

To the naked eye, Cavallo Point looks like the most amazing camp for adults, but its really an upscale hotel and spa. The hotel grounds are not only lush and breathtaking but historic. Cavallo Point is a former military base from the early part of the 19th century called Fort Baker. The officer's quarters have been restored and the picturesque white houses with their wrap around porches are used as the hotel rooms. Also available is a new contemporary building with modern hotel rooms. All the rooms are perfectly appointed, but I recommend the historic officer's quarters for a unique experience.

Cavallo Point has a plethora of activities for those who want to be adventurous or just relax. The most popular activities are a walk to Golden Gate Bridge and along the trails of Golden Gate National Park, one of the most popular parks in the U.S. The spa offers free morning yoga, an outdoor hot pool and every kind of spa treatment imaginable. Be sure to take advantage of the Michelin rated restaurant, Murray Circle, where you can also take cooking classes. If your idea of a vacation is to do "nothing" then this is the perfect spot for you as well. Popular non-activities include: gazing at the bridge from your rocking chair on one of the many porches, taking a nap in the sun on the lush grounds, or enjoying a glass of wine and a book in the toasty warm bar. The hotel is very animal friendly, which can be both positive and negative. Although the grounds aren't overwhelmed with animals, there are quite a few furry friends running around and lounging on the main porch.

I recommend Cavallo Point as a wonderful getaway from the city. It feels like you are so much further away when really you are just minutes from home. You'll return home relaxed, well fed and happy. I also love taking out of town guests to brunch here as the food and view are amazing and it makes them jealous of the amazing city I live in and me proud.

Wasting Time in Chilled Out Luang Prabang

Check out the article below that I wrote for www.cgrooves.com, an online expat magazine out of China. It will be published in their December issue.

Wasting Time in Chilled Out Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, located in north central Laos, is the country’s most popular tourist destination. Known for its beautifully preserved temples, monks in saffron robes, and pastel colored French colonial architecture, Luang Prabang sits on a narrow peninsula of land formed by the union of the mighty Mekong and Khan Rivers. The old city, where most of the cultural sites, hotels and restaurants reside, is just 300 meters wide by one kilometer long and resembles a thumb in shape. The manageability of the city’s small size, friendliness of the locals, and old-world feel makes Luang Prabang seem more like a small town rather than a major hub of commerce and tourism.

Since Laos opened to tourism in 1989 little has changed in Luang Prabang due to its status as a UNESCO world heritage site. All buses and trucks are banned within the city limits, keeping noise and traffic at a minimum. The city also preserves its traditional feel by continuing to enact a 11:30pm curfew for both residents and travelers. 

Luang Prabang has an assortment of natural and cultural sites which are easily accessible on foot or by bike. Most of the city’s sites are off the two main streets, Th Khen Khong and Th Sisavangvong, which run along the eastern Mekong coast and down the middle of the peninsula. The best panoramic views of the city can be found at the top of Phou Si Hill, a 100-meter high hill at the base of the peninsula. Dotted with small temples and shrines, the trek up Phou Si Hill is well worth the climb, especially at sunset.

Not to be missed is the Royal Palace Museum or Haw Kham. Built in 1904, during the French colonial era, for King Sisavangvong and his family, the last occupant of the palace was his son, crown prince Savang Vatthana, who took the throne after his father’s death in 1959. In 1975 the monarchy was overthrown by the communists and the crown prince and his family were sent to re-education camps, never to be heard of again.  The palace was later turned into a national museum. The palace contains various royal and religious objects including the Crown Jewels of Laos and the Pha Bang, a gold, silver and bronze standing Buddha.

As a religious centre, Luang Prabang has thirty-two temples. Shoes, and often photography, are prohibited inside the temples and it’s recommended that foreigners wear pants and women dress modestly, although it’s not strictly enforced at all locations. The most popular temples are Wat Mai Suwannapumaram, Wat Visoun, and Wat Xieng Thong.

Wat Mai Suwannapumram,a nineteenth century temple, is conveniently located next door to the Royal Palace Museum making it one of the most visited. The temple is known for its gold relief panels covering its front façade.

Near the northern tip of the peninsula is Wat Xieng Thong, the city’s most brilliant temple. This colorful temple is covered in ornate paintings and mosaics of every color of the rainbow. On the temple grounds is the royal funeral chapel which holds an impressive 12-meter high funeral chariot and urns for members of the royal family.

To the east of town center is the Wat Visoun, the oldest continually operating temple in Luang Prabang. The temple contains a collection of 15^th and 16^th century wooden Calling for Rain Buddhas and ordination stones. If you haven’t gotten your temple fill after visiting the big three, I suggest taking a “temple tour” by renting a bike and hitting the lesser visited temples located outside of Luang Prabang city limits and across the Mekong River.

Luang Prabang is also a great jumping off point for trekking, rafting, and elephant riding excursions. Tours to the popular Pak Ou Caves and Koung Si waterfall are inexpensive and offered by a plethora of tour companies in old town.

The Pak Ou Caves, located on a cliff face, are full of thousands of Buddha statues. The old and disfigured Buddhas are a memorable site as they cover almost every nook of the cave.

Koung Si waterfall, 32-kilometers away, is considered one of the most picturesque in the country and is set in a breathtaking public park. The 200-foot high waterfall cascades down into a sparkling turquoise pool which provides welcome relief after the arduous walk up hill.

If you aren’t looking to see the sites, Luang Prabang offers an assortment of activities such as taking Lao cooking classes, shopping at the famous Hmong night market, or enjoying an inexpensive Lao or Thai massage. Some of my favorite days were spent sitting in open air cafes on Th Sisavangvong and getting lost wandering the streets admiring the beautiful architecture and people.

This picturesque riverside city is the perfect place to kick back and relax and enjoy the famous chilled out Laotian lifestyle. I recommend staying in one of its many quaint guest houses in old town for at least 4 days, anything less and you won’t have the proper time to decompress. I stayed for a total of 6 nights but could have easily stayed longer because time flies when you are doing really nothing at all.

Muzzi's Ranch Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

On Saturday, John and our friends Nick and Melissa made our second annual trip to the Muzzi's Ranch Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in San Gregoria, California. We stumbled upon this little treasure last year while camping at Costanoa in Pescadero. What sets this privately owned farm apart from the other cookie cutter pumpkin patches is the pure ridiculousness of it (and the lack of annoying crowds). http://www.yelp.com/ politely calls it "Local Flavor", I call it classic Nor Cal weird.

Muzzi's Ranch is located off highway 84 near Pescadero on La Honda Road. There are a few dilapidated signs leading the way but mostly you'll just stumble upon it by the bright patch of orange off to the side of the road. To call it a ranch is a bit of stretch. At one time, maybe 20 years ago, it was an operating ranch but today its a set of dilapidated buildings, empty fields and pumpkins.

The larger pumpkins are arranged in an open field with cardboard boxes of little pumpkins and gourds off to the sides. You can choose from the basic orange pumpkin or some "designer" pumpkins of bright orange or green. The boxes of little pumpkins are sold 3 for a $1 and so are the gourds which come in an array of colors and sizes (some oddly resembling fruits in color and shape). 

Conveniently at the entrance are 10 red wheel barrows for use by customers to fill up with their pumpkin treasures. We filled up two wheel barrows each. I chose: 2 large pumpkins for decorating and three mini pumpkins for fun. Our grand total was a whopping $6. In the city, this would have cost me at least $20! Our friends made the real killing: 3 large pumpkins, an assortment of gourds, 6 mini pumpkins and 5 smaller pumpkins for only $23.

Old man and his pickup (and farm hand)

How you may ask can pumpkins be so cheap??? I have no idea. It could be all the pumpkins fell off the back of a truck thus they are all profit or the ornery man who works the farm (but never steps out of his pickup or extinguishes the cigarette loosely hanging from his lip) has difficulty counting or merely doesn't care.

Sadly, the corn maze was just not tall enough. The prior year, we had torrential rains around Halloween and a lot of the farm land in the area got flooded and crops washed away. This farm was hit pretty hard as the entire corn maze was one big pool of water last year. This year he built it in a new location, but possibly it didn't have time to mature, thus only a 3 year old would have been short enough to call it a proper maze. Plus the old man, his not so trusty companion leering by his side and the $5 surcharge cannot be appealing to parents of little ones! Thus no one dared enter the maze in the time we were there.



Old farm house with "Unsafe" sign



That being said, Muzzi's Ranch is a wonderful option from the busy Half Moon Bay pumpkin festival but if you are looking for modern amenities and trendy pumpkin ice cream this isn't your place. Its an beautiful drive from the city, cheap, highly entertaining and quiet. I'd much rather go to a pumpkin patch that resembles a scene from The Children of the Corn than Half Moon Bay's yuppie heaven. Its all so very halloween!

Fleet Week Fair

Fleet Week descended upon San Francisco last week with a bang. An estimated 1 million people visited the city over the three day weekend with the highlight for most being the Blue Angels Air Show on Saturday and Sunday. The Blue Angels heart stopping aerial performance seems to defy gravity and amazes me every time I see it. But for me the highlight this year was the fair on the lawn at Marina Green. John and I wandered along the shore taking in the family friendly festivities prior going to a friend's house for a roof top Blue Angels party.

The fair was nothing like the fair I knew as a kid. It was spectacular!

One game that caught my eye was the what I like to call "the hamster balls." Parents, actually pay for their kids to climb into a big hamster ball and roll around in a big above ground pool and try and beat the crap out of each other. It was absolutely hilarious to watch. Most kids were too small to maneuver in the ball thus it was a camera friendly show of kids flopping around in big hamster balls, but the potential was there.

The giant blow up monkey and so many other cool blow up bounce type things for kids to go crazy on.

Another great game was the massive two sided blow up slide shaped like a ship.

While some played at the fair, ten thousand or so people relaxed on the lawn at Marina Green waiting for the big Blue Angel show start to at 3pm. We bought some snacks at one of the three booths selling fair like food; hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, and other fine unhealthy items and perused at the few souvenir booths selling military t-shirts, hats. I happily gawked at the sailors and made sailor jokes such as "Dirty sailors going from port to port."

Before we left the fair for the roof party we caught the annual United Airlines 747 fly by. It a sight to be seen as a massive 747 flies low along bay at the Marina Green circling over Alcatraz and back two times before returning to Oakland Airport. Its a shout out for the airlines as a sponsor but its spectacular none the less. The plane is so low and seems incredibly big and it brings a smile to most every one's face (and a bit of fear). As the plane flies by the announcer tells of the history and great service of the fine people of United Airlines in a classic baseball announcer of the 50's voice. Its hilarious.

I love Fleet Week. Planes, boats, food, beer, games, sun and sailors! Next year I recommend checking out the fair and the Marina Green before enjoying the big Blue Angel air show on a friend's roof.

The Streets of Lijiang

An article I wrote for http://www.cgrooves.com/, an online expat magazine in China.

The Streets of Lijiang

Lijiang, located in northwest Yunnan Province is rich with cultural heritage and has one of the best preserved “old towns” in all of China. The highlight of Lijiang, and the main reason most visitors travel to the area, is the Ancient Old Town of Lijiang. It is one of the last places a foreign or domestic visitor can experience the historic culture and city life of old world China just like in the movies.

Marble Bridge in Old Market Square

The Old Town was constructed in the late Song Dynasty, more than 800 years ago, while “new town” was built around 50 years ago. Old Town consists of 3.8 square kilometers of beautiful cobblestone streets and intersecting waterways, and is home to numerous cultural minorities including the Naxi, Bai, Lisu, Pumi, Yi, Tibetan, and Miao. The Naxi people, descendents of ethnically Tibetan Qiang tribes, are historically the majority population and have called Lijiang home for over 1400 years. Naxi had the largest influence over Lijiang’s architecture, unique layout, and cultural heritage and comprise 58% of the city’s current inhabitants. Due to its preservation and long cultural history, Lijiang’s Old Town was listed as a World Cultural Heritage City by UNESCO in December 1997, becoming China’s first cultural heritage city and possibly its finest.

Canals of Lijiang

The entire Old Town is a museum in its own right. Dubbed the “Venice of the Orient”, Lijiang is a complex web of canals and waterways transversed by cobblestone streets and over 350 marble bridges. The main water source is Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan) which extends its fingers to every corner of Old Town. The cobblestone streets branch out from Sifang Jie (Old Market Square) in four directions, providing visitors with a nice jumping off point to explore and possibly get lost among the narrow and countless networks of streets in Old Town. If you do find yourself lost in Lijiang, merely follow the water upstream and you’ll find your way back to Sifang Jie. Along the way you’ll be able to gaze at the traditional Naxi wooden houses with sloping tile roofs; ornately carved wooden doors and archways; the hidden squares and gardens; and engage with the wonderful people of Lijiang. The main streets are lined with open air cafes and countless stone benches where you can sit and enjoy a book or simply people watch. Although the streets are busy with tourists almost every day of the year, if you start exploring early or late in the day, you’ll be able to find some peaceful spots. The farther you get from Sifang Jie, the less likely you will be bombarded with tour groups and their infamous flags.

Black Dragon Pool Park

If wandering along the streets of Old Town isn’t your cup of tea, there are numerous places to see and explore in and around Old Town Lijiang. Among the highlights are Lion Hill Park’s Wanggu Tower, the Mu Family Mansion, and Black Dragon Pool Park.  Wanggu Tower, a recently built five story wooded pavilion located at the peak of Lion Hill park, provides the best panoramic views of the peaked homes of Old Town and the natural surrounding scenery.  



To the north of Old Town is Black Dragon Pool Park. You can easily spend an afternoon there exploring the many pavilions and temples, wandering amongst the willow trees and beautiful gardens, or relaxing by the jade green pond. The view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) from the park is one of the most photographed spots in southwestern China. Among the most famous pavilions in the park are Deyue and Five-Phoenix (Wufeng). Not to be missed within the park are two museums; The Dongba Research Institute and the Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture both of which house Naxi cultural artifacts.

Within Old Town, one of the most famous spots is the Mu Family Mansion, the former home of the local chiefdom for 22 generations. The Mansion is fashioned after a mini Forbidden City and is a maze of courtyards and residences set among some of the most exquisite gardens in the region. The Mu Family Mansion is a great place to relax and get away from the crowded streets of Old Town.

Naxi Musicians

Finding a place to stay in Lijiang is relatively easy as there are over 700 Naxi guest houses in Old Town alone. The best places to stay for nighttime action are directly off Sifang Jie. At night Lijiang’s bars and restaurants come alive with boisterous travelers from around the world. If you aren’t interested in spending your night getting drunk at the local bar, you can enjoy a traditional Naxi concert by the Naxi Orchestra at the Naxi Music Academy or at the government run Dongba Palace. Old Town boasts an exhaustive list of cafés and bars serving up Chinese, Western and Westernized Naxi cuisine. However, if you are looking for traditional Naxi food, it’s  best to wander out of Old Town and find street vendors selling Baba, Lijian’s local specialty of wheat flatbread, served plain or stuffed with meats, vegetables, and anything you can imagine.

Lijiang’s Old Town is a destination not to be missed. The minute you set eyes on Lijiang you’ll feel magically transported back in time with its whimsical old world beauty. Look past the crowds and you’ll feel and see the old world come alive all around you.