getting to Thailand

on my way to Thailand i arrived at Denver International early enough to catch breakfast at Root Down.  honestly, i'm going to miss that place.  the eggs, potatoes and croissant were done perfectly and the garnish of arugula is the perfect green to plate.  it's amazing to me that so few restaurants can deliver fantastic food so consistently.  i took a salad to go so i'd have something on my 12 hour flight if i got hungry.  i'm loving the Denver to Tokyo non stop service on United.  they use the dreamliner which is pretty comfortable for a long flight - at least it was in EPlus where I was sitting - also it wasn't a full flight so when there's an empty seat next to you it feels really roomy.  the entertainment on demand is ridiculous with something like 50 movies available.  i rarely make it to the theatre so I caught up on a bunch of films... i watched Million Dollar Arm then got distracted when a woman five rows behind me started vomiting.  the crew responded accordingly which in this day and age means they put on a hazmat like suit to clean up - depositing everything into a red hazmat container.  the woman was black which of course everyone was associating with the very deadly virus circulating in west Africa.  later i asked the crew if she'd been in Africa and they said she had not.  then i watched the Grand Budapest Hotel and Wolf of Wall Street - yeah i think i'm all caught up on movies for a while.

in Tokyo even though i was just in transit i had to go through an additional security clearance and they did not like that one of my bottles was 4 oz instead of 3 oz.  i tried to keep the contents of the larger bottle by dumping out hairspray in a different bottle but i was weary from the 12 hour flight and i accidentally ended up dumping out both containers.  it made a mess but the Japanese security team didn't seem fazed and were quite polite the whole time.  we'll see how my hair does without any products.

the flight from Tokyo to Bangkok was in an Airbus 380 which is humongous and has over 500 seats.... talk about a people mover!  it was late my time so i grabbed a whole row that was empty, stretched out and fell asleep.  the moment i stepped onto that plane and was greeted by the Thai Airlines flight crew all the wonderful experience i've had with Thailand came rushing through my mind.  they stop and connect with every passenger on the plane - it's just not like the US carriers where the crew will barely look you in the eye and serving a coke is just an extra chore for them.

immigration was super easy - no line and just one question - where would i be visiting. they did have a 'medical scan' set up to detect anyone with an elevated temperature and a request for anyone who had been in West Africa to make themselves known.  i was glad to see they were at least making an effort even though the whole setup was a camera like device pointing at people as they walked by.  i grabbed a taxi to where i was staying and crawled into bed around midnight.

good view

Buena Vista translates to good view and that's an accurate description of the Buena Vista valley.   14,000 foot peaks surround the valley and provide the perfect backdrop from any angle.  the town, because of the ecotourism, has thrived and grown.  there's a brewery and some great restaurants in addition to the old favorites like Panchos which has been there forever.  the Arkansas River provides some of Colorado's best whitewater rafting as it winds through the valley and canyons.  after a day of thrills on the river hitting up a hotspring is a way to relax.  throughout the rocky mountains there are geothermally heated hot springs and there are two that have been developed in the area.  i like the Cottonwood Hot Springs which has soaking pools in a natural environment.

there are rooms available here but i've never stayed in them.  the staff is outstanding.  very attentive and accommodating.   the Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort is much larger and more kid friendly.

don't leave the valley without exploring one of the many ghost towns.  St. Elmo's still has some structures standing and a main street. there's a general store but the rest of the buildings are not accessible.  the drive is beautiful and follows the old train tracks.  there are multiple state maintained camping areas along the road and a river that drains into the Arkansas.

next up, Bangkok......

last of a Colorado summer

with a new passport and miles burning a hole in my pocket i've decided to leave for Asia in a few weeks.  it's the right time  for me to take an extended trip.  for the last 18 months i've been raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  Toga, a female yellow lab, was released from the program for a minor medical issue and i've placed her with an organization where she will continue her training as a therapy dog and work with children and adults with special needs.  before i head back to Asia i plan to enjoy the last bit of summer in the mountains of Colorado hitting up some of my favorite spots.  first up, Half Moon Creek. it's a creek that's fed from Mount Elbert and Mount Massive outside of Leadville, Colorado.  it's quiet and restive and there's a good chance to see beavers playing on the river or deer coming down for a drink at dusk.  i set up camp and relax sans technology.  there is some wireless access but only at certain times of the day when the satelites are directly above.

not to worry though, the town of Leadville is just ten minutes away and small enough that there isn't even a McDonalds.  instead there is an assortment of cafes and restaurants that serve excellent food.  One of my favorites is the Tennessee Pass restaurant where I'm never disappointed and your dog is welcome on the side porch.  there are hot showers at the local laundry but they looked and smelled really bad so someone told me they offer showers at the local high school.  there's tons to explore and plenty of mountains to climb.  i get in a few hikes and after a few days i'll head down the road towards Buena Vista.

crying like a baby

i went in to the doctor's office to get a few inoculations this week and today i am crying like a baby.  they really hurt but i suppose it's better than getting something nasty and completely avoidable.  my friend says, 'it's hard to really feel sorry for you' so that shut me up but IT STILL HURTS.

time to go

it's crisp, it's never been used and it's begging for an adventure

arrived today, my new passport.  where shall we go?

south beach

after a day to recover from the embarrassing Bronco performance i'm ready for the next adventure which is a trip to Miami's South Beach.  Marti, my closest childhood friend picks me up around 8AM.  it's early for me but i'm so excited i'm dressed and sitting on the front step ready to go ten minutes early.

Marti is the perfect friend to go to South Beach with -  she's a phenomenal artist and adds to the already colorful culture plus she knows all the great spots.  if you've been, you know that South Beach is really like no other place in the US and if you haven't been, well you should go.

we drive around and soak up the color and relax into a South Beach attitude.  it's daytime and traffic moves at a crawl everywhere.  the beaches, the streets, the cafes and shops are filled with people.  it gets even more crowded after dark when the nightclubs open and party spills out onto the streets.

we end up at the Delano, a fabulous Philipe Starck, hotel for lunch.  there are nooks that surprise and delight and are inviting to sit and relax.  i could sit in that lobby for hours but Lincoln Road and shopping and the gallleries are next on the list.  Just a walk down the road which has been turned into a pedestrian mall is filled with color and music and plenty of entertainment options.  it would be easy to spend a week here but i have only one day.

we end the day on Lincoln Road with a stop at Dylan's Candy Bar where there is sugar available in more shapes and sizes than i ever imagined.

we head back to the west coast of Florida and i can't wait for the next adventure with Marti.

off to florida

huge day for Denver with the Broncos playing at the Super Bowl.  i'm at the airport and it is blanketed in orange.  even the gate agents are cheerful.  i am not headed to the Super Bowl, i am going to Florida for a week of work/play/escape the cold.  i did go to both the superbowls when the Broncos played and won so i remember all so well the excitement of being at the game.  if the Broncos win i will be sorry to miss the energy of a city celebrating a victory that belongs as much to the fans as the players.  clearly, this woman has invested a large part of her paycheck in orange.

when i left the house this morning it was crisp and cold.  a picture perfect winter morning with a blanket of snow on the ground and a collection of snow on every exposed spot.  magical.  it was also really, really cold.


we are spoilt to have such a great international airport.  sure it's big but it has by far the best food choices of any US airport i've been in.  root down is my favorite but there are others that offer a taste of Colorado including sit downs at Elways, Boulder Beer, Belgium Beer House and the Chophouse.  the airport is clean and there's never a line to use the ladies rest room.  also, i've noticed Denver International Airport has put in filtered water stations inside the security line.  wish more places would do this.  thanks DIA!

3.5 hours is the time it takes to go from 12 degrees in Colorado to 85 degrees in Florida.  

post belize post

i've been back two weeks now and i still have dreams of the monkey pot.  on days when i sit in meetings with miserable, burnt out people that can't find a smile my mind wanders back to that moment when i stepped out on top of the Yaxha pyramid and the bliss of the moment washes over me.  also embedded in my consciousness for immediate retrieval is the feeling of floating in crystal clear water with the animals of the reef with my body soaking up the warmth of the sun.

when i checked out at Akbol i discussed with Kirsten an unauthorized charge on my credit card.  she said she'd reverse it but that hasn't happened even though i sent her a polite reminder last week.  so now i'm left to dispute the charge through my credit card company.  just another example of how poorly run Akbol is.

in two weeks i leave for a week in florida and another adventure.

homeward bound

our last day starts overcast and windy.  packed and ready to go, i have some time before we need to leave and i spend a few minutes with some of the travelers i've met who have shared a part of themselves with me and made my trip a little more special. 

as we are leaving i hear yet another guest being told their was no laundry service and i can see she's not very happy when she's told the laundry service in town will be closed because of the holiday.  wait till she finds out there's no hammock garden.  i want to be fair in my assessment of Akbol because there were both good and not good parts to our stay.  Kirsten was a fantastic yoga instructor and clearly enjoyed teaching.  the management and maintenance of the property were substandard and in the end i would not stay here again.  if you are staying elsewhere on the island i would encourage you to drop in for a yoga class as that she does well.

we take a Tropic Air flight back to Belize City and it's a fast flight leaving me with breathtaking views of the island, the water and the reef.  at the airport we weave our way through the ticket lines then stop in for something to eat.  one last cocktail as i fish out the travel size bottle of Belizean rum and add it to some diet coke.... ah, now if i only had a lime.

the signs are posted everywhere at the airport that a departure tax in the amount of US$37.50 must be paid.  somehow we get out of the country without paying the tax.  perhaps it was collected in my airline ticket and i didn't notice.

getting back into the US is a snap and i avoid all the lines because i'm in the trusted traveler program.  i walk directly onto my connection to denver and on the final leg home i think about what an incredible adventure this has been. the unknown of climbing through the ATM Cave, the pyramids in Yaxha, the howler monkeys at dusk, tikal for the sunrise, snorkeling on the reef and spending time with my amazing friend from London.