Belize

On our way to Hopkins from the airport in Belize City, we stopped at the Baboon Sanctuary in the small town of Burrel Boom.  The Belizeans call the indigenous Howler Monkeys "Baboons".  There is an area of protected land where conservationists and residents cooperate to create a wonderful habitat for the Howlers.  Residents allow the trees and vegetation to grow so the Howlers have plenty to eat.  Our guide, Robert showed us where a family of Baboons were feeding and the mother and two babies came down from the trees to eat bananas from his palm.  The mother had her hands on Mary's head in eager anticipation of the treat.  The father was very upset and howled severely until I finally told everyone to move out.

 The tree cutter ants are amazing.  They are much bigger than our ants in the states.  They travel in large groups transporting leaves from plants in the jungle to their hill.  They spit on the leaves and a fungus grows provided them a source of food.  The males have huge fangs which can be used as stitches when people get a cut in the jungle.  They create huge trails when they are foraging through the jungle.  We tried not to step in the trails.

The cashew plant is used to make cashews like the ones we eat at home.  They make wine from the fruit of the cashew tree.  It is heard to be very strong in alcohol content.  The picture below is a lovely cashew tree with people relaxing under it's shade.

While we were on the tour, a local boy did some dirt bike stunts.  He was so cute that I couldn't resist taking his picture.  The Belizeans are very friendly and warm people.  The official language is English, but many speak Creole and Spanish.

We finally arrived at Almond Beach in Hopkins.  This is a beautiful Spanish style property with clay tile roofs and mahogany interiors.  Upon arrival to our room, we found these swans made of towels and fresh flowers on our bed as well as on the kid's bunkbeds. More pics of the property to come. 

New York - Virtuoso Northeast Regional

Last weekend I attended the Northeast Regional conference for Virtuoso.  I met the Largay Travel team for the first time.  I am pleased to be affiliated with such a warm and professional group of travel experts. The meetings were held at the The Plaza Hotel which is located on Central Park and Fifth Avenue in Midtown. The Plaza Hotel in New York City is the ultimate luxury destination..  Exciting new offerings include the elegant Champagne Bar the stylish Rose Club, and The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English.   The Plaza is the first hotel in the world to offer in-room iPads for all guests to control their entire hotel experience.  At the touch of a screen, guests can order In-Room Dining, make restaurant reservations, communicate directly with the Concierge, request wake-up calls, and even check airline schedules and print boarding passes. Amenities at The Plaza include the world-class Shops at The Plaza, featuring exclusive boutiques and purveyors of fine food, as well as health and wellness facilities including a Caudalie Vinothérapie® Spa, Warren-Tricomi Salon, and a Fitness Salon.  Lavish social and business events and unforgettable weddings continue to be held in the Grand Ballroom and Terrace Room. We had a wonderful tour of the hotel and I was able to take pictures of the suites as you can see below.  The movies Home Alone and Eloise were filmed in the suites of this famous hotel.   After our tour, we had a wonderful luncheon in the Grand Ballroom with Markus F. Tscherner, Director of International Sales and Crystal Laurence, Director of Business Travel and Entertainment Sales.

Masterbath with 24 kt.gold embedded in tiles.

The Lobby at the Plaza Hotel

The Edwardian Suite

Saturday, Melissa Russo, Vira Mastroianni, and I went to see Wicked which was playing at the Gershwin Theatre.  Plowed snow covered the sidewalks from a morning shower.  We met up with Amanda Klimak for dinner at Emmett O'Lunneys, a famous Irish Pub in midtown.  On Sunday, I had a chance to tool around Madison Ave. and 5th Street.  The first store I hit was American Girl  at Rockefeller Center for my 9 yr. old. daughter.  Below are some highlights of my free afternoon before heading back to North Carolina. 

Time Square

  

Madison Ave.

Rockefeller Center

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico - A culture where all are welcome.  

 From the indigenous natives to the colonizing Spanish, the international influence makes for the best eating in the Caribbean. Comida criolla consists of many different ingredients like roast pork, rice, beans, deep-fried plantains, and yucca.

   El Yunque is an ecotour adventure in the Luquillo mountains.  This tropical rainforest offers inspiring  views of the valleys, the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the eastern islands.  La Parilla, one of the kiosks of Luquillo  was one of our favorite spots for dinner on the beach.  Taking the 2 hour ferry to visit Culebra is worth the time.  Flamenco Beach is one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean.  Sip on refreshing coconuts under the palm trees while eating pinchos of chicken and beef and whole fried red snapper.  Snorkeling in the wildlife rescue is a must –do.  Phosphorescent Bay is home to the highest concentration of phorescent dinoflagellates in the world.  An evening trip through the lagoon is fascinating – with hundreds of fish whipping up 

bright –green contrails below the surface of your kayak.

The Gran Melia Resort located directly on the beach offers snorkeling, pools, and an onsite dive center.  It is located in Rio Grande which is a great location for seeing El Yunque, San Juan, and the Bio Bays.  We rented a car since the roads in Puerto Rico are very good.  We found all the sites very easily.

Linville Falls National Park and Chetola Resort

We decided to take a last minute trip to the mountains
to break up the week after Christmas.  We hiked Linville
Falls in the Linville National Forest.  These falls are referred
to as the Grand Canyon of the East.

The Falls from the height of the trail.

Gushing water in the boulders.

After our hike, we drove into Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock.  The Christmas lights surrounding the lake made for a magical entrance.  Chetola offers activities including hiking, fishing, a spa, and indoor pool to name a few. It is a pet free property.  We  really enjoyed dining in Blowing Rock.  The highlights are as follows... For dinner, we went into quaint downtown for some Irish comfort food at Six Pence Pub.  Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Beef Guinness, and Fish and Chips all satisfied our craving for comfort food.  After a day of bowling, swimming in the indoor pool, and hiking, we went to the Mellow Mushroom.  We ordered the Magical Mystery Tour  - a pesto based pizza and crust with Button and Portabello Mushrooms, Mozarella, Spinach, Feta, and Jalepenos.  

The weather was too wet for skiing as Beech Mountain, Banner Elk, and Sugar Mountain were only an hour away.  We will be back when there is lots of snow in January.