Sometimes, Key West IS Best ! – A Week on The High Seas With Las Tres Reinas (part I)

I have many circles of friends, kindred spirits that have gathered along the way and I am lucky enough to call sisters or brothers. Las Tres Reinas is a special triangle within one of these circles, comprised of my nearest and dearest friends; Queen Melila, who I met in college, and one of hers, Queen Oneca. It’s a beautiful thing when worlds come together seamlessly and we get along famously! Together, we planned our 2nd Carnival cruise for the end of August, 2008 to celebrate Melila’s 30th birthday in September.

Day1

We set sail on a hazy Sunday afternoon from Tampa’s port, originally headed for Grand Cayman. However, due to Hurricane Gustav’s activity in the Western Caribbean and Hannah’s antics in the east, they decided to redirect us to…Key West. Can’t say I was thrilled, since I’ve already passed through there once and more importantly, it is still on American soil, something we all were trying to escape. Nevertheless, a hurricane is not to be messed with and we were all glad the trip hadn’t been canceled.

Sunday afternoon and early evening was spent getting accustomed to the rocking motion, making last minute phone calls, changing our clothes, and dining at the late seating (8.15pm). We had a few drinks and checked out the jazz club (Satchmo’s) featuring a live funk band of mixed Asian ethnic descent. They were pretty good, especially their sassy and confident female lead singer.  They ended up holding us down most of the week, although I honestly don’t know how they can sing “We Are Family” as many times as they did without starting to pull out their hair or at least moon the audience. True professionalism… Read more

Roscoe’s House Keeps on Cooking

It’s like putting the best part of a Sunday morning breakfast and a Sunday afternoon picnic together on one plate. The last time I was in LA at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles, I was a pescetarian, and let me tell you that fried fish and waffles just don’t taste so great together.  But chicken, well that’s just downright delicious and I couldn’t wait to taste theirs.

Trying to beat the Sunday church crowd, I treated my family to brunch at the Roscoe’s in West Hollywood around 12.30pm. No reservations are accepted, but they do have seats, so we waited outside, in a half-standing, half-seated line for at least 20 minutes.  We all should have been doing jumping jacks and push-ups to preempt the calorie attack we were in for.

Inside, the restaurant was cozy, the music was pumping, and people were having a good time. The waiter took a little longer than expected.  He actually skipped us and took another table’s order before ours. It could have been a race thing, but we didn’t let it bother us. We were too focused on the food.

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Hot Wheels

Looking for a cheap way to travel? If you’ve already realized renting a car is the least expensive and most efficient option, you might be able to save yourself extra money by NOT renting a car from the airport.   I’m talking discounts greater than 50%.Airports are easy to get to and around, but they are also costly. Car rental companies charge additional “Airport Service Fees” of around $10-15, to say nothing of how much it costs you to get there.   At the airport, the companies are all competing with one another and with such high consumer demand, they can all pretty much agree to charge the same high prices. Off-site rental companies are looking to do business and might have a special discount in addition to much lower standard rates.

For a weekend rental (Noon Friday-Monday) of the same Standard car, at the same company in the New York City area, here are a few calculations… Read more

Do you like Merengue?

This is the question the tall manager at a local shoe store asks as I try on a pair of wedges. “You must let me take you out to dance tonight. You will love it. I will come get you at 8 o’clock.”  Surprised by his forwardness, I giggle off his advance with my friends and ask him about the local nightlife in Santo Domingo.

Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic is played in clubs and bars throughout the island. Young and old will grab a partner to swing and show their fancy foot work. Though Ruben, our friendly manager’s offer was tempting, we decided to venture on our own to find out what Santo Domingo had to offer.

After dinner at El Meson de la Cava, we hoped to find a fun place to dance outside of the colonial zone where we were staying. After driving to many different dance clubs that were closed or looked a little shady, we finally ended up at Copa which is connected to the Hotel Melia. As we entered the club through a side entrance of the huge hotel property, we looked around at the empty dance floor and few occupied tables and chairs and we quickly began to feel disappointed. It seemed as though we had not found a fun night spot. We found a few seats at a round high table and were quickly greeted by a very friendly server. We decided to suck it up and order drinks. The DJ was playing a great mix of music, the drinks were great, and overall the atmosphere was nice even if it was empty…silly girls. This soon changed! Read more

The New Shockoe Bottom

I remember growing up in Shockoe Bottom, located east of downtown along the James River, in my hometown of Richmond, VA.  Before the millennium ages, Shockoe Bottom was the more industrial part of Richmond, where many goods were loaded and unloaded.  Apart from the industrial feel, for me, Shockoe Bottom was like a gregarious countryside Caribbean Island.  Within a five block radius you were surrounded by several small family owned businesses and the largest Farmer’s Market.  There would even be, on rare occasions, a man on a mule or tugging a cow, passing through.  The people of Shockoe Bottom were a community of friends, whom bonded well and supported each other’s businesses. And I remember my Dad’s business, Pacific Seafood Market, located at 19 18^th St. 

 

On a recent trip home (to lend a hand in my mom’s latest entrepreneurial venture) my burning desire led me to revisit Shockoe Bottom, the community which felt like immediate family during my adolescent days.  It’s been over 17 years, since my Daddy, sold his Seafood Market, and that was probably the last time I visited the neighborhood and stepped foot into the market, and boy has a lot changed.

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Ayê orum – Sisterhood of the Boa Morte Celebration in Cachoeira

Central to a program composed of all night vigils, masses, processions and Samba de Roda, is the sisterhood of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte in Cachoeira. The commemoration is held annually beginning on the 13th of August and continues until 17th. The festival of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, founded in 1821, is one of the most important religious traditions in Brazil, which represents today a living document of the African experience in the new world.
The commemoration was begun at the beginning of Abolition and preserves those ties to the motherland which are characteristic of freedom-seeking African-descendent people. The ceremonies are rare and very rich, from the clothing and jewelry the women use in each ceremony, to the food offered at the house of the sisterhood, and the Samba de Roda which personalizes the non-religious part of the festival.
This devotion of the Sisterhood of Boa Morte was begun in the senzalas where the slaves came together at the end of day and seized the the opportunity to the discuss abolition, and to pray for the slaves who died during the struggles for the freedom. They asked Nossa Senhora to end slavery in Brazil.
Want to see this celebration in person? Email tbailey@escapetogether.com or call 1-877-980-1717 to get more information.

Bembé of Santo Amaro/ The Candomblé of Freedom.

The drumming of the rhythm of the orixás is heard coming from the municipal market. For three consecutive nights, the steady beat celebrates the stength of Afro-Brazilian culture in the region of Bahia around all Saints’ Bay, known as the Recôncavo. It echoes throught the squares, streets and alleyways of Santo Amaro da Purificação.

It is the sound of 100-year-old tradition, Bembé do Mercado, the only Candomblé ceremony that takes place in outdoor public space, the Municipal Market. Candomblé high priests known as babalorixás and priestesses known as ialorixá, as well as the spiritual sons and dughters “of the saints” from 40 different Candomblé houses and ethnic groups, meet to commemorate the end of slavery in Brazil in 1888.
The Bembé is a linguistc corruption of the Word Candomblé, does not have the slightest link to subservient gratitude to Princess Isabel for abolishing slavery. Instead it stands as a piece of historical evidence of the popular revolt against captivity. “It is the Candomblé of freedom.”
The sacred atabaque drums beats on the nights of May 10, 11 and 12, heralding and holding vigil over the offerings left by Candomblé worshipers and followers at the market. On the morning of the 13th, fireworks and the aroma of lavander signal the hight point of the festival, when people carrying baskets filled with gifts for Yemanjá and Oxum form a procession to Itapemba cove, on the beach in the Acupe district.

Sushi and Mojitos

Heading to Radio City music hall for a concert we wanted an inexpensive restaurant that would provide a relaxing environment at the end of a long workday. Located on 49th between 6th and 7th Avenues is a small Japanese restaurant that met the bill.

Iroha offers friendly service, fun cocktails and great customer service. It was a cold night and our group was seated at a table near the door. we were greeted with warm towels to wipe our hands shortly after sitting down a nice welcoming feature of our choice.

We decided to start with cocktails and the Shiso Mojito has made my Perfect Mojito list. It is made of Japanese shochu liquor, citrus rum, fresh shiso mint leaves and lime. It was refreshing and delicious. It was so great I had two! We also had a Peach Lemonade sour (peach juice, lemondae, and Japanese shochu liquor. It is not as good as the Mojito but still tasty.

The food was also great and we tried the Salmon steak box, Tebasaki Kawari Age (which are crispy chicken wings with garlic flavored soy sauce and sesame seeds) Udon white wheat noodle soup with mountain of vegetables and rolls from the sushi bar.

It was all great and we loved the experience. A great choice for a meal near Radio City or just a night out in NYC.

IROHA Restaurant

152 W. 49th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenues
New York, NY 10019
212-398-9049

Beautiful and Budget Friendly Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina is a gorgeous city, but it is also perfect for folks on a budget. An unfortunate economic climate has put in the country in what seems like an endless cycle of recessions. This is bad for Argentina, but great for tourists. When I visited Buenos Aires, 1 U.S. dollar was equivalent to 3.40 Argentine Pesos, now 1USD=3.70ARS.
If your budget is preventing you from hopping the pond to Europe, I would suggest coming to Buenos Aires. It has a very European feel to it, but without the high price tag. The lifestyle and architecture are markedly more European than any other city in South America. Most Porteños, or residents of Buenos Aires, are of European descent. Argentina actually has the largest number of Italian descendents outside of Italy. To this point, it seems that there is a Pizzeria and or gelato shop on every corner. Also, Argentine men seem to have inherited the art of flirting and flattery from their Italian forefathers. Don’t believe the hype about the general preference for blondes. Argentine men LOVE the ladies. Trust me!

As part of your trip to Buenos Aires, I would recommend spending a day or afternoon in the historical neighborhood of Recoleta. This is a beautiful neighborhood filled with breathtaking parks and dotted with Parisian-style architecture. Most sights in the neighborhood are free or very low cost. This also happens to be the domain of the ladies who lunch. Most restaurants we came across in this trendy and upscale neighborhood offer great lunch and dinner specials. We had a lovely prix-fixed lunch at a great cafe including an appetizer, entree, dessert, and glass of wine for 70 pesos or roughly $20. Argentina’s claim to culinary fame is their mouthwatering steak, and at these prices you would be foolish not to try it.

Walking down the fashionable streets of the Palermo neighborhood, I saw more boutiques in one place than I have ever seen before in my life…and they all had sale signs in the windows! Buenos Aires is really putting out great designers and you can get fantastic deals at their shops. I highly recommend visiting the Carla Danelli boutique. She is a designer focused on shoes, handbags, and other leather accessories. Her designs are unique, modern, and only use the softest leather. I was able to purchase a beautiful fuchsia colored leather handbag for 50% off the original price. It was a great deal!

www.carladanelli.com
Buenos Aires is relatively spread out, but it easy to get around on the subway or subte. Taxis are everywhere and cheap. Most taxi rides cost us between $3 to $5.
If you are looking to travel internationally, but do not think you can afford it in this economy, Buenos Aires is one of the places I would highly recommend to visit. Not only is it a beautiful and friendly city, but you can experience all it has to offer on a small budget.

Why I hate MIA

Traveling in the airport in this day and age is almost always a painful experience. You have to basically strip to get through security screening, die of thirst on the side of security because they make you throw out your water when you get to the line, and are forced to pay for the bags that you must check because of the liquid you can’t carry-on. In some cases airports recognize this and have gone out of their way to make sure they hire pleasant people, make the security experience organized and well-run and overall organize the airport to make it as painless as possible. And then there is MIA…Miami International Airport seems to be making money on running their airport in the worst possible ways. It seems like it was organized by individuals that obviously have never tried to travel since it is not intuitive at all. And it must be a requirement in their hiring policies to only take people on power trips who are completely powerless in the real world. I have had so many situations where miserable people try to make my travel and time at MIA miserable just because they have the power to.

So here are my suggestions how MIA can get it together and be off my worst airports in America List (which doesn’t exist currently but sounds like a great idea!)

1. Fix the International Arrivals nightmare of yellow dots, door and bag chaos and evil staff. Read more

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