Vacation | TIDBITS 4 TRIPS

TIDBITS UPDATE

March 8, 2010 at 12:13 am · Filed under information, tidbits, travel, vacation

This tidbit is to apologize for anyone who may have tried to access my site the last few days. I have been having a few server problems. I hope that it has been resolved at this point.

The departure date for Jamaica at this time is Mar 15th!!

Yeah!! I hope to be able to keep you all up on the beautiful beaches ,sunsets and the resort that we are staying at Sunset at the Palms in Negril Jamaica. If I do not have Internet access I will have pictures and stories when I return.

I am going to have a safe adventure

Jaye

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TIDBITS 4 TRAVEL ALERTS

February 27, 2010 at 8:50 am · Filed under INFORMATIONAL, safe, travel, vacation

This tidbit is 4 travel alert for Mexico. Yep that’s right. Just before spring break! The US is renewing the travel alert for Mexico. This week, the State Department renewed its travel advisoryfor Mexico, singling out the states of Michoacan, Coahuila, Durango and Chihuahua, along the United States-Mexico border, as especially dangerous for United States travelers. .

That said, crime overall in Mexico is down from its late 1990s highs. But the perception of drug-related violence, combined with leftover fears of the H1N1 virus, has taken its toll on Mexico’s reputation as a safe travel destination. Tourism dropped 20 percent in 2009 from the previous year.

For more detailed information on staying safe in Mexico, please see the following

Mexico Country Specific Information.
“Spring Break in Mexico- Know Before You Go!!”
http://travel.state.gov/
Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings,
Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers from Mexico, a regular toll line at 001-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department’s travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.
For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Mexico, please contact the U.S. Embassy or the closest U.S. Consulate. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ACSMexicoCity@state.gov
http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.

To read the complete alert you can go to,

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_4491.html

Please if you have travel plans for spring break, stay extra safe, careful and have great adventure

Jaye

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TIDBITS 4 TRAVEL TIPS

February 18, 2010 at 12:39 pm · Filed under INFORMATIONAL, travel, vacation

This tidbit is 4 Travel Tips

Here are some tips to make your airport experience hassle-free:

Arrive at the airport early. Even if your flight is delayed. The airlines may make other arrangements to make sure that flight takes off on time. You may have to pay a penalty if you tell them ” I checked and the flight was delayed”.
Wear comfortable shoes that can easily be removed during the security screening process.
Weigh your checked and carry-on bags prior to arrival to ensure that all your baggage are within the weight and size allowances.
Ensure that you have the required travel documents readily available at all times to present to the security officials and to agents upon request. If you are traveling international you may need special documentation.
Remember, carrying sharp or other dangerous objects that can be used as weapons are strictly prohibited aboard the aircraft. Both your checked and carry-on baggage will be screened. Pack appropriately to avoid any inconvenience at the security checkpoints. If you are unsure you can always check the TSA website for complete information.
http://www.tsa.gov.
Please be aware of items that may cause delays during the security screening process. Jewelry, belt buckles, keys, phones, pagers, etc. should be placed in carry-on baggage and not left on your person.
Film should be packed in carry-on baggage as equipment used to screen checked baggage may damage undeveloped film.
Gifts in your carry-on baggage should not be wrapped as they may be opened during the security screening process.
Arrive at the gate early to await the boarding of your flight.

Please have a safe and wonderful trip.

Jaye

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TIDBITS 4 SOUTHERN AFRICA

February 9, 2010 at 10:40 am · Filed under INFORMATIONAL, travel, vacation

This tidbit is 4 travel to southern AFRICA

My travel companion and I made our first foray into the Drakensburg mountain ranges of Lesotho. We started our tour in the capital city of Maseru and went all the way around the country returning to Maseru 5 days later. We had done part of the tour (to Pitseng) the weekend before to visit friends so did not include that section of the country in the tour. We managed to do a guided tour of the Katse Dam, Liphofung Cultural and Historical site, and the Masitise Cave House. The rest of the trip was done at our own pace and with a little help from the locals, managed to stay pretty well on track. We had some good maps, a list of accommodations, and a list of places of interest that were excellent sources of information.

Travel in the mountains is best done in a 4wheel drive and one that is well up off the ground. We actually made the trip in a Toyota corolla and although we ran into some tight spots we were able to travel most of the roads.

The scenery is fabulous and my travel companion speaks the local language of Sesotho and many of the locals also spoke English so we learned a lot of local facts and history. The Orange River originates in the Drakensburg Mountain Range and in known in Lesotho as the Senqu River and enters the Atlantic Ocean 2200 km. away at Alexander Bay. The Maletsunyane Falls along the way is the largest free falling waterfall anywhere in Southern Africa at 204 m. as well as being a Guinness record holder for the highest commercial abseil in the world.

The country is well known for the large diamonds discovered in the mines. The Lesotho Promise was 603 karats of white diamond and the Lesotho Brown at 601 karats is the second largest discovered in the same mine previously.

Mountain life is very simplistic as most residents live in rondavels and do not have electricity. They have a stone enclosure built onto the rondavel to accommodate the livestock at night. Farming is done on tiered fields up the sides of the mountains and any available flat land, especially near the river. Plowing and seeding are done by hand with the use of oxen, horses or donkeys and hand held plows.

I want to thank my friend Rose for the wonderful post and pictures. I hope to travel there someday

Have a wonderful adventure

Jaye

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TIDBITS 4 IMMUNIZATIONS

January 27, 2010 at 3:28 pm · Filed under INFORMATIONAL, safe, travel, vacation

This tidbit is 4 Travel Immunizations. Regardless of destination there are some shots every adult should have. While most people have these by school entry, some need boosters.

Tetanus/Diphtheria, Td Vaccine before the Trip

This is a 10-year shot unless there has been a dirty injury or surgery where the injection was given. The shot prevents lockjaw. Diphtheria is given along with it. Noteworthy is the local reaction to this shot that can be extreme redness and swelling. This shot may be part of preventative care with much insurance so go where the insurance is accepted rather than private travel clinics.

Hepatitis B Shots and Disease

Millions of Americans are estimated to be infected with this hepatitis infection that attacks the liver and causes cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. Infants and school age children are required to be vaccinated. Due to the infectious nature of this virus, adults who travel are recommended to be vaccinated if they have not done so. A series of three shots are given and considered to offer life long protection.

Hepatitis A Immunization for Travel to Some Areas

This vaccine is also given to infants but most adults have not received it. It is recommended for travelers to rural areas or where sanitation is not sophisticated. Feces in contaminated water used to drink or cook food spread hepatitis A. While considered not as dangerous a virus as hep B it can be fatal for up to three out of every 1000 people exposed. Usually this vaccine is requested by the traveler and paid for although some insurance may pick up the tab.

Typhoid Vaccine for Travel

Typhoid is a bacterial infection acquired in unclean conditions. The immunization is a shot or capsule and directions must be followed for efficacy that is estimated to be about 50% and last for up to seven years. This is usually not covered by insurance.

Additional Selected Vaccines for Travel Areas

At this time there is no available vaccine for malaria, but there are pills to take prophylactic ally. No one drug is entirely protective against the disease. Protection is recommended against mosquito bites. Yellow fever too is a mosquito passed infection. There is a vaccine. Some countries require the meningococcal vaccine.

Insurance Payments ?

Some injections are considered part of preventative care, such as a tetanus booster. If insurance covers preventative care, it may cover the shot. Go where insurance is accepted and filed. Most travel clinics are private and may not file but the advantage is they carry every needed injection for travel. Certain health departments will provide vaccinations upon request at lowest cost. Many retail clinics and urgent care walk in clinics don’t require appointments and will file insurance but don’t carry vaccinations for more exotic locations.

Medicare Payments ?

Medicare may pay for some shots! Based on need. For example, Medicare will pay for annual influenza vaccines. Many shots are covered if ordered by a health care provider for those at intermediate or high risk for the associated disease, not necessarily through travel exposure but because of renal, cancer, lung, or blood diseases. Medicare pays for one pneumonia-lifetime vaccine. If a second were needed there would have to be a medical order for it. Part B will also cover hepatitis vaccines only with doctor’s order for necessity.

Care with food or water and unknown conditions is as important as vaccines. Vaccines are advised and helpful along with precautionary measures.

Please make sure that you do your research in plenty of time, as some vaccinations may need to be ordered. Also there may be restrictions on how far in advance you can get your shots.

Have a wonderful and safe adventure

Jaye

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TIDBITS 4 ROMANTIC GET AWAYS

December 15, 2009 at 6:59 pm · Filed under INFORMATIONAL, tidbits, travel, vacation

This tidbit is 4 the romance in your life, or if you want to have romance in your life. The romance of travel… Here are ten places where I have bec This tidbit is 4 the romance in your life, or if you want to have romance in your life. The romance of travel… Here are ten places where I have become starry-eyed, beguiled and bewitched by the moment, the place and the person with me. I dare you to visit and not fall in love!

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Undeveloped, unspoiled and cloaked in emerald green rain forest, the mother island of St. Vincent also boasts an archipelago necklace of pristine tropical islands for the most perfect get-away-from-it-all experience. This is the spot we have chosen to renew our wedding vows after 30 years of marriage.

Treetops Lodge, Kenya
There is something wonderfully powerful, primeval and romantic about staying up all night together in this atmospheric old wooden lodge built on stilts among the trees overlooking a waterhole and watching the nocturnal activities of the animals of the African plains. This is where Elizabeth arrived as a princess and departed as Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.

Heidelburg, Germany
Imagine an ancient castle ruin standing atop a wooded hill overlooking a medieval university town, with the Neckar River meandering through the town, old cobbled streets, quaint taverns, marketplaces and coaching inns dating back centuries…We wandered the streets just soaking up the atmosphere.

Kashmir, India
Once upon a peaceful time in this Shangri-La land, I stayed in blissful peace on a Victorian houseboat on Lake Dal beside a medieval town, with the Himalaya perfectly mirrored in dazzling waters…and I was lost to the magic of Kashmir. One day it will be possible to visit again and I will return with the love of my life.

Taj-Mahal, India
I was so prepared to be disappointed with the Taj…and yet was blown softly away on the river breeze when I first saw it, by moonlight, from a distance. Close up, the love affair deepened. It is, quite simply, the perfect architectural embodiment of love and everyone should write it down now on their Bucket List if it isn’t there already.

Moorea, French Polynesia
A thatched hut built on stilts over the warm waters of a turquoise lagoon, a tiny verandah over the natural aquarium around us, and steps that led us gently into the clear warm waters…heaven on earth…well, heaven on water really I guess – but heaven nonetheless!

Cambridge, UK
OK, so this is a very personal choice…it’s where my romantic fate was sealed, arm-in-arm together on the medieval Magdalene Bridge as the moon’s reflection rippled across the River Cam and the spires of King’s College Chapel were silhouetted in the distance…I placed a ring on the finger of my girlfriend that is still there over thirty years later

Le Château Frontenac
Our very own romantic hot spot: winter or summer, this castle-like hotel occupies an eminence in between The Citadel and Old Quebec in Quebec City and epitomizes the chic grandeur of our most beautiful Canadian city. This was where I took my wife for our first romantic weekend getaway when we arrived in Canada.

Tuscany, Italy
Romance spices the Tuscan air, infuses the Tuscan wines and hangs miasma-like in the early morning mists that often surround the hill-top villages; stay in a castle, a villa or a farmhouse and let the essence of Tuscany seep into your soul! We stayed in the Villa Pitiana, a converted Benedictine Monastery on a hilltop outside Florence with views that went on forever.

Frégate Island, Seychelles
A 20 minute flight from the main island of Mahé, itself an island speck in the Indian Ocean, this tiny island boasts a single luxury lodge, unique flora and fauna and perfect granite coves all to yourself. If you ome starry-eyed, beguiled and bewitched by the moment, the place and the person with me. I dare you to visit and not fall in love!