Tag Archive for Travel

Vacation Dream List

December 9, 2011 anitabot 3 comments

I love travelling. In recent years I’ve been able to do more of it.  One of my more masochistic hobbies is putting together dream trips. I also love hearing about other people’s travel adventures. Sometimes though, I hear of a place and think oh, that’s neat but not for me, it’s not “my top 10″.  Y’know, those places that are super high on your list and if money and time were no object you’d go there before anywhere else? I realized I have a few of those places but I’ve never actually MADE the list. And one thing I love almost as much as I love planning fake vacations is making lists.

So I give you, my top 23 travel dreams. You’ll notice some trends: cold, animals, food.

  1. Galapagos Islands – This has always been my #1 destination ever since I heard of it. I love animals and wildlife so this seems like the mecca of nature tourism.  The history of Darwin and everything is a big appeal.
  2.  Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear trek – I once watched a documentary featuring Ewan McGregor (swoon) on a Tundry Buggy tour. Sold! I’m somewhat keen on the colder places of this earth, and polar bears are one of my favourite animals. [Note: BlogTO is running a contest to meet a Polar Bear Expert (http://www.blogto.com/contests/2011/12/contest_meet_polar_bear_expert_dr_ian_stirling/) and to enter I must state why I think *I* deserve to go! I think the fact that a trip to see polar bears in their natural environment is #2 on my dream vacation list speaks volumes! I love and am fascinated by them! I hope I win!]
  3.  Alaska(n Cruise) – Again with the cold. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a cruise, but I do want to see the glaciers and so this seems the easiest way to do it. I’m tentatively planning this trip in May 2012 with my family. Hopefully it happens
  4.  Maldives – This is not cold, but a beautiful tropical island. This is a more recent destination of desire for me. It’s not too far of the coast of India and I will be going back there – so I’m hoping next time I go (Winter 2012?) I can make the quick flight over for a weekend.
  5.  Patagonia/Antarctica – Back with the cold! I’m just fascinated with the polar regions and the mountains and… everything. I need to improve my athletic level before I venture down here.  I also like stories of Shackleton and other explorers, so I feel the history is rich, if only in layers of ice.
  6. Banff – Beautiful! I like mountains and blue waters! Who doesn’t?
  7.  Switzerland – I know a few people who have been here recently and rave about it. Everything I’ve heard and seen seems to be wonderful. Also the chocolate.
  8.  England – I can’t explain what exactly it is about England I want to see, other than it’s old.  The historical significance is huge and I would love to see it in person. I want to see London, because I love big cities, and I want to see the country side because it looks so charming.
  9.  California (San Diego, San Fran, a bunch of stuff inbetween). Again – it looks wonderfully beautiful.
  10.  Rome – Ruins! Ever since I saw the Taj Mahal, my mind was blown by wonders of the world and would like to see a lot of them. Again, the history thing.
  11.  New England – HISTORY! I’m fascinated with the American Revolutionary war and Civil war – so I want to see New England for that reason. I took a lot of history classes in high school and loved reading about the revolution itself, Thomas Payne, The Boston Tea Party etc etc.
  12.  Savanah, Georgia – See above re: civil war. I’ve seen photos and it looks gorgeous. I’d like to see old plantations and slave houses… this part of American history is so important and fascinating.
  13.  Germany – Land of chocolate.
  14.  Back to Singapore – I went here when i was 19 and fell in love with the place.  At the time I felt like I could definitely see myself living there for a few years. I’m sure I still could. It’s beautiful, and neat. and close to the south pacific.
  15.  Lake Tahoe – google pictures of this. It’s like Canada’s Banff.
  16.  New Orleans – I read Interview with the Vampire when I was 14 and was hooked. The little proto-goth in my fell in love with New Orleans. It’s fallen down my list of places I’d like to visit, but it’s still got a strong pull. If only for little 14 year old Anita.
  17.  Tofino – I’ve been to Victoria and my gracious host took us to French Beach. It was amazing, so I’d love to see more of Vancouver island, and I’ve heard this is one of the best spots.
  18.  Argentina – I would like to have a proper, grass-fed steak in Argentina. I’ve heard the food & wine are top notch.
  19.  France – I feel like it’s mandatory to see Paris. I also love chocolates, pastries and baking, so another culinary must.
  20.  French Polynesia – Bora Bora. C’mon. Ocean Stilts.
  21.  Hawaii – Any island is automatically awesome, and I really don’t need to explain why I want to go to Hawaii.
  22.  Mexico – Day of the dead. I’d love to go experience a Day of the Dead parade and related festivities for reals.
  23.  Japan.  Again with the island – Also the food here. I like Japanese food. I also have seen pictures from friends voyages and the amount of ridiculous things (like a bus that’s been made to look like a dog) beg to be witnessed.
This list is going to change as I remember things, or hear about other people’s vacations, but that’s the fun part! I’d love to hear your comments and AT LEAST your top 5 travel destinations. While the rest of my list will surely change I can assure the top 5 is absolute.
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We went to the land of the ice and snow

May 12, 2011 anitabot No comments
Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon

“We come from the land of the ice and snow
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow”

-Led Zeppelin, from The Immigrant Song

I realize now this song must be about Iceland.  We did not however, experience the midnight sun – that doesn’t happen until June or July. Being there in the end of April, we also missed our chances to see northern lights. It was a big bummer to be between those two natural wonders but there were plenty others.

After taking a red-eye flight, checking in and eating breakfast buffet in our swank hotel and crashed for an entire day.  Even though it was 2 days after the wedding, the collective exhaustion caught up with us.

We stayed at a hotel downtown called Centerhotel Thingholt. It had leather tiles and cowhide chairs… yes. LEATHER. TILES. (They actually felt nice on the feet).

We spent most of our time exploring downtown Reykjavik (Cute!) napping (necessary) and doing a few day tours. We went whale watching, or as I like to call it “try not to puke on the ocean see-saw for 2.5 hours” (I won that game, but barely).

Here are some random thoughts on Iceland:

  • Where does everyone go after 5pm in Reykjavik?
  • Food is very expensive.
  • Whale watching would have been better in the summer when the humpback whales return; Minke whales don’t travel in groups.
  • Iceland still whales… the whale watching staff did not like this either
  • The hotdogs were touted as being the best – but I still like Toronto Street Meat. (Though they were good).
  • Viking stuff is kinda neat. I bought a viking-helmet type toque.
  • Icelandic wool is itchy!
  • Lot’s of Hamburgers. Fish and Chips were delish!
  • The geysirs, waterfalls and Blue Lagoon were absolutely amazing and totally worth the trip.
  • Icelanders are friendly and speak English – it’s very easy to be a tourist in Iceland.
  • 17 hours of daylight is trippy; I cannot imagine 23!

Here are some select pictures

 

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I wanna go to New York City cuz they tell me it’s the place to be

November 1, 2010 anitabot 4 comments

New York City has always been in my top places to visit. I’ve technically been there before; when I was about 1-2 years old my family made the trip. I of course remember nothing of this and so it’s like I’ve never been. The fact that I live in Toronto makes it even sillier that I’ve never been. I’ve been to Singapore. I’ve been to Vancouver. I’ve been to Chicago and Philadelphia… but somehow I never made the trip to NYC!

But finally I am going! This November I will be turning the big 3-0 and will be going to NYC that weekend. I’m so excited to fly Porter Airlines (I’m close to the island airport), and to be staying in mid-town Manhattan. I’ve accumulated a list of ‘must-see’ things from talking to friends and researching on the internet. I’m pretty good to go, but I obviously need one more thing to help me get there:

The NYC Playlist. This is crucial, a city as wonderful and large and old as NYC has probably a million songs written about it. I’m obviously going to start with Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York”, but I need to fill at least a 2.5 hour plane ride.

There was one song that I’ve had in my head for about the last 10 years whenever NYC was mentioned – but all I knew was the chorus, and when I tried googling that, I could never find it. but I finally did. The Song is New York City by the Demics, a 70′s Canadian Punk Band

This song is so wonderful! Any other suggestions for songs on the play list are welcome. I’m so excited I may just yell “No Sleep ’til Brooklyn” for the entire plane ride. That works too.

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