Vacation Planning III: I don’t know what I don’t know

This weekend I fly to Amsterdam for 9 fun filled days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Belgium. (And may I just say right now: WOO HOO!!!)

I’m usually a decent planner, and before I go on vacation, especially when I’m going someplace where I want to get the most out of my time on the ground, I go all out crafting a daily itinerary, broken out into “Morning” “Afternoon” and “Evening.”

This time around, my life has been so busy, I haven’t been able to do that. So, I don’t know what I don’t know. And what I don’t know about this trip is a lot.

What I mean to say… is that I’ve left plenty of open space in my planning (or lack of it.) Beyond knowing where I’ll lay my head at night, and what city I will be in, I have nothing that resembles “a plan.”

As a way to compensate for my lack of preparedness, I bought a notebook for this trip. Not that kind of notebook… the old fashioned kind: paper. In that notebook, I’ve jotted down the contact info of jazz and blues clubs in Amsterdam. Beyond that, I’ve written the names of two art galleries I want to see. Oh yeah, and the location of the Albert Cuyp market – which I don’t want to miss (thank you George!).

But, lists of restaurants, the place to get the canal tour, the train tickets, the street addresses of the major museums, the whatever else? Nope, no information.

I’ve also decided on a no laptop policy so I can be unplugged. My thinking is… whatever it is, it can wait until I get back. If I desperately need a computer, I’ll find an internet cafe. Or not.

What about my phone, right? Yes, I’ll have my phone with me, but considering roaming charges in Europe, I won’t be checking email too often.

One thing I need to get better at, in my life in general not just for my vacation, is knowing how to RELAX. How to unwind. How to not get spun up over one thing or another. Going on vacation should be an ideal time to practice that principle, with no time pressures to be somewhere, on a timeline, with a mapped out itinerary.

And without a laptop, I’ll emphasize being present in the moment, not connected to the inter-web, and connected instead to the inter-web of humanity I come in contact with on my journey. I want to hear the stories of people I meet, to sit in cafes and watch how people live. To dig the music, and experience the whole vibe Amsterdam has to offer.

I mean, hey, tourists have traveled to Amsterdam before me. Whatever I need to know will be available when I get there.

As for the rest of the stuff I don’t see or do because I didn’t know about it… I will be blissfully ignorant.

Vacation Planning II – the Netherlands and Belgium

Vacation planning can be fun, but sometimes frustrating. There is a lot of information, and when you know nothing about the place you are traveling to visit, lots of reading to ensure you are prepared.

When I travel, I like having a more personal experience so I try to use boutique hotels or bed and breakfast places. These kinds of lodgings tend to be much more personalized than a big “brand name” hotel. Large hotels have an anonymous, often sterile quality that I don’t prefer when I can stay in someone’s home whose whole occupation is hospitality and making sure you have a great time in your destination of choice.

I found out B&B’s in Amsterdam book up quickly. If I’d been better prepared (2 months advance notice) I’m sure I could have scored fantastic, reasonably priced B&B lodging in center city. However, since I only have about a month, I had to spend time figuring out which B&B’s were booked (most of them!) and which were still available. I found two lovely B&B’s close to Amsterdam’s “Central Station” and while I’m paying a bit more ($120+ euros /night), I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth it. (Both of these B&B’s are still less than the brand name, ‘anonymous’ hotels.)

Travel note: From what I can tell, all B&B’s in Amsterdam require all cash payment. I have not even seen one B&B that accepts credit cards.

Travel tip: When booking a B&B in Amsterdam, if you want a simple room for under $100 euros a night including breakfast, book well in advance! ($100 euros is $130 US dollars.)

Lonely Planet suggests: Hotel Brouwer, Sebastian’s, Chic and Basic Amsterdam or Hotel Residence Le Coin. All of these places were fully booked when I checked with them, a month in advance.

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OKAY… so, lodging for the Amsterdam part of my trip has been booked, and I’m satisfied I’ve found great places. You’ll know in a month in more detail about the places I stayed and how it went.

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Planning Phase Two: Here’s how it looks…

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Days 1, 2, 3: Amsterdam

Days 4, 5 6: Travel to multiple cities

Days 7, 8, 9: Return to Amsterdam (including a Saturday night!)

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After doing intensive research and investigation of all the places I could have gone, I’ve made decisions about the cities I will visit in my three days of wandering outside of Amsterdam.

Day 4 will be spent traveling about three and a half hours by train to get to Bruges, Belgium. Bruges is a medieval city that has maintained itself for centuries and looks gorgeous.

Day 5 a very short distance from Bruges, is Ghent, another small medieval city in Belgium. One of the cool things about Ghent is that it is home to SMAK, a large Contemporary Art Museum which is on my list of things to see.

Day 6 it will take me about two hours heading back towards Amsterdam to get to Delft, Netherlands which is also 10 minutes distance from The Hague so I will plan to see both Delft and the Hague on Day 6. Most importantly to me is the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague which houses Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring, as well as other important Vermeer and Rembrandt works.

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Lodging in all of these places was easy to find, and it’s less expensive than Amsterdam for nicer accomodation. I’ll be staying in some charming places overlooking canals and such while being in the center of the action. Again, I’ll share more about the places I go and how it went in future posts.

Thankfully, one nice Dutch young lady who booked my room in Delft advised me to purchase “Hispeed” (High Speed) rail tickets in advance to get from Amsterdam to other locations. This is a great idea, because I can purchase the tickets online, and I can just print out the ticket and bring it with me.

Okay, that’s it for now… I’m pleased I’m making progress.

When the Bug Bites

As I’ve mentioned on my blog over the past several months, I’ve been traveling a lot. I travel to the west coast frequently. One thing I’ve become wary of during my many trips are the sneezing, coughing and virally challenged multitudes I’m sharing my air with on the six hour plane ride from east to west coast and back again. Sometimes I wear a scarf around my neck so I can put it over my nose and mouth if someone particularly bubonic is sitting near me. Or small children, who are all bubonic, generally speaking.

But germs are microscopic. All that re-circulating air on the plane means even if Typhoid Manny is sitting ten rows away from me, his virulent strain of whatever could be wafting up my nose while I sit and unsuspectingly sip my Diet Cola beverage.

And this past Monday, on yet another plane ride from right to left, I felt a twinge of something sneaking into my lungs while I sat there, trapped in the center seat. I was sitting next to a guy whose left arm kept smacking into me as he rhymically played a video game for FOUR HOURS and a nice woman at the window seat reading from her electronic book.

By the time 48 hours had elapsed, I could feel “signs” increasing, body aches and a bit of a cough and some sneezing. I ran to the drugstore and stocked up on Zinc lozenges (known to boost the immune system and are supposed to shorten the length of a cold) and Echinacea, which is a cone flower plant extract from the Daisy family… also thought to reduce inflammation in the body and help boost the immune system.

But it was too late, I had already been infected. By Wednesday night I was really suffering. Yesterday I was so sick I could hardly get out of my hotel bed to go to the bathroom.

One thing I’ve learned to deal with (sort of) is getting sick on the road. It’s very unpleasant to not be in your own bed, but there are small advantages by having so many staff around to help you out when you’re down for the count. Just by poking my head into the hallway yesterday, the nice ladies who clean the rooms gave me an extra box of tissues. And when I ordered a bowl of soup from room service last night, the gentleman could see my state and said please call down later so I can bring you hot water for tea…

Needless to say, except for the gentleman who brought me my soup, I have not allowed anyone to enter the sick ward that is room 658. I’m holding my own at this point, and continuing to chomp zinc lozenges, Vitamin C, and chewable Echinacea tablets with the zeal of a homeopathic believer.

I’m pleased to report that while I am not better, I’m not as sick as I was yesterday. And since I’ll be in California this weekend and next week, I’m hopeful that by Sunday night this regimen will have served me well enough to get me back on my feet.

But while in my hospital… er, I mean hotel bed, I’m wondering if I should go online and buy surgical masks for the flight home?

NoLa Diary Lucky #13 – the Allure of Algiers Point

In order to get to historic Algiers Point from New Orleans, you’ll need to take the Algiers Ferry. You can catch the ferry across Canal street from Harrah’s Casino.

TRAVEL TIP: As you approach the ferry entrance, you will see homeless people sitting on the steps, most drunk. You can avoid this entrance by continuing on towards the Mississippi River, walk over the streetcar tracks for the French Market streetcar and to your right you’ll see a ramped walkway marked “handicapped entrance.” When you get to the top of the walkway, go to your left and up the stairs into the ferry terminal.

I believe the best photographs of St. Louis Cathedral are to be had from the Algiers Ferry. You cannot get the entire cathedral in your shot if you are standing in Jackson Square – the Algiers Ferry shot gives you the entire building, and it is a beautiful view.

St Louis Cathedral - as seen from Algiers Ferry

The best reasons to go to Algiers are the historic homes, plus the Holy Name of Mary Church is picture worthy. A quick stop at the Tout-Suite Cafe across from the church is a great place to have lunch or a snack before heading back to the ferry.

If you do go to the Tout-Suite and you see a distinguished older gentleman with white hair at the counter, it’s probably George. He’s a local and a regular. He’s so friendly and helpful, make a few minutes to chat with him. You can’t help but be charmed!

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SAFETY: Only go during the day. Don’t wave your expensive camera around or flash your i-Phone 4. Don’t walk around texting or talking on the phone. Pay attention to your surroundings.  Be alert and sensible, and have fun.

The first time I went to Algiers I was freaked out by the thuggish looking types I saw sizing up tourists on the ferry and hanging back in crowds watching everybody around them. I didn’t stray far from the ferry entrance and went back quickly. My second time, was a beautiful sunny day in the early afternoon, I felt relaxed, kind of knew my way around, and it was a much better experience.

I had no problems on either trip but for me, the second trip felt safer. Always trust your gut!

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An Algiers home adornment

Okay, so you’re probably wondering how charming the houses are… how about this one?

This Algiers home is picture postcard perfect!

So many of the houses I saw were like the one above – manicured landscape, well maintained and great looking paint to accentuate the architectural embellishments. You could pretend on some streets that you were in Bermuda, not New Orleans. I noticed tropical foliage seems more abundant on Algiers Point.

This Catholic church is pretty, you can practically see the spires of the church from the ferry.

Holy Name of Mary Church - Algiers Point

And if you want a place to stop and relax, I can think of no better spot than the Tout-Suite. This couple opted for the outdoor tables to drink their coffee, but the inside is just as charming.

Tout Suite Cafe - Algiers Point

I loved this old Gulf station too, which had a classic charm all its own. Check out those Spanish tiles on the roof of the gas station! And the slightly rusted orange Gulf sign is a piece of Americana.

Gulf Station - Algiers Point

Everywhere you look, people have decorated their homes so meticulously.

All dressed up - Algiers Point

And that is the allure of Algiers Point!

 

NoLa Diary #10 – the Muffuletta and the Mississippi

Just like the Hudson River is a character in the story of New York City, so the Mississippi River is a primary character in the story of the city of New Orleans. So what could be better than a picnic lunch right beside the mighty Mississippi? On a warm, sunny day like today, nothing could be better.

Today’s NoLa story starts in the French Quarter at 923 Decatur Street, where you can find Central Grocery Co. When people talk about Central Grocery, they get religious, frankly. Central Grocery is the indisputable home of the original Muffuletta sandwich. This sandwich is so famous it has it’s own vocabulary. You can get a full Muff, a half-Muff, and to complete your rite, the pilgrims drink Barq’s Root Beer.

Central Grocery Co. - home of the Muffaletta

There are two doors in the front of Central Grocery. One for people coming in – aka THE LINE – and the other one for people leaving. So I got on line (thankfully only about 10 people in front of me, at 11:30am on a Wednesday) and bought my half-Muff for $7.50, a bottle of Boylan’s Creme, and some Zapp’s Sweet Potato chips to round out my culinary experience.

Considering the size of the thing, a half-Muff is a full sized sandwich under ‘normal’ circumstances (not NoLa though, where portions run huge.) $7.50 is a completely reasonable price. It’s got a bunch of deli meats like salami, mortadella, plus provolone and their original olive spread on an Italian roll. They cut the thing in half (which they call quarters, haha), and wrap it in Central Grocery Co. printed paper.

The inside of Central Grocery looks it's full 100 plus years old

So I got my sandwich and made my way to the Waterfront Park, which is just on the other side of the French Market, across the Streetcar tracks and runs alongside the Mississippi River. Every few 100 feet there are benches to sit on flanked by garbage cans (conveniently) and street lamps.

I sat down on a park bench and immediately noticed this is NOT the Hudson River kids.  If the Hudson is the shy boy who sits in the back of the class, the Mississippi is the dish throwing girlfriend who beans you on the head with her beer mug on a bad day. This girl ain’t no lady.

I watched the turbulent muddy waters of the Mississippi whirling in vortices in the center of the river and thought uh, I wouldn’t want to captain a ship in those waters. The Mississippi looks dangerous, which makes sense because New Orleans looks dangerous too (and is, some of the time.)

One of the many working tugboats on the Mississippi

Watching boats on the Mississippi is like watching a wrestling match. You’ve got freighters and tug boats and ferries and paddle-wheel cruisers for tourists all jockeying for position in the center-most parts of the river where, I’m guessing, it’s more navigable.

Does this boat look big? I can tell you it IS, and on the river it's like a floating toothpick.

It’s quite a show to watch these big boys turning with the bends in the river and the water dashing against the rocks which line the sides of the river (I was sitting at the top of the “embankment” where the park is located.)

Great view of the candy apple red paddle wheel of the Creole Queen chugging down the Mississippi

And as I finished one quarter of my half-Muff washed down with my Boylans, I declared myself full, even though I had purposefully eaten no breakfast today.

Muffuletta consists of

 

I packed the other quarter (haha) into my rucksack and made my way down off the embankment and disappeared into the crowds in the French Quarter.

 

This big boy rounds the bend in the Mississippi and heads toward the bridge

Nola Diary #7 – A NoLa Secret – Old U.S. Mint free Jazz concerts

Would you like to know about a well kept secret spot on the edge of the French Quarter? Well, I found one: the Old U.S. Mint building near the French Quarter Flea Market is holding regular jazz concerts for free in their new beautiful state of the art performance space on the 3rd floor.

This building’s upkeep is sponsored by the state of Louisiana in conjunction with the National Park Service. Yes, you read that right – the building is a part of our national treasures in the U.S. National Park system. The park is called the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, and it might just be the only national park in the country dedicated to a uniquely American musical art form – and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have stumbled upon it.

Today I saw a one hour jazz piano presentation along with a ragtime and jazz history talk by Steve Pistorius which was a lot of fun. They have other concerts planned with Jim Hession, Phillip Manuel and the park rangers themselves who also play jazz. You can pick up a schedule of performances either at the U.S. Mint building, or at the Jean Lafitte National Park location at 419 Decatur Street.

 

Steve Pistorious tells us about Ragtime beside the new Baby Grand piano in the beautiful perfomance space on the 3rd floor

 

NoLa Diary #4 – Ogden Museum & Contemporary Art Center

Originally I thought the Ogden Museum of Southern Art , located on Camp Street, was free to visitors on Thursdays but I was mistaken. The Ogden is free to any resident of the state of Louisiana on Thursdays, but not a Yankee like me. I was also informed by the helpful desk clerk that the Ogden After Hours program (Thursday evenings between 6-8pm) requires a second admission fee 0f $10.

Travel Tip: However, despite the rain today, there was a silver lining. The Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans  - which is directly across the street from the Ogden was offering a one day $10 “Prospect Pass” which included admission to both the CAC and the Ogden, as well as numerous galleries across the city as part of a group “Prospect” show.

I wish the CAC allowed photography inside their NOLA Today show on the 3rd floor, but alas they did not. The show was well curated and there was a lot of narrative work about New Orleans and artist’s interpretations of life in NoLa now. Of course, references to the flood were plentiful, and the art it inspired was moving. I recommend it highly, and NOLA Today will be on display until the end of January 2012.

Lovely mural on the side of the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans, Camp St

Once I took in everything the CAC had to offer today, I went back across the street to the Ogden and I’m so glad I did.

The red and white building on the right is the Ogden and the really old building on the left is a Civil War Museum which I didn’t visit

The one reason I wanted to go to the Ogden was to see native New Orleans artists work and I’m happy to report the work of George Dureau, a well known NoLa French Quarter artist, was worth the visit alone.

Entrance piece (a self portrait by the artist) to the George Dureau exhibition at Ogden

I loved Dureau’s use of color and abstract figuration and I enjoyed the fact that he appears in nearly all of his own work as a model, which is intriguing and I think unusual.

Dureau self portrait red background

Other than the amazing Dureau exhibit, I was really astounded by the work of New Orleans photographer Josephine Sacabo. Her surrealistic negative images of women’s faces are hauntingly beautiful and inspiring. Her work (according to the biography on her website) is in MoMA in NY, the New Orleans Museum of Art – NOMA, the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress collections, just to name a few.

Sacabo piece on display at Ogden

To say the work I saw today was “crazy good” is not an understatement. I was excited by these more contemporary works, even though I thoroughly enjoyed NOMA and the sculpture gardens yesterday. Today I felt like I was putting fuel in my creative furnace as I continue to soak in what the city has to offer.

Another strong Sacabo piece at Ogden – woman with smoke

Although I’ve focused most of my diary entries on museums and art galleries almost exclusively for the first few days of my visit here, I think anyone can easily see why it’s so easy to get pulled in by the artistic heartbeat of New Orleans. The city is so old and has such a strong character, it makes sense to me that so many artists would call this place home.

NoLa Diary #3 – NOMA and adjoining Sculpture Garden

The New Orleans Museum of Art is celebrating a big birthday this week. NOMA turns 100 years old, and this Friday and Saturday (12/16 & 12/17/2011) the museum is planning a bash and is allowing all visitors in for free on both days.

New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)

Travel Tip: To visit NOMA, just hop on the City Park streetcar on Canal Street (the edge of the French Quarter) and take it to the end. The streetcar trip can take 20-25 minutes so allow plenty of time to get there and back. Cross the street and enter City Park, NOMA is the first building you’ll see.

NOMA celebrates 100 years

Being from New York City, I’m incredibly spoiled when it comes to museums. MoMA, the Metropolitan, the Museum of Natural History are all towering examples of insanely well curated collections so when I travel I love to see what local curators do with their (usually) smaller spaces and budgets.

NOMA does not disappoint, and frankly, they have a wonderfully eclectic mix of art from different time periods and different cultures. The museum is 3 floors and with the exception of a traveling Fabrege exhibition, all of the galleries permitted the use of photography (without flash, of course.) Boy am I glad they allowed photography, I was snap happy today and took over 100 shots of the artworks and sculpture gardens. Some of my shots, sadly, are blurry or show reflections from glass but they give you a flavor of the incredible artworks.

John Biggers – Blessing the People – Detail

Their Contemporary gallery entrance was graced by this wonderful Frank Stella painting. In addition to Stella, they have pieces by Lee Krasner, Richard Serra, Miro, Jean DuBuffet, Dale Chihuly and many others. In an adjoining gallery, they have one piece by Picasso as well.

Work by Frank Stella

Of course, if you are into Native American pottery you would absolutely go crazy over this Hopi pot made by Nampeyo (they had several unbelievable examples of Nampeyo pots in perfect condition displayed as part of their collection, I could hardly believe they had so many).

Nampeyo Hopi pot – NOMA (This is the real deal – a Nampeyo pot is incredibly rare, NOMA has a whole collection of them!)

And of course, if you are going to NOMA you would be crazy to leave city park before taking a stroll through the particularly lovely sculpture garden behind the museum building. The sculpture garden is always free, while NOMA offers free admissions only on Wednesday (this week’s 100 year birthday celebration is the exception.)

This beautiful sculpture of a head by the (very well known French sculptor) Rodin is one of the newest pieces to be added to the garden, but the sculpture garden has over 70 truly fantastic examples of work spanning the classical, modern and post-modern genres.

NOMA’s new sculpture “bauble” – a bust by Rodin

If you get overwhelmed by all that art, you may need to just relax and look at the scenery. The grounds are immaculately kept and graced by beautiful bridges and artful landscaping, like what you see below.

50 Free Things to do in New Orleans

St Charles Streetcar heading back from Uptown towards the French Quarter

CLICK HERE for my New Orleans photos: http://cdeminski.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/new-orleans-photo-page-now-up/

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CLICK HERE for my guide to budget conscious dining in New Orleans, and a link to an online NoLa restaurant guide: http://cdeminski.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/a-word-about-what-ive-eaten-in-new-orleans/

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There is a great New Orleans site (www.neworleansonline.com) which has a ton of information about NoLa in terms of getting around, restaurants and FREE things to do while in the city.

I really enjoyed reading this list: 50 Free Things to do in New Orleans because I’ll have such a wealth of time on my hands while I’m in the city, so a little planning will go a long way.

For example, did you know there is a free ferry ride you can take to Algiers Point so you can get great photos of the NoLa skyline? The Canal Street Ferry is free for pedestrians, and it’s certainly now on my list of things to do when I’m there.

Another very important item on my list is the New Orleans Museum of Art  - and it’s free on Wednesdays! And what’s more wonderful is the museum is located in City Park, which also houses the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and you guessed it – it’s also free.

Now, I’m sure I’ll be doing things in New Orleans that aren’t free too, but everything from taking in art galleries, to exploring the local parks, historical sites and neighborhoods are and it could take an interested traveler more than a few weeks to explore all these wonderful possibilities!

PLEASE share your favorite things to do in New Orleans below – especially things that are unusual and a bit more off the beaten path!

Photos: Memories of Grand Tetons National Park

The majestic Grand Tetons

If you’re ever in Jackson Hole Wyoming, I highly recommend a visit to Grand Tetons National Park.

So what I’m actually saying is, if you are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park, you should plan to take a full day out of your schedule and see the Grand Tetons. The Tetons abutt Yellowstone, and their jagged cliffs tower over the valley floor. Also, wildlife viewing in the Tetons is as good as Yellowstone too. There are plenty of elk, wolves, bear, moose, deer and other large game.

Miss Moose has a snack

For example, I caught a picture of this moose who wandered up to the edge of a field right next to Jackson Lake Lodge, where I was staying when I visited the area. She calmly walked around to find the tastiest green shoots to eat as a group of us gleefully snapped tons of pictures of her.

Herd of Elk

 

 

Photos: Monte Alban and Children by a Church Door, Oaxaca Mexico

 

I went to Mexico back in September, and I posted a few blog items about it (the pyramid in Cholula, traveler safety in Puebla and Oaxaca, etc.) but I didn’t focus much on Monte Alban.

 

I took this picture from atop another pyramid structure, across from these other ruins at the Monte Alban site in Oaxaca. We had a magnificent day weather-wise, as you can see from the mountains in the background. Monte Alban is a very special place, and a Unesco World Heritage site.

 

If you go to my Shutterfly site, I have a page dedicated to the truly incredible stuff I saw while I was in Oaxaca. http://cdeminskiphotos.shutterfly.com/oaxaca

 

Towards the bottom, on the right hand side of my shutterfly page, I have 18 photographs in a scrolling slide show with images of Monte Alban, including some artifacts found in the tombs there that are now on display in the Santo Domingo museum in the city of Oaxaca. One of the most impressive artifacts from Tomb 7, which was the largest cache of items found in any single tomb on the site, was a turquoise encrusted skull (also in the slide show).

 

But no matter how many ancient relics I see, it’s always the people that really make the whole experience come alive.

 

Candid comments on traveler safety in Puebla and Oaxaca Mexico

When I told friends that I was going to Mexico on vacation, most of them said Oh No! or It’s too dangerous for Americans! or The US State Department has warnings about travel to Mexico!

Everyone I spoke to also thought I was completely nuts for travelling alone. Solo. By myself. Me, myself and I.

But let it be said: I am a New Yorker. If you live or work in New York City, you’ve experienced the highs and lows of what human beings have to offer. Most NYers have street sense – and I’d like to think I have some.

So.

I spent 8 days in Puebla and Oaxaca Mexico by myself, with a minimal knowledge of Spanish. A woman all alone in the great big country of Mexico. And guess what happened to me? Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Not only did I meet nice and helpful people, I wandered around churches and parks, flea markets and mercados, the zocalos at night, restaurants, and shops. I took taxi’s to small villages – BY MYSELF.

I went to the huge Pueblan bus station, asked for a ticket in Spanish, found the right gate, and took a 4 and a half hour bus ride to Oaxaca BY MYSELF. (The ADO GL bus is phenomenal, extremely comfortable, has 2 bathrooms – one for men, one for women – and offers movies and a beverage service, for the not-so-back-breaking price of about $35 bucks USD).

I spoke to people on the street, asked directions in the worst imaginable broken Spanish, and ate what the locals eat in the places where the locals eat. I took out my camera whenever I fancied, and took candid shots of people everywhere. I used cash everywhere I went.

Never, EVER did I feel in danger.

Not even when I went to the huge, somewhat dark and close-quartered mercado in the city of Oaxaca – when the staff of my hotel told me not to go because they thought it was not safe for tourists! I walked through the mercado, bought a cookie and a glass of juice, smiled at some of the old ladies selling fried crickets, and walked around at ease.

The only precaution I took while in Mexico was that I did not drink the local water. I drank only bottled water,  used it to brush my teeth, and all of the drinks I ordered were without ice. But, I ate soup at least a half dozen times, I ate green salads (to the horror of some who warned me not to), and I ate street food. I ate candy bars made of pepitas and honey. I never got sick. I never had a stomach ache. I never had any digestive trouble of any kind.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that every place in Mexico is safe. I imagine it’s not. Everyone talks about “the trouble near the border”. It’s as if someone from New York would feel badly if they heard there were riots in Chicago. We wouldn’t like to hear that, we wouldn’t want it to happen, but it wouldn’t be something that would affect us directly while walking down the streets in New York. So it is in Puebla and Oaxaca, it is not touched by the troubles at the border.

So if you have a sense of adventure…if you want to experience the richness of Mexican culture, cuisine, and heritage, then plan a trip to Puebla or Oaxaca and leave your fears at home.

Also – a smile is free, needs no translation and is always well received!