Category Archives: Travel

An Enlightened Traveler

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I was telling my boyfriend during lunch today how I’d love to do some kind of a climbing trip in Yosemite.  When I looked up at him for a response he had a confused expression on his face.  He began telling me about an email he received from a reputable travel site and how it was a listing for an overpriced hotel in New Jersey.

“It was like $300 a night for a bed out in the middle of the forest and like a toilet roll next to a tree.  I don’t’ understand who would pay that much money, I mean I could just put our bed outside and it’d be the same thing,” he said.

“What do you mean? Like no toilet or running water?” I asked with so much awe and enthusiasm.

“No, they had a water bottle and some mosquito repellent, but they had a picture of a big grizzly bear so it can’t be safe, right?” he said.

I paused, realized something, then looked at him in the eyes while he looked back at me for an answer.

“When did you receive this email?”  I said, wishing he wouldn’t answer my question.

He looked at me, thought about it, then started cracking up laughing in the restaurant until his face was bright red and tears were flowing out of his eyes.  Then somewhere between his laughing and gasping for air he screamed, ”I can’t believe they got me!  What a great April Fool’s joke!”

Thank you Jetsetter for proving to me that I’m not the only ditz in this relationship.

Naka Island: A True Getaway in Phuket

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When our speedboat arrived at the dock of Naka Island that morning, they greeted us in Thai with their palms pressed flat together at their chest, heads bowed, and the friendliest smiles on their face. “Sodi-kaaaa!”  They were picking us up on golf carts and one of them had just backed into a fire extinguisher that hung on one of the pillars of the dock.  The female driver squealed as the others rambled something to her in native language.

 

We made our first stop at the “entrance of the island” where a large Thai gong hung.  Each guest was to hit the gong twice then make a wish, a Thai tradition performed upon arrival and departure of the island.  For the new year of 2012, I secretly wished for an engagement ring and a puppy.

At the entrance of the resort stood a gold deity, known as Lord Brahma, with four faces and eight hands to ward off evil spirits.  He is the god of creation, mercy and benevolence.  The locals had already draped their deity with offerings.

The 67 villas of the Naka Resort reflected the island’s natural beauty with simple and organic décor.  In our villa, a soft white canopy bed overlooked our private infinity pool, which overlooked the beach below.  The engraved stone with open eyes and closed eyes was our “Do Not Disturb Sign”. What a sanctuary.

Behind the enclosed bedroom was an outdoor bath area including the closet, bathtub, shower, a separate steam room, lots of geckos, snails, and something that sounded like a laughing hyena.

At night the maid would light incense and candles in the bathroom to keep the mosquitoes away.  Lemongrass spray bottles were readily available throughout the resort for guests to use freely day and night.  By the end of our stay in Thailand, we never wanted to eat or smell lemongrass again.

That afternoon we talked about Argentina and how South America is one of our dream destinations.  It’s funny how no matter where we are, we are always dreaming about the other side of the world once more.

When the sun was setting we hid from the mosquitoes in our villa and listened to the cicadas sing.  In the days to come, I found myself listening to them in the morning, around noon, and sunset.  That night after they stopped singing, a light breeze filled the air and kept the hungry mosquitoes away, allowing us to be invited out into the warm night.

As the sun rose the next morning and the cicadas had sung their song, I went outside and connected with myself and my surroundings during my yoga practice.  After breakfast, we decided to explore the local fishing village that shared the cozy private island with us.  The other guests were enjoying their private villas or the resort pool.

We knew we were officially out of the resort when the bike path turned into a rugged dirt path with puddles and large rocks.  The locals lived in these humble bungalows and watched us with friendly eyes. They sold food amongst each other and hung sheets of rubber on a line like laundry.  We saw a man harvesting rubber from the rows and rows of tall rubber trees that shaded our path.  Lots of cats, chickens, and roosters roamed freely around the village.

We rode our bikes out onto the dock where the shallow water revealed hundreds of sea cucumbers.  These little sea creatures are used as medicine and known to be an aphrodisiac.

Back at the resort, we spoiled ourselves with an amazing spa treatment where we were given a jasmine body scrub outside and our massage inside.  The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was how the masseuse had no problem taking my towel off of me under broad daylight.

 

 

For the rest of the day we enjoyed the pool, the drinks, and peacefulness of the resort.   That night the main restaurant had live Thai entertainment.  At the end of dinner we made a wish and lit our floating lotus to welcome the coming year.

 

We left Naka Island feeling refreshed, peaceful, and wanting nothing more than to stay one more night or at least take the bed back with us.

A Multi-Purpose Organic Oil

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I had to try Dr. Alkaitis Organic Nourishing Treatment Oil when I heard it could be used for our face, body, hair, scalp and nails!

I received this multi-purpose oil in a sleek, discreet, and almost masculine little pump bottle. When I applied this nourishing oil to my face, I felt like I walked into the vitamin section of a health food store. It has an herbal and slightly soapy scent that will linger for about an hour.  It’s definitely not something I’d wear as fragrance.

Photo Credit Alkaitis

For my face, I use 3-4 pumps as an intense moisturizing treatment at night and don’t wake up with breakouts.  If I’m craving for extra moisture in the morning, I mix one pump with a creamy moisturizer for both face and neck.  The organic ingredients stimulates circulation, improves skin’s elasticity, and protects against environmental damage.  

If I used this on my body everyday, I’d go through the entire bottle in less than a week as my skin absorbs this oil so quickly that I don’t even need to rub it in.  As for my hair and nails, I feel that it’s better to apply it at night since it’s oily and heavy.

Dr. Alkaitis Organic Nourishing Treatment Oil can be purchased at http://www.saffronrouge.com where they offer free samples, sale items, and free shipping when you spend $100.

In the end, this healing and therapeutic oil makes a wonderful primer, soothing moisturizer, and a convenient travel companion for our overstuffed bag of toiletries!

My Croissant in Paris

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While we were trying out our bikes with a group of other tourists, Paris was slowly waking up.  I noticed that the Parisian women hardly wore any make up and men wore faded jeans and t-shirts.  What ever happened to fashion capital of the world?

Our guide told us the tour would be very easy as Paris is flat.  He told us to just watch out for curb sides, pedestrians, and to remember which bike is ours as each had it’s own name.  I quickly looked down at my lightweight little bike and saw the white letters spell “Croissant”, perfectly named after my Paris diet.

 

 

Lash Extensions for Travels

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Photo Credit Ladyzona

When you’re traveling you want to spend the least amount of time getting ready because you want to spend more time enjoying your new surroundings.  I’ve noticed that getting lash extensions for vacations is the perfect time to do it.  Especially if you’re going to a humid or beach destination and don’t want to deal with waterproof or smearing mascara.  If you don’t want to commit to lash extensions, find a place which offers temporary lash extensions which are less expensive, takes half the time and lasts about 3-4 days.

Procedure for Lash Extensions

It costs about $120 and takes about an hour and a half  to glue each lash onto yours.  Here is how the process works:

  • Explain to them what you’re looking for.  For me, I tried a natural look with “C” curl so my lashes aren’t as straight.  It looked great. Some people ask for dramatic lengths, which looks really glamorous.
  • Lay down and close your eyes during the entire process, take a nap or chat away.
  • They apply stickers on your lower lash line to hold it away from your upper lashes. Some places may use stickers on each eyelid to slightly lift the lids up and away.
  • They glue each lash onto the length of your lashes but not all of your lashes.
  • When they’re done open your eyes and admire yourself in the mirror!

Maintenance

Right after the extensions are put on you have to avoid water, shower, suana, swimming, etc. for about 24 hours.  Avoid oily products and keep them dry as much as possible! You can wear mascara on your lower lashes.

Go back for a touch up every 2-3 weeks for about $50.  For touch ups, they don’t take the old ones off, they just add more because the old ones fall out when your lashes naturally shed.

Two Week Update

It definitely takes more work AM and PM when I wash my face.  However, I love that I don’t have to wear mascara and carry around a bulky lash curler everyday.