New Orleans is famous for All That Jazz! It’s the birth place of Jazz after all.
We had a wonderful time roaming the vintage streetsof the French quarter, window shopping in the boutiques of Magazine Street
and dancing away to the wonderful music in the jazz bars!!
I recommend staying in the French Quarter to get the old fashioned and famous vibe of Nawlins!
Now I’m not sure this is the norm in the USA, but we certainly found we had bad luck on this trip with getting Taxis.
In New Orleans the taxis are actually very hard to identify. Soe are big yellow and black checkered things, some look like cop cars and others are large SUV’s which you can’t believe would be a cab.
French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
We found the best bet was to get the cabs booked by the hotel or to get the numbers of them and call them when you’re out. Trying to hale one off the street proved difficult. One night we looked out for one and ended up walking home 40 mins as we just couldn’t find one. Another day we did a similar thing where we kept our eyes open and walked to an area where they should be but failed miserably. Our first experience if actually getting a cab – we had a Horror incident where our cab driver got into a fight with two guys we’d met on the street. Perhaps walking is safer?
In Austin, Texas we tried to hale cabs to save ourselves walking home a couple nights but they just didn’t seem to want our business or we weren’t doing it In the right place? We found it hard identifying if they were free or not, they always seemed to be taken or on their own agenda.
Streets of Austin, Texas
Last but not least, I’d ordered a cab for the last morning at 5am in Austin to get to the Airport. I had done this with the counter at my Motel. They never showed. Fortunately my new friend Chris had offered to drive me so I no longer needed the cab- lucky or I’d have been late.
So, Taxis in the USA. Tricky. My recommendation would be to read up about the city before you get there and identify a few taxi companies. When you arrive, speak to your hotel about the best way to approach them.
Bill Hunter – Magician also knows as Magic 500 or the Indy 500 magician.http://www.youtube.com/user/MagicB500 see more here. And his websitehttp://magic500.wordpress.com/
Here he works with Slither the snake to find my card.
Bill has a website, known as Magic 500: http://magic500.wordpress.com/
A Facebook page: Bill Hunter Magic 500
He also has some videos on Youtube including: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LRmum_xIDU
For me, although fun, Cancun is not the place I want to spend my time in Mexico. It’s a party place and great fun, but I’m not going to spend loads of time there. So for us it was 1 night in a cheap hostal and then off to the bus station in the morning.
Cabanas in Tulum
Wr didn’t make any prior reservations as there are lots of minivans as well as the main bus company, ADO, operating between Cancun, Playa del Carmen and onto Tulum.
I thought we would have to take two separate buses as I was under the impression there were no direct buses to Tulum from Cancun. I was pleasantly surprised. The bus stops in Playa Del Carmen but there is no need to buy two separate bus tickets or wait at all. The bus was 74 pesos ($8 US) one way to Tulum on an air conditioned bus.
Tulum
If you do wish to go to Playa Del Carmen, it’s easy as buying the ticket for there and hopping off at the very central bus station and heading to one of the hotels close to the 5th avenue, the main plaza and street of Playa.
For Tulum, if you wish to head to the beach. Simply walk straight out of the bus station, ask a cab driver for cabanas or hotels near the pyramids. We’re staying at Mariachis Restaurant Caanas, or Pescados. They are the most economical and natural with very basic structure but incredible views. The cost is approx 350 pesos ( $29 US ) per night. A cab to the beach or pyramids will cost you 50 pesos. Very easy!
chichenitza
Enjoy Quintanoo Roo, in my opinion one of the most beautiful areas of Mexico.
Intoducing Mr Bill Hunter. My Grandma’s cousin, making him my first cousin twice removed. He always likes to joke he wishes I would be removed further, but we areactually extremely close considering oour 64 yr age gap.
Cuzzie Bill and I
Bill is 89 years old and a well known Magician in the USA. He’s been practicing magic since WWII where he learnt from a well known Boxer, Steve Belloise, when they were in hospital together in Sydney Australia. He since that time kept up the skill and later turned it into a profession.
A stroke of luck, or a sprinkle of magic, got him in to the Indy 500 crowd where he has now performed magic in the suites for drivers and their famous friends for more than 43 years.
Bill has a website, known as Magic 500: http://magic500.wordpress.com/
A Facebook page: Bill Hunter Magic 500
He also has some videos on Youtube including: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LRmum_xIDU
I do hope you get the pleasure of enjoying his magic vicariously through these photos and videos, however in person is always much better. I’m blessed to call this delightful and truly magical man Family.
Bill Magic 500 Hunter – magician for over 72 years. Visit his website:http://magic500.wordpress.com/
I know it’s a little early, but we’re getting into the Christmas spirit. The Melbourne My Christmas store is now open and the team are off to the USA to make sure Aussies have the best Christmas Decorations and festive things to choose from.
My Christmas is going one step – or several thousand steps – further than usual to gather the latest in the best and most stylish Christmas decorating from the USA on the Ultimate Christmas Shop Road Trip.
The My Christmas jetsetters will depart on 11 October for the Ultimate Christmas Shop Road Trip. Visiting more than 10 Christmas shops in eight USA states, they have only one thing on their mind – sharing the latest Christmas trends, products and decorating ideas with their clients.
Owner Nicole Keleher will report all the finds daily via photos and videos on the My Christmas blog, Facebook and Pinterest.
“I want all of our clients to feel like they are on the trip with us. We will be sharing daily reports, photos and videos with all the decorating tips we find and encourage everyone to share their thoughts on our discoveries,” Nicole explained.
“We will be driving more than 2000km on the eight-day Ultimate Christmas Shop Road Trip, meeting with store owners and some of the top US Christmas decoration designers along the way,” she said.
My Christmas regularly visits the US trade fairs and the German Christmas World Fair to source unique stock, but wanted to go one step further with the road trip to ensure they tapped into the very best in Christmas decorative solutions.
“North America is famous for its Christmas decorating and we have chosen businesses who share our love of stylish Christmas decorating.”
“We can’t wait to share our treasures from the Ultimate Shopping Road Trip with our Melbourne customers who come into the store to see, touch and feel our beautiful trees and decorations,” Nicole added.
The My Christmas Shop at 269 Huntingdale Rd, Chadstone, is now open from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Customers can also visit the My Christmas online store www.mychristmas.com.au to shop or find out more.
About My Christmas
Well cocktail style shotglass from St Maarten to resemble the lovely margaritas and daquiris we had on the beach.
St Maarten is an island in the Carribean and it was fortunately one of the lovely stops on our 7 day Cruise in february this year. This was a wonderfu day off the boat with bluebird skies, warm tropical weather and awesome tour guide and group of people.
We went to visit a hotel that had been devastated by the hurricane from years before but the area had never been restored and was quite a contrast from the rest of the tropical island.
We watched planes fly in to Princess Juliana International Airport and land right next to the beach- it’s amazing to stand in the water and have an aeroplane fly metres above you.
We ended our day on the French side of the island, sunbaking, drinking from coconuts, sipping on cocktails and swimmng in the sparkling ocean.
So many memories from this one little glass!
Thirsty Thursdays – SHOTGLASS MEMORIES
A mathematical problem that is.
Apparently this isn’t Rocket Science…. haha pun intended!
I visited the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in February 2011. My brother had begged me to go when we were in Orlando in 2009 but I was so uninterested and really couln’t face the mission (pun intended again) to head out there. So when Dad and I were there again this year, I really felt I should see it. It’s a pretty important place in our Modern History and millions of people flock to experience it.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the park and all the activities and exhibitions inside. There is an amazing simulation ride which let’s you feel what it’s like to go up in a shuttle and break off from the rocket. The host, former Aastronaut, really brought the experience to life and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I don’t have the same admiration for space and other worlds that my father and brother do, but standing in front of rockets and ships which have actually orbited our earth is pretty incredible.
I couldn’t resist this shot glass as it really just encompassed my feelings towards the whole Space odyssey blah blah haha.
I do recommend visiting The Space Kennedy Centre if you are in the vicinity.
Thitsty Thursdays – SHOTGLASS MEMORIES
Pirates and Rum, these are my main memories from the lovely little city of Key West, Florida, USA.
I’ve visited the beachy little holiday spot twice now and the key things coming to my mind are a flood of rum filled adventures and outings. My dad felt that this area, being the bottom point of America and near the Carribean was very much a pirate haven. He even got a skull and crossbone tattoo on his ankle. So when I saw this shot glass I had to get it.
Make sure you do visit Key West, it’s a fantastic place to get away from the world in an old fashioned beach setting.
When purchasing my one and only souvenir from each place I visit, I try to get something that reminds me of my time there. This one was an easy choice and I have a litle giggle every time I see it sitting on my dresser. I can guarantee you there will be no Rum drunk from this particular shot glass though- not only is it my rule to never drink out of my shotglasses, but I’ve also now had enough Rum to last me a lifetime!
Thirsty thursdays- Shotglass Memories
Send me a picture of your favourite shotglass souvenir and tell me why it means something to you.
NEW YORK
Arriving at midnight after a full day at a theme park, taking a flight and then trying to navigate one of the World’s busiest subways to get to your uptown hostel is not the best plan.
Arriving at 2am to think our hostel had closed, having NYPD find us standing on the street and help us to wake the hostel owners and assist us on our guided tour… sorry Eastside Rivera Hostel. It was actually a really good hostel and so cheap, just a shaky start.
I must start by saying though, I HEART NY! I always thought I would, I always hoped that one day I would move there and work there, and that plan remains! I love it!
From the M&M store
Jamesie and I had 2 full, and I mean full, days together exploring! Hop on hop off bus, a walk across Brooklyn bridge, Times sq, m&m store, Hersheys store, the bull statue and more. Then a quick drink with one of my friends through 85Broads at night near our hostel.
Day 2 was jam packed with a boat tour around near the statue of liberty and then back on the hop on hop off. A brief stop at Ground Zero, which is actually really difficult and saddening then off to the NY YANKEE BASEBALL GAME. Really exciting and fun actually and then back in time to see the Empire State building at the strike of midnight. What a day! And so happy it was with my big bruv!
My brother and I in Times Square
Day 3 was a lot quieter. I went to meet my friends from University in Mexico, Sam and Juan, near the Cloisters in Fort Tyron Park. Entering the park makes you feel like you are in a completely new city, it’s lovely up there. We took it easy and just went to the Museum of Modern Art before I went to meet another friend Claire from Tec. We all met up to go out in the Meat Packing district later, ever so trendy.
The last day I was joined by my lovely Italian friend who I met whilst travelling through Mexico. We went on the SEX and the CITY tour, which I have dreamed about doing for about 4 years. My firend, being one of only 2 boys on the tour, was ready to kill me by the end after hearing me rave about the show for 3 hours, but we had a great time! We saw all the famous spots got the best cupcake in NY and had a Cosmo!
So many delicious Cosmo
Later we had lunch at Famous Juniors, had NY Cheesecake and went on the Brooklyn loop, gosh NY is huge. That night we were off out to the SKY bar to view the empire state, then out to some more bars with Sam and Juan. Home at 4am and then straight to the Airport for me.
I truly loved New York and cannot wait to get back there again!
PHOTOS
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81200&id=511114236&l=407db1d019
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81694&id=511114236&l=59d37e69b8
