Couchsurfing Cape Town

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Travel Spirit

If you’ve never heard of Couchsurfing before… based on my first experience… it’s a wonderful way to learn about a new place. I stayed with a couple named Odette and Neal in Cape Town, Africa and they were so hospitable!

Neal and Odette

They picked me up at the airport and I even had my own bedroom in their lovely home!

Odette and Neal’s place

They enlisted their neighbor…Keith…to take me hiking to the top of Table Mountain—Amazing!

Indiavestner Trail–Table Mountain, Cape Town

Taking Cable Car down from top of Table Mountain

I ate wonderful home cooked meals with them and they even took me shopping! I took them out to dine at a sushi restaurant as a token for their kindness.

A fellow blogger, Rory Alexander, met up with us while we were dining. He has three blogs and I would link to them, but my link isn’t working correctly right now. He’s an unbelievable photographer!

I’m definitely a fan of Couchsurfing now!

Greetings from Africa

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Travel Spirit

Hello friends! I was going to wait until after I returned from Africa to begin posting, because I knew there wouldn’t be much time, but I wanted to touch base with all of you! Let me begin by saying…Africa is amazing!! So much has happened in the 10 days I’ve been here, so I will give a quick summary.

My traveling companions are from all over the world. Sixteen men and women..single and married…from Ireland, Australia, Germany, Canada, Hong Kong, S. Korea, Denmark and one man located within 45 minutes from where I live in Ohio!

I am currently in Swakamund, Namibia in a guest house within four blocks of the beach. Until now, we’ve been camping and putting up our tents each day. I am the only solo camper, but I’ve learned to put the tent up myself within 5-7 minutes.

Home away from home

We’ve already had two mishaps with the overland truck. The first morning as the three guides were preparing to load our luggage, someone drove by and tore the doors off of the truck in Cape Town. We waited two hours for another vehicle to arrive. The replacement isn’t quite as nice as the original, but we’re going with the flow.

A few days ago our truck broke down in the desert. It took them almost an hour to fix it. But…when you’re visiting spots like this….you embrace it!

Dune 45 rising over 1100 feet or 350 meters high at a 45 degree angle – Sossusvlei Desert in Namibia

We left our campsite the other morning at 5:00am to drive the 15 minutes to Dune 45, also known as “Big Daddy”. I was too scared to hike to the top. It is much higher than it looks! Next, we drove a short distance to the Deadvlei Salt Pan in the desert. As you can see, it’s amazing!!

Deadvlei Salt Pan

I’ve seen all types of animals along the road while driving. We’re heading towards Etosha National Park next. My wifi and cell phone service is sporadic, so I’m not sure when I’ll post next. As I said before, I’ll be posting some pre-prepared posts that don’t relate to Africa in between if there is no time to post! Hope everyone is well!!

Rainy night and Dreams

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Travel Spirit

May all your trails be crooked, winding, dangerous, leading to the most amazing views, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you.” ~ Edward Abbey

To be no longer content to pick up what is floating on the surface of life, and to want only the pearls at the bottom of the sea, this is grace, welling up from deep inside.” ~Eknath Easwaran

If you want to be comfortable, don’t try to live your dreams.” ~ Emily Trinkaus

Get Your “Af-ri-can” On

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Travel Spirit

I’ve got Africa on my mind! These photos are from a shop in the Clifton area of Cincinnati…

Lots of progress made so far–

Airfare purchased

Trip Insurance purchased

Wheeled convertible duffel bag bought

30 degree 2 lb. compressible sleeping bag bought

North Face Hiking Shoes bought

I’ll do a post about the gear I’m taking at some point!

I decided against the couch surfing…the three people I contacted haven’t responded yet…so I booked a hostel (private room) that looks really cool through Hostel World. Also, decided on my itinerary for the four days in Cape Town–one day hiking Table Mountain and taking the cable car down; one or two days of unplanned activities around Cape Town–maybe the hop-on/hop-off bus; one day an organized tour (found through Trip Advisor) that hits all of the major sites–such as…

Clifton, Bantry Bay

Camp’s Bay

The spectacular Chapman’s peak drive (if open)*

Hout Bay and boat trip to Seal Island

Muizenberg

Kalk Bay

Fishhoek

Boulders Beach National Park – visit the African Jackass Penguins

Visit to Simon’s Town and the Historic Mile

Cape Point

Cape of Good Hope – The most South-Westerly point of the African continent

Most of my itinerary is finished, including the currency conversion rates for the six different countries and the time differences.

It’s fun planning the trip also…but my brain starts to hurt! Maybe because I try to get it all done so quickly! I wanted to thank those of you that gave me some wonderful tips on what to take and what to do!

Have a terrific weekend!

Shopping in Greece

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Travel Spirit

The Island of Corfu, Greece was the final destination of my 12 night Royal Caribbean Mediterranean cruise. I spent the day shopping! Actually, I’d only bought a few things up until this point…so I made up for lost time. Most likely–compared to many women, I didn’t do much damage.

There was no sign of the civil unrest that had been publicized recently (this cruise was in June 2010). I ran into a couple I had met on the ship and had lunch with them. They were with a few of the cruise ship employees…one of whom was the Director of Entertainment on board.

I had an authentic Gyros and it was delicious. And of course some Ouzo!

This photo is early in the morning as the shop keepers were preparing for the day…

Photos of life in Corfu…

As I walked around the old town section of Corfu, I paid a small entrance fee to enter the old citadel…Palaio Frourio. I didn’t tour the new citadel, which is called the Neo Frourio.

This was a view from within the Citadel’s walls.

These little local boys were sooo cute!!

The next two days were spent at sea cruising back to Barcelona. It was quite an adjustment after the long days of walking and sight-seeing! I almost felt bored, after rushing for almost three weeks, but there were always people to talk to. I love to read…but for some reason I wasn’t in the mood on this trip and I also didn’t feel like sun bathing…I’d already had too much!

After disembarking in Barcelona, with luggage in tow, we made our way to the train station. I have a “Heys” suitcase that when empty, only weighs 3 lbs. It has held up nicely through 10 trips in the past 2-3 years.

On the train to the main train station in Barcelona, a girl in her 20’s got on and had a wire hanger with a paper mache banana that she hung from a handlebar on the train. She also had a stuffed animal and a small step stool. She stepped onto the stool and in Spanish, began belting out–what seemed to be a dramatic play or story, to the passengers on the train. The other passengers seemed to be ignoring her. I caught the eye of a fellow passenger and she smiled at me. Since I don’t understand Spanish…I didn’t know what she was saying. I wondered if she was practicing for a class in school…perhaps a drama student…or if it was political in nature. But, at the end she walked around with a hat for money and a couple of men gave her a few coins. We had encountered musicians on a few of the other train or subway rides. I like being surprised…not knowing what type of entertainment could be around the corner!

We boarded our three hour reserved train ride to Madrid and were picked up by the free shuttle bus from the Hilton Hotel by the airport, where we stayed for the night before heading home the following day!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed your trip through Europe with me!

A Day in Corfu, A Walk through the Tempest (worldviastandby.wordpress.com)
Greece Shows Off at Vienna Tourism Fair (eu.greekreporter.com)

Spirit Within Croatia

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Travel Spirit

I fell in love with Dubrovnik, Croatia during my 2010 visit! Surrounded by a 2 km long wall, that was built for protection, over 40,000 people call it home!

Making my way to the top deck of the cruise ship as it was docking, I was surprised to see the modern and imposing Franjo Tuđman Bridge.

Upon entering the stone town, I was captivated by the old world charm of Dubrovnik! This gentleman is a fixture at Onofrio’s Fountain…

Once you’ve climbed the steps up to the wall…there is a walkway enabling you to completely walk around the town…and the views were astounding!

It was a hot day and I became very thirsty as I walked along the raised wall. If I remember correctly, there were a couple of spots you could exit from the wall’s walkway. Stopping at a vendor’s shop for a bottled water, I was informed that they didn’t take credit cards, so I waited until I finished walking around to make my way to a cafe for a quick drink. I usually carry my own water, but I don’t recall why I didn’t have any with me that day.

It worked out well with my traveling companion, because some days we went our separate ways…did our own thing…and met up later. Other days, we spent exploring together. This was one of the days we were exploring on our own.

Many of the roofs were damaged during the 1991 war…but have been repaired!

The barbers allowed me to take a photo! I love all of the things they have on display.

When you turn a corner and find a fresh farmer’s market…you feel like you’ve discovered a gold mine!

I love this guy’s smile!!

There was a spirit and a tinge of sadness surrounding some of the people of Croatia! Perhaps it is due to the recent War…

Budget: Croatia 2012 (chrystal-clear.com)
Last Stop in Croatia: Dubrovnik (remainagirl.com)
Mama No Lie (yougottasmile.wordpress.com)
#Dubrovnik #Croatia (leggotunglei808.wordpress.com)
Confused.com’s Guide to Driving in Croatia (confused.com)
Croatia: Dubrovnik and beyond (sarah-matthews.com)

Bal Masque

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Travel Spirit

The evening that our cruise ship left Venice, there was a Masquerade Ball aka Bal Masque. It was fun to see all of the colorful and unusual masks!

Of course, Venice is famous for their masks…

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange put on a mask. There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first.” ~Jim Morrison

Here are some lovely girls!!

My mask was quite simple!

Another cutie!!

Don’t miss Rome tomorrow!!

Epiphany Events Venetian Masked Ball Brings Venice’s Carnival to Seattle in February (prweb.com)

All Aboard

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Travel Spirit

Royal Caribbean‘s “Brilliance of the Seas“, set sail from Barcelona in June of 2010 for a 12 night Mediterranean cruise, to include these stunning ports of call — Cannes, France / Livorno, Italy (where most people went to Florence and/or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but we chose to hike through Cinque Terre); Rome, Italy; the Island of Capri off the coast of Italy; Venice (where we docked overnight); Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Corfu, Greece, before returning to Barcelona.

There are pros and cons to cruise travel. Just like every thing in life. But for this type of trip it made sense. I’ve been on three other cruises…all of them to the Caribbean and they seemed to have more of a party atmosphere than this cruise. That suited me because of the long days at each destination and the amount of walking we were doing!

We were upgraded at no additional cost to a room with a window to our pleasant surprise!

There were three formal nights. One of them was a masquerade ball…so I’ll save that for another post!

Fun in the sun!

I awoke at 5:30am to capture the sun rising. I believe we were headed to Corfu, Greece. It almost reminds me of a lunar landscape.

It was white night on the ship…so I bought a dress in Corfu, Greece.

I met a lot of people on the cruise. On the second day of the cruise my camera mal-functioned and I was lamenting my misfortune to a fellow passenger named Dan. I had just met him and was very surprised when he said he had a spare camera and let me borrow it for a few days. That gave me time to purchase one on the ship. The kindness of strangers is wonderful!

This couple, Johan & Heidi, are from South Africa. They were planning to marry in 2011 and I really enjoyed talking with them about their lives/country. They even extended an invitation to visit them…but we’ve lost contact.

Tomorrow we dock in Cannes, France. I’ll see you there!

Naked in the Airport!

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Travel Spirit

Upon arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam from Vientiane, Laos, it seemed I had entered an alien land! A city of concrete…jumbled wires…a sea of motor scooters blind to the traffic lights…mass chaos with purpose…face masks creating a barrier from the dusty city…an assault on the senses with smells and colors. Pure insanity!!

The seven of us, on this tour through GAP Adventures, were instructed on how to cross the street. To walk–not run–to keep walking–that the drivers would go around us. I felt like a duck on a shooting range. Luckily, I have a spiritual grounding and realize that there are some things I have very little control over.

After being separated from the group while shopping that evening, there was a moment of sheer panic! I didn’t know the name of our hotel. The Tour Guide had given the information to everyone–when I was in the restroom–so I didn’t receive it. But I found my way to the meetup spot…whew!!

I made arrangements to spend the night on a boat on Halong Bay in the China Sea and said my “goodbyes” to the group!

At $68 for the entire excursion–it was a small price for such serenity and beauty!

I went kayaking…

Had a nice glass of vino!

Although I had a six hour layover in Nagoya, Japan‘s airport, on my way home to Cincinnati, I had plenty to keep myself occupied with there. It was a destination onto itself, with over 60 shops and restaurants and a spa!

Upon arrival at the airport, I met a girl named Andrea who had been teaching English in Hanoi for four months and was so fearful of crossing the street that she decided to move back home to Canada.

We went to the Spa together. The women had their own hot tub, cold dip, sauna, and steam room area with a view of planes landing and taking off. We didn’t have our bathing suits, but the other women were naked so…when in Rome. It makes for a great story…”Naked in the Airport”!

This is Andrea and I at the Airport in Japan.

I returned home on Christmas Eve. I hope you had fun following my adventure!

Hanoi (j8packages.wordpress.com)
Ha Long Bay — in’SPIRE’ing and ‘MIST’ical – Halong Bay, Vietnam (travelpod.com)

On a Roll…

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Travel Spirit

“Those who don’t believe in Magic..will never find it!” Roald Dahl

My weekend was great…cooked a lot of new recipes…ran errands…read some from my current book “The Hunger Games“…went for a four mile hike in the woods with beautiful sunny skies…organized my food pantry…normal household chores…and went to a Superbowl party at my brother’s!

I’m on a black and white roll!

If I remember correctly...the staircase at Sacre Coeur in Paris, France - 2007

: While hiking on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru – 2009

: Staircase in Spain – 2010

: Vancouver, British Columbia – 2011

: Encountered this man while hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by myself – 2007

: I asked these Police Officers in Bangkok permission to take their photo (during a political rally)

: Spiritual Pak Ou Caves in Laos on Mekong River

Girl on Mediterranean cruise in Venice - 2010

Hope you have a lovely day!!

~Sherry~

Listen to the Whispers of Your Heart

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Travel Spirit

This past week has been a wild ride. After being dropped at the Cincinnati Airport to travel to California for a Symposium, where mass interviews took place, I realized I was at the wrong airport. How does that happen to someone who is as detailed and organized as I am? I believe I wasn’t supposed to go and I was ignoring the whispers of the universe/God/my heart! I had tried to back out of going a while back and people talked me back into it. And actually—that sign from the Universe was yelling—not whispering!

I’m frantically calling my husband repeatedly to come back and pick me up—to no avail—he had turned his cell phone off because people kept texting him while we were having a rather heated discussion on the way to the airport. Everything was aligned against me going. The next flight through that airline to Sacramento wasn’t until Tuesday and flights through other airlines were too expensive.

While I was waiting for my girlfriend to pick me up at the airport, having cried and feeling at one point that it was the end of the world, a handicapped man hobbled past me and a new perspective hit me. So what, I missed a flight. That happens some times…it had just never happened in all of my travels…to me. If I really wanted to be a Tour Director, those are some of the kinds of things that happen while traveling. I also remembered a conversation I had with my boss’s girlfriend the day before leaving. She said the universe guides us if we listen, which I knew, but had forgotten. I spent the day helping my girlfriend pick out décor for remodeling her bathroom, had a couple of rum and coke and spent the night at her house.

My husband picked me up the next day—on Sunday—and I asked him if he’d like to drive to Florida for the week. I had a friend that had offered her condo for us to stay in at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. After checking with his boss, it took all of 2 hours to unpack winter clothes, pack summer clothes and hit the road for the 17-hour drive. On the drive down we stayed at the same motel in Macon, Georgia, my mother and I stayed at in March, when I drove her down before she died from Cancer in June.

The weather was glorious…80 degrees and sunny every day. I jogged every morning, took 3-4 mile hikes on the beach and read by the pool! I’m glad I chose to not sulk—to seize the moments!

Here are some photos from the trip—

CAPTIVA BEACH…FLORIDA

CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA

GREAT IDEA!!

As Marilyn Monroe has said…”Sometimes Good Things Fall apart so Better Things Can Fall Together”. I can’t wait to see what the Universe has in store for me next—I have a feeling there are some adventurous times around the corner!

Urban Hike…Downtown Cincinnati

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Travel Spirit

Yesterday, I went on a two-hour “urban” hike through the streets of downtown Cincinnati with my hiking club. Like many people, I’ve taken my own City for granted and am excited to be doing more things around my hometown. We started our hike at Fountain Square…

In the winter there is a temporary ice skating rink set up…

As you can see, I like to display my photos as a collage now-a-days, because it doesn’t take up too much space that way…so I can display more photos.

We stopped in a few hotel lobbies to view their holiday decorations and to warm up briefly from the chilly weather (30’s) outside.

I discovered many new sites while walking…this statue of Abraham Lincoln is cool…didn’t even know it was here.

The two big buildings on the right are the Procter & Gamble headquarters.

Some of my photo collages are just for art’s sake…combining a variety of photographs that have interesting textures, colors and/or shapes.

A major grocery store in town is the Kroger chain. It was started in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, who invested his life’s savings-$372 (roughly equal to $8,739.34 today) to open a grocery store in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Cincinnati. Kroger was the son of a merchant, and his slogan was simple: “Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself.” In the 1970s, Kroger became the first grocer in America to test an electronic scanner. It is the second-largest grocery retailer–behind Wal-Mart–with over 3,600 stores located mainly in the midwestern and southern states.

Our newspaper is The Enquirer and Macy’s is a popular department store.

The Cincinnatian Hotel is one of the upscale hotels located downtown…

There were gingerbread creations on display…

We stopped at Cadillac Ranch…a restaurant/bar…for a late lunch. They have a mechanical bull to ride. I haven’t tried it yet.

The photos below are of Garfield Place. In 1882, after the assignation of James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the short-lived Ohio President, the two block “park avenue” was memorialized as Garfield Place in 1882.

As we walked through the Netherland Hotel, I was surprised to discover that it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

There was a lovely water feature in the hotel…

The two photos on the right are large “graffiti” paintings on buildings and the photo on the left is in front of the library. It’s a sculpture of books!

This is one of my favorite shots…

An Urban Hike is a great way to learn about your own City…so don’t let the cold keep you from getting outside!

2011 in Review

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Travel Spirit

Looking back at what has occurred in my life in 2011, brings to light the observation that many of us don’t realize how much we’ve grown or what we’ve accomplished during any given period of time. Until you put it on paper or…in the blog!

In February my mother was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. In March I had a family reunion while she was still able to spend some quality time with people. The first photo was from 2007 – you can see how she changed in a few years.

March was a busy month…I took a flight to Los Angeles for the Travel & Leisure show– to network for employment within the travel industry.

A week later I drove my mother from Ohio to Ft. Myers, Florida for a mini vacation…knowing this would be her last time to see the beach…it was bittersweet!

April was filled with lots of exercise…hikes, hot yoga, a 5-K run, and my first boot camp. I spent more time with my mother…picking her up to spend the day with me at my house. She enjoyed soaking up the sun on my back deck…surrounded by trees and the beautiful beginning of spring.

I helped a friend organize her house one day, met with hospice for my mother’s evaluation, and did lots of yard work. I bought a new camera (Olympus PEN) and won third place in a photography contest at the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati with this photo…

I volunteered at a food bank in May, took my son to the traveling “Cirque du Soleil” show, attended a derby party, organized a couple of social events for meetup.com–a motorcycle meetup–and a winery tour in Madison, Indiana. I moved my mother into my home at the end of May to take care of her during her last week of life.

She died on June 9th and I made a short movie to show at the memorial service. The rest of June was somewhat quiet.

July was filled with pool parties, boating, jogging, yoga, hiking and traveling. I hiked on the Appalachian Trail for a couple of days with a friend and you can read about it here…

We treated ourselves the third evening to an overnight stay at a beautiful bed and breakfast!

A week later I left for a vacation to Washington State and British Columbia that was absolutely breathtaking…filled with beautiful scenery and amazing hikes! Read about it here…

I quit smoking cigarettes one month from the date my mother died…and consider it my most significant accomplishment of the year!

In August…after only two days at home…I was blessed to be able to go on another trip…this one to New Mexico and Colorado. It was truly magical and stunning! Read about it here…

In September I started training for a half-marathon that was coming up at the end of October. I took photography classes to learn more about aperture, F-stop, shutter speed, etc.

I also made the decision to follow my passion for travel and enrolled at ITMI (International Travel Management Institute) for a two-week class that was starting in October, to become a Tour Director–to take people on trips around the world! It was held in beautiful San Francisco…

The class took a trip to the enchanted Sequoia Nat’l Park and Kings Canyon Nat’l Park…

I ran my half-marathon at the end of October and completed it in 2 hrs. 15 minutes.

In November I went on a girls’ weekend to Lexington, Kentucky…

I joined Toastmasters! And I started a temporary full-time job for the next couple of months until I start Tour Directing!

My blog was “freshly pressed” twice this year…which I am so grateful for and I’ve met a lot of interesting and nice people both online and off!

The two quotes or philosophies that have stuck with me this year are:

Your attitude + Your choices = Your life

Collect experiences…not things!

It was a year filled with beauty, challenges, sadness, joy, confusion, and much gratitude!

Balluminaria

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Travel Spirit

Last night I went to an event in Cincinnati at Mirror Lake in Eden Park…called Balluminaria. It was beautiful! There was one balloon in with the crowd…

Across the small man-made “Mirror Lake” were the other balloons. In preparation for nightfall…

It was a bit breezy, so you couldn’t see the balloon reflections very well, but it was still really lovely!

I forgot to take my tripod…but they turned out pretty well anyway…I think!

O’Bryonville Christmas Walk

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Travel Spirit

On my quest to explore more of Cincinnati, my friend Dee and I went to the O’Bryonville Christmas walk last night. It was fun…all of the shops had free wine and snacks! This is another area of Cincinnati that I don’t usually frequent, but who could pass up free wine!

Some of the arts and crafts were very interesting and “crafty”! These are quite whimsical!

The “hair like” photo below is actually a lampshade! And…the last photo that looks like a flower is a chandelier with cloth draped on the ceiling!

The materials that some of these things are made out of are unique!

I know it’s a little early for Christmas decorations…but here are some that were displayed. I know it’s kinda wierd…but I already put my Christmas tree up. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving, but I had the time!