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TravelDesigned Tweeting Live from Dreams Resorts Huatulco
Posted by TravelDesigned in Mexico, TravelDesigned, Uncategorized on June 24th, 2010
#TD@DreamsResorts is the hashtag to follow on twitter July 23-30, I will be tweeting live from Huatulco
Huatulco (wha tool co) is a resort development set on 9 bays and 36 sandy beaches. It is on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca. The climate is perfect for beach vacations year round with an average temperature of 82 degrees. The Bahias de Huatulco (Bays of Huatulco) are framed by the Sierra Madre Sur mountain range. The majority of the visitors are Mexican nationals because of the limited international flights available. During the winter months Canadian and American charter vacation flights are available. The resorts of Tangolunda Bay, where Dreams Huatulco Resort and Spa is located, are about 20 minutes from the small international airport (HUX). Prior to development in the mid 80's, the area was a fishing village surrounded by coffee plantations. There are 3 small towns in the area to visit: La Crucecita, Santa Cruz (the main marina-where smaller cruise ships dock May- Oct ) Santa Maria de Huatulco. It is easy to visit these communities by taxi for a few dollars, car rentals are also available. With taxis so reasonable in this area, we will stick with them this time. Oaxaca is about 175 miles NW drive inland and Acapulco is approximately 300 miles south.
We are thrilled to be guests of the newly remodeled Dreams Huatulco Resort and Spa this week. It is a dream come true for us to take our two oldest grandchildren to Mexico for an all inclusive beach vacation! The Explorer's Club for kids will certainly be a big hit with Jack and Ella. They are looking forward to swimming, sailing on Hobie Cats, kayaking, camping on the beach and the Euro Bungee! Terry is anxious to show off his award winning ping pong skills -he was the 7th grade champ,(mind you, that was over 50 years ago). Keeping up with all of these activities, I know I will DEFINITELY NEED some time in the the Dreams Spa by Pevonia.
We know the children will certainly find their favorites at the World Cafe Buffet and the Seaside Grill. We can't wait to take them to Himitsu, the Asian inspired restaurant. My grandson is a huge fan of noodles and sticky rice. The night the kids are camping on the beach with the Explorer's Club, Terry and I will most likely dine at Portofino, the adult only Italian restaurant. Though, I think it would be not only fun but romantic to dine privately on the beach! I am certain Terry will TRY to eat ALL the freshly caught seafood at the Oceana Restaurant. And what would a vacation to Mexico be without tequila tastings and dining at El Patio for Mexican cuisine?! Terry is hoping they will have Mezcal tastings as Mezcal is distilled in this area. He is quite fond of Mezcal, I will stick to my friend, Tequila. 
I havent planned the whole week yet, but I think we may go snorkeling at La Entrega, a shallow snorkeling beach recommended to us by my clients. I know we will go to La Crucectia to see the zocalo (the town square), markets, bakery and shops. I want the children to get a taste of the Mexican culture and life. We hope to go horseback riding but it will depend on the trail conditions and weather. We definitely will be going on a boat tour of the bays. Now I am wondering, will a week be enough?
I hope you will follow our family adventures on the feed below or on by search #TD@DreamsResorts on twitter. I also hope be posting photos on facebook on the Dreams Huatulco fan page daily too.
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Posted by TravelDesigned in My Travelin' Tweeps, Sustainable travel, Travel Information, TravelDesigned, Uncategorized on June 7th, 2010
But of course, we haven't been everywhere… so we're relying on you to contribute some of your favorite recipes. All submissions are completely voluntary and no money is exchanged between writers.
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Posted by TravelDesigned in Travel Information, Uncategorized on March 26th, 2010
Resolutions: Never, Not Me.. Well, Just This One!
Posted by TravelDesigned in Blood Donors, My Travelin' Tweeps, TravelDesigned, Uncategorized on January 9th, 2010
Resolutions: Never, Not Me.. Well, Just This One!
Follow me on twitter: @TravelDesigned
I'm all about travel. Adding Service, Value & Experience to your Travel. Love gardening and photography too!
Resolutions: Never, Not Me… Well, Just This One!
I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like to make promises I know I am not going to keep, not even to myself. This year though, I have made a resolution and it’s one I can keep!
It all started on January 2nd when on Twitter I received a tweet from my tweep DiffWorldMexico asking me to reach out to my twitter friends with a link to a Facebook page. The page had a plea for blood needed for Phil Pain, a young British student studying in Mexico, who fell from a 7th story balcony on New Year’s Day in Mazatlan. He was in desperate need of a substantial amount of O negative blood before the doctors could even begin to operate.
This really got me thinking about people who travel that experience accidents and about the need for blood everyday in general. I started doing some research on the websites of the American Red Cross and the Canadian Blood Service. What I learned absolutely shocked me! I am sure worldwide the statistics are just as staggering, if not more so.
• Every minute someone in Canada needs blood and every 2 seconds In the United States
• More than 5 million patients a year need blood in the US
• Less than 38% of the population in the US can even give blood and only 8% actually do
• O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.
• Only 7% of people in the US have the Universal donor blood type, O negative
• Patients from car accidents often require 100 pints
• Cancer patients often need blood during chemotherapy treatments, sometimes daily
• Platelets critical for cancer patients only have a shelf life of 5 days
The good news is: just one donation can save up to 3 lives!
It only takes a little over an hour of your time.
So, my first ever New Year’s resolution is to give blood 6 times this year. I know it will make me feel good to know I am helping save lives.
It costs nothing and cookies and juice are involved
How about you? Will you join me in my first New Year's resolution? Please let me know on twitter or facebook if you are joining me in my resolution, I would love to hear from you!
Give the gift of life,
and if you can't give… will you please encourage your friends, family, co-workers to become donors?
–heck, encourage your enemies too!
If you have traveled to the following countries… please check with your blood bank to see if you are eligible to be a donor.
The following information is from http://www.giveblood.org/index.php?page=faqs
No deferral means –you should be eleigilbe to give blood:
| Location |
|---|
| Comments | |
|---|---|
| Mexico |
Acapulco – No deferral |
| Caribbean |
Bahamas – No deferral, except for travel to Great Exuma Island which would make donor ineligible to donate for one year after return. |
| Belize |
Belize City – No deferral |
| Costa Rica |
Provinces of San Jose, Cartago, Puntarenas and Limon City (Jaco Beach, Quepos, Manuel Antonio Park) -no deferral |
| El Salvador |
Cities of San Salvador, San Miguel, San Vincente, Sonsonate, and Chalatenango- no deferral. |
| Guatemala |
Large cities including Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Guatemala City – no deferral |
| India |
Not eligible for 12 months after return. |
| Panama |
Panama City and Canal area are acceptable. |
| Venezuela |
Large cities along coast (Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia) are acceptable. |
| Ecuador |
Large cities in central highlands acceptable (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca) and Galapagos Islands – no deferral |
| Peru |
Large cities south of Lima, Cusco, Machupicchu – no deferral |
| Azerbaijan |
Risk in all areas except no risk in Baku |
| Africa |
Algeria – No deferral unless travel to Ihrir or Illizi province |
| Saudi Arabia |
No deferral for cities along East Coast, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, Taif, Riyadh, risk in Al Bahah, Al Madinah, Asir, Jizan, Makkah, Najran an Tabuk provinces. |
| China |
Large cities and typical tourist areas including Yangtze River cruise – no deferral. |
| United Kingdom |
No deferral unless stayed for more than 3 months between 1980 and 1996 |
| Europe |
|
|
No deferral unless stayed for more than 6 months associated with the military between 1980 and 1996 or stayed for more than 5 years from 1980 to the present |
PS
I made my first blood donation at the Rock River Valley Blood Center on Thursday, January 14!! It was a BREEZE!! I now have to wait until March 11 to make my next one. I will keep you posted.
PSS:
I am so committed to this, I have challeged Bruce Poon Tip and Gap Adventures to a blood drive. If they will conduct a blood drive, I will give $5 per donor (up to $500, HEY! I am just a one woman operation) to Planeterra in March. Of course, Bruce has accepted! So the challenge is ON!!
I hope I have a couple of REALLY good months… now that I have laid down the gauntlet! 
For more information about blood donation and to make your appointment, check the links below or contact your local blood bank:
Americans: Make your appointment here
Follow the American Red Cross on Twitter
Follow the Canadian Blood Service on Twitter
Follow Gap Adventures on Twitter
Follow Bruce Poon Tip on Twitter
3 Quirky Christmas Days
Posted by TravelDesigned in Africa, Asia, Christmas Travel Tales, Middle East, My Travelin' Tweeps, Quirky Traveler, South Africa, South Pacific, Uncategorized on December 21st, 2009
Please follow Zoe on Twitter: @quirkytraveller
Looking at life from a quirky point of view. Leadership Coach, Speaker, Travel Writer and Happy Mum.
3 Quirky Christmas Days
Aswan, Egypt
In the early 80s a group of us spent one Christmas and New Year in Egypt. On Christmas Day so we left our VERY basic hostel to find a cheap restaurant open which served festive fare and a drink. As you can imagine, in a predominantly Muslim country on a Saturday, that was not so easy … Eventually we found a little place by the Camel Market (not on that day), with a big table outside. We were offered Roast chicken and chips with local beer… Perfect.
Whilst we waited (for hours!) for the chicken, we drank warm beer and relished the hot sun, safe in the knowledge that back home in the UK it was probably raining and definitely cold. The chicken was the toughest, ropiest old bird you could imagine – but we enjoyed it anyway as we reminisced about our favourite Christmas holidays, exchanged REALLY cheap and fun gifts, toasted absent friends and congratulated ourselves on having a very unChristmassy Christmas Day.
Pattaya, Thailand
In 1990, a friend and I escaped from Hong Kong to stay at a luxury hotel in Pattaya, which looked absolutely dreamy. What we didn’t know was that during the Vietnam War, Pattaya had been a favourite place for soldiers to chill out and ‘relax’ and their legacy lived on …
Having arrived on Christmas Eve we decided to eat out in Pattaya the next day, so after a relaxing day by the pool we wandered into the town. What a shock that was! It was late afternoon and still daylight but all the bars were busy and it was obvious what delights were on offer for Christmas here! We wandered up and down Soi 6 barely able to contain our amazement. Some of the bars and clubs had festive decorations amidst the neon – I’ll never forget one sign which read ‘A Merry Christmas to all our Customers’ above a lap-dancing club offering some very exotic acts …
Eventually we found a vaguely respectable bar where we had Pad Thai noodles and fended off the attentions of some very drunk Australian guys who’d clearly partaken of a fair bit of Christmas cheer. As their propositions got more extreme we decided return to our hotel and leave Pattaya red light district to its own unique Christmas festivities!
Queenstown, South Africa
“We’re having a Braai on Christmas Day – just family and a few mates …” and so I was introduced to Christmas Dinner, South African style. I was staying with my boyfriend’s family on their farm just outside Queenstown. The weather was fantastic, warm, sunny and fresh. On Christmas morning we exchanged presents and drank sparkling wine, opened cards showing Santas and snow-covered carol singers outside typical English churches; all very incongruous with the African veldt outside the back door.
A Braai is a BBQ, SA style. On the biggest grill I’ve ever seen was every kind of meat imaginable, including ostrich and Boerewors, a spicy sausage. Big buckets were filled with ice and beer, boxes of red wine stood outside the kitchen door next to a big fridge full of white wine, soft drinks & mixers. Two trestle tables were loaded up with all manner of salads, dips, breads and fruit, with a smaller table for the kids – and not a turkey or Brussel sprout in sight.
By 4pm the party was in full swing and it was time for carols and the Christmas pudding. The farm workers joined us and as ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ rang out from over 50 voices, it seemed the best way to celebrate this wonderful season.
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