Laundry Fail

Well folks, today has been a productive day for me thus far. I woke up a little earlier than the usual, ran 3 miles, got myself together, and bought a new piece of large luggage. I also got about $30 worth of quarters from the bank just so I can do my gazillion loads of laundry that have piled up over the past week and a half. By the way, Patrick and I are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow, and today allowed itself for a perfect day of laundering our clothes. That is until I went downstairs and my super told me, in his ever so gentle and kind way, that all of the machines were just removed from the basement to be fixed...for a week. I, literally, missed my window by 5 minutes! I think I felt my heart poop out on the floor in such dismay that I almost wanted to cry. "Oh, I am so sorry my dear," said the super. "Can you wait a week?" My reply was a sad little, "No...I am leaving for a trip tomorrow." He proceeded to tell me that the nearest laundromat was 4 blocks away. Feeling downtrodden, I pushed my basket of dirty cloths back into the elevator and returned to my apartment. So, being a social worker, and having a pretty good sense of humor, I laughed off this ridiculous situation and began to problem-solve. Patrick and I have decided that one suitcase will carry dirty clothes and the other our clean, and I will just have to do laundry when we get to the Westin Villas in Princeville, Kauai. Ok, so it not the ideal way to begin our vacation, but it is kind of a funny way to do so. After we made up our plan, Mr. Superintendent comes knocking on my door and offers to take me to the laundromat himself. He felt so badly for me, but I refused his kindness as graciously as I could because he has better things to do than cart me around to wash my clothes. I told him that I procrastinated, which made him laugh. He said he wished he could have let me know sooner that we would not have the washing machines weeks ago, but the guy he was working with was shady and a liar. Oh boy...at least he will be looking after our apartment to make sure it is safe when we are away. He really is the nicest man I know. I am never sarcastic when I talk about him...if you met him, you would love him too. So, now I suppose I better sort through my dirty laundry and pack for this trip. Never thought I would say that to anyone...

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Cancun

About two weeks ago, I went to Cancun with Patrick, my mom, and step-dad, Kirk. For years, we have talked about going on a vacation together, and we finally made it happen. It was the perfect time of year to go since April is the shoulder season (the time between spring break and summer). It wasn't very crowded and we got some amazing rates for our hotel rooms at the Westin Lagunamar, situated right on the Hotel Zone in Cancun. With a pristine beach and clear aqua water, it is the perfect setting for relaxation, fun, and sun (when we had it). The Westin Lagunamar is located across the street from a large shopping complex and there are lots of restaurants within walking distance. Being from New York, proximity to the necessities is important! All of the larger attractions and historical sites are quite far from the Hotel Zone, but those are a must see when visiting Cancun. We decided to venture to Chichen Itza via CARM tours, one of the wonders of the ancient world, and a fascinating place it is! Our tour guide was full of facts (maybe too many since he sucked up a lot of our allotted time and we ended up ditching him so that we could explore the sacred grounds), and our drivers got us back to enjoy some tacos! Here's a fun fact about Chichen Itza: If you stand in front of the stairs and clap, the sound travels up the stairs and echoes a bird sound back as it bounces off the top of the temple. So cool! My birthday just to happened to land on our final full day in Cancun. How did that happen? The day started with going to the Westin Resort and Spa (located on the other end of the Hotel Zone) where I had a wonderful hot stone massage. It was my mom's first time ever going to a really nice spa, and I think I converted her to the lap of luxury. She had a 50 minute facial, and she looked radiant afterwards! Once we were all nice and relaxed, we headed back to finish up some last minute shopping and pool time before heading over to Fred's House for a tasty seafood birthday dinner. I had crab soup and a lovely house salad with fresh goat cheese, but I did manage to try some grilled octopus that Kirk had ordered. Dinner is always a fun occasion with my mom and Kirk because we pass around our food, wanting to sample everything we have ordered. Kirk usually kicks this off with his statement, "Oh my God, Lin (my mom), you gotta try this." He says this as a utensil piled with food is right under my mom's nose. "No thanks," she politely declines. However, being a true Italian, he insists and my mom eats the food and repeats, "Oh my God. That is so good." Thus we all are inclined to sample one another's food with much laughter and lots of happy stomachs. So here are a few pics from our trip. If you are ever in need of a good vacation, check out the Westin Laugnamar. Each room is a villa equipped with a full-functioning kitchen complete with pots, pans, and anything you would have at home! The resort also has activities for families such as a kids club, themed buffets, pool games and contests, a water slide, and DVD rentals. Make sure you go during the slower seasons to get better rates and you too can say "Bienvenidos a Mexico!"

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Christmas in Vieques

Just as I promised, I will now bring you up to speed with my Christmas vacation in Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. It is a little island off the coast of Puerto Rico consisting of about 9,000 inhabitants, 600 or so roaming horses, and 1 major resort, the W, which is where we spent 5 glorious days. To get to said island, you can either take a ferry boat from San Juan to the little town of Isabel Segundo, or you can fly in the tiniest airplane that only holds 10 people, including the pilot. We opted for the plane, because we were advised that should we attempt the ferry we may not make it to Vieques because the residents have priority.

Tips for Viequen travel:
1. Rent a car- you will need it and want it. The island has many interesting beaches to explore and discover. You will also want to check out the Island's two main towns: Isabel Segundo and Esperanza. They are small, and you can enjoy them within an hour.

2. Go to the Bioluminescent Bay- it is something you will not want to miss. You could kayak or you could, like us, take an electric boat where your tour guides will tell you anything and everything you want to know about the bay. For instance, you will learn that the bay is filled with microscopic dinoflagellates that glow/illuminate when they are disturbed. We got the chance to see the fish swim through the water, at night, because they leave a blue streak caused by the microorganisms. We also got to stick our hands in buckets to see up close the dinoflagellates sparkling on our skin. So cool!

3. Eat the local food- oh how I love lechon and all things Puerto Rican!!!! I had yucca mofongo with churrasco, roasted pork many times, and paella! On Christmas afternoon, the W had a Puerto Rican smorgasbord with lots of amazing foods to feast on...and boy did I feast!

4. Don't be in a hurry- because no one else is. It is a place of slow pace, and it is a good reminder for a New Yorker that it is good to take it easy. There are lots of fun activities in which you can engage (snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, horseback riding, boating, fishing), just give yourself as much or as little time so that you can truly enjoy the island's natural beauty.

5. Don't feed the horses- they say they are wild but they really aren't. Still, it is best to let them graze. Every horse we saw belongs to someone, but they are allowed to roam the island as they please. So, give them their distance, and they will give you yours. It is all about mutual respect.

Thus I leave you with a few pics before you book your next vacation there!

















Patrick's family and I hanging out at the fire pit at the W.





















This little piggy roasted for 7 hours and it was muy delicioso! He was the main dish on our Christmas buffet.




















The iguanas had their own tanning deck at the W. Everyday, they come out to enjoy some sun and lettuce snacks around 1 p.m.




















Sunset at Paya Caracas-this is how I spent my Christmas evening. It was serenely perfect.





















I just couldn't get away from the pigeons! Just like in NYC, this guy decided to make himself at home right outside on our deck (except the NYC pigeons hang out on our fire escape...we do not have a deck).




















The main pool at the W.


























Overlooking the water- W property. Shortly after this was taken, Patrick and I climbed down the cliff to check out the tide pools below. One of my favorite memories from the trip.




















Patrick was our "co-pilot" on the way back to San Juan. Adios Vieques! Gracias por los recuerdos.



Before I go, I must say that while staying at the W Vieques, we received exemplary service, lovely rooms, and enjoyed the property very much. I had an amazing spa treatment at the AWAY spa where I had the cafe con coco scrub and a 60 minute massage that was just divine. The staff sticks to their "Whatever, Whenever" motto, so all you need to do is ask, and you will receive!

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