Tierra Atacama, the resort and spa that we are staying at offers a ton of different excursions during your stay here. Actually, they are part of your al-inclusive package. Here is the link to pricing at Tierra Atacama. (Could they have come up with a shorter name?)
Our group went on a bike ride to the salt lake today. It was a pretty gentle ride, but I hear there are harsher bike rides and excursions that the resort offers. Honestly, I don’t really care to break anything more than a bottle of wine open, so breaking a sweat is not on my itinerary.
I really enjoyed the hour-plus ride and at the end of it we went and checked out a whole in the salt lake where a crazy Swiss tourist was swimming. Another thing I won’t do on vacation is freeze my !%$ off in water that is 40 degrees on the surface. (I am told it is warmer just under the salty, cold layer, but I was not going to find out. I did dip my toes in and that was far enough.
Who knew that three of the five types of flamingos lived in Chile? As a matter of fact, they can be found around an hour from our resort in San Pedro. After our trip to the Valley of the Moon, we ventured to Salar de Atacama, which is the third largest salt lake in the world. The lake is 92 kilometers in length and is the largest producer of Lithium in the world. So, here at this dry, salty lake, they’ve got pink flamingos, Lithium, UFO sightings, healing salts, and deep Incan folklore. Crazy, right?
Our guide, Pamela share with us an passionate story about a sacred Incan volcano and how God created Chile.
Watch her wonderful story as we walk on salt flats and play with flamingos.
The flight from Dallas to Santiago Chile was a breeze because we flew American Airlines Business Class. They don’t offer First Class to Santiago - but is was all good and I slept during most of the flight. Ahhhh, the only way to fly.
We spent a few hours at the Ritz Carlton in Santiago, then returned back to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Calama. The resort that we are staying at, Tierra Atacama is located in a tiny town called San Pedro, which is arounf 1.5 hours from Calama airport. The flight from Santiago to Calama was around 1.5 hours as well. So, it is fair to say that we were all pretty tired that night.
The next day we were up and out to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). The Vally is located around 20 minutes from the resort in the “Los Flamencos National Reserve.” It really looks like the moon there because of the salt formations.
For the next 7 days, you can follow me as I trek through Chile with Americas Travel, a tour company that specializes in high-end tours of South America. Marcelo, our host and owner of Americas Travel meets up with a group of 10 women on their way to Argentina.
This is our plans while we’re in Chile:
May 07 - Depart for Santiago de Chile on American Airlines
May 08 - Arrival at 800am at the Santiago airport. Our driver will pick us up and take us to the Ritz Carlton to enjoy some late breakfast or early lunch or a glass of Champagne, also here we can drop some of our clothing that we will not need in Atacama. We have a flight to Calama at 355pm from Santiago airport, so probably we will depart the Ritz around 130pm.
May 08 - Arrival at the Calama airport. We will be met by Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa, our arrival at Calama airport is at 6pm, the transfer will take about 1 hour to our hotel.
May 08-12 - We’ll be biking treking, hiking, spa-ing, and dining for 4 days.
May 12 - Depart from Calama airport at 935am to arrive Santiago at 1235pm. We will probably depart the hotel at around 7am.
May 12 - Our driver will meet us at Santiago airport and transfer us to the Ritz Carlton Santiago. a few hours for a City tour, back to the hotel.
May 13 - After breakfast we will go and visit Valparaiso ( Port ) and Vina del Mar Sea Side Resort, for Lunch we will meet some contacts at Puro Caballo for lunch www.purocaballo.cl , later on return to hotel.
Dinner at the hotel, then out on the town on our own.
May 14 - Day at leisure, go shopping, relax at the SPA, lunch on our own , late check out, by 6pm.
May 14 - Flight from Santiago at 910pm, arrive Dallas May 15 and then connect to arrive San Francisco at 1030am.
Our plan for going out in style was to watch the sunrise from our rainbow colored, eight-story tall, Hot-Air Balloon. My group gathered; pre-dawn, in the lobby for the drive to the airfield. Thankfully, we made a much needed coffee stop along the way so we were wide awake by the time we met Bob of Bob’s Balloons. I learned that we gave up some much needed deep REM sleep because of the wind factor.Not only is wind necessary to fly a balloon, but you want the right kind of wind. In the wee hours of the morning, there are calm winds flowing parallel to the earth, allowing for a smoother, gentle ride.
Bob’s gang wasted no time in unloading the balloon. They stretched out this huge balloon flat on the ground with the basket on its side. Then they hooked the balloon to the sides of the basket and started to fill it up with air by some huge fan hooked up to lawnmower motor, while we held up the sides. After the balloon was completely filled with air, we climbed into the basket and waited a bit because the air must be heated in order to get the balloon off the ground. And then slowly, for the second time in two days, I floated in air.
The winds were calm so we drifted slowly over the landscape, watching the fog burn off to reveal numerous lakes, and different areas of town. It was very peaceful and romantic, which is why Bob got his notary license so he can perform balloon wedding ceremonies. About an hour later we made our final descent. We all helped put the balloon to bed- which was great fun since first you all roll around on top of the balloon to get the air out, then lift piles of it to shove into the container, and then jump on it some more to get it all squished in.
Your reward for a job well done is a refreshing mimosa. But before you sip, Bob offers the Balloonist’s Prayer.
“The winds have welcomed you with softness. The Sun has blessed you with his warm hands. You have flown so high and so well, that God has joined you in your laughter, and has set you gently back again in to the loving arms of Mother Earth.”
And so ends my perfect 24 hour quest for adventure. I crossed three thing off my list, had more fun than “you would have thought possible while keeping your clothes on” (as they say at Deland) felt completely renewed and I have Daytona to thank for that. Who would have guessed?
This year’s creative gift options for Mother’s Day are sure to impress even the most hard-to-please moms.
The Buckingham Hotel, a boutique hotel located in the heart of the NYC cultural district, is the perfect place to send maxed out Moms for a weekend of rest and relaxation.
The Hotel’s perfectly peaceful Mother’s Day Spa Package includes a stay in a luxurious Buckingham suite, a lavish massage, manicure and pedicure at nearby Townhouse Spa, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers.
Starting at $460*, sons and daughters can treat their mothers (or ourselves come to think of it) to this NYC retreat, complete with plenty of pampering.
Townhouse Spa’s quiet, serene setting and traditional luxury with modern flourishes is the perfect match for the Buckingham Hotel’s classic style and beautiful décor.
After Mom is pampered like a VIP, nearby top shopping destinations like Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, Prada, Gucci, Burberry and Barneys will provide the perfect NYC playground.
The Buckingham Hotel’s Mother’s Day Spa Package is available for bookings before May 10, 2008 and available on reservations through July 31, 2008. *Price excludes taxes and gratuity and is based on a one night stay.
To book this package, visit BuckinghamHotel.com or call toll-free at (888) 511-1900.
After the day we had, only someplace really special would do for refueling. Again, quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything in Daytona to knock my socks off, fine-dining wise. Wrong again. (Well, at least I admit it when I’m wrong…unlike should we say… Bruce.)
When we reached Martini’s Chophouse I knew we were in for something special, possibly even Bucket List worthy. You enter this sophisticated setting through a magazine-cover stylized garden setting, complete with a 20 ft. lighted waterfall, atmospheric central fire pit, surrounded by artsy outdoor dining furniture and exotic greenery. The owners, Claudia and Clay Butters (an extremely attractive couple who look like they’d be more at home in South Beach) together with their chef, use only the freshest, juiciest, most mouth-watering ingredients for their creative New American cuisine. To insure absolute freshness, the menu changes daily so I’m not sure if my faves will still be on it, but if they are, you should start with the Florida Blue Crab Stack- an artistic high-rise of flavorful crab, avocado and salsa, followed by the Dijon Rubbed Rack of Lamb, served with a Berry and Sundried Cherry Wine Sauce, that in less talented hands would have been cloying but here, provided the perfect gilding. The wine list offers some unique choices by the glass, or you might want to try their $1.00 Martini Specials on Thursday Nights.
Nighty-night: Don’t forget to set the alarm for your 5:00 AM wake-up!
On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall went up to separate East Berlin from West Berlin during Russian occupation of Germany after the WWII. We all know the stories of families torn apart because of the wall and how their country got out of sync with itself because of this separation.
I was in New Orleans last week and the levy, to me, was much like the Berlin Wall. Although the goal of the levy was to separate the unforgiving muddy Mississippi from the lives and homes of New Orleans, after Katrina is represented the harsh reality of class disconnection.
And now, even though the levy us up, the “wall” is even higher and thicker than it was before Katrina. There is no longer a middle class in New Orleans and the economic and racial inequalities are more profound than ever. For example, if you happen to be on the fringe of poverty before Katrina, you were definitely drowning in it afterwards.
Katrina was not a war, it was a natural disaster. And it was not just the Lower 9th Ward that got hit. There are dozens of neighborhoods that were destroyed. I visited two of them while I was there, and I was heartbroken and shocked by what I saw. This did not happen a few weeks ago. This happened 2.5 years ago! The Berlin Wall is gone, just small fragments still stand near Checkpoint Charlie, but as for the levy….. only time will tell.
If you want to support a group that is doing great work in New Orleans by training at-risk youth to work in restaurants, please visit Café Reconcile. The work they are still doing is amazing!
Please, go to New Orleans, it is a fabulously rich American city with roots deep in the African, Caribbean and French culture. Tourism is one of the best ways to get the city back on its feet. But whatever you do, don’t stay at the St. Louis Hotel in the French Quarter. I tried to stay there for a few nights, but the room was so smelly and the staff so unpleasant that I left and went to the Ritz Carlton on Canal Street.
My favorite eats:
Lillette in the Garden District – they have a beet salad to die for!
3637 Magazine Street
504-895-1636
Maximo’s Italian Grill (when you get tired of French and Creole food)
117 Decatur Street
504-586-8883 www.maximosgrill.com
Mr. B’s – the best BBQ shrimp in the world
201 Royal
504-523-2078
Here’s a few great words of wisdom for a Diva who lost her husband to skin cancer. Lynn is the creator of Soleil Chic UV Umbrellas and you can reach her at http://www.soleilchic.com.
“In the case of skin cancer, you can buy good health, or at least good prevention, and for very little. I’m specifically referring to things you can do on your own.
1. Examine your skin every month. Your whole body. Look for very dark or irregular moles or even specs.
*When I was in my 20’s and shared an apartment with a roommate, she started dating an anesthesiologist. I have no idea how this caught his eye, but he my left hand, palm side up and said, “You better get this looked at”.
When I say, it wasn’t a mole, I mean it wasn’t a mole. It was no more than a fleck. A dot. I thought he was nuts. But he thought it could be a melanoma. I had never heard the term before but there was no mistaking the seriousness of his warning so I made an appointment to see a dermatologist, and had it removed. Afterward, the doctor told not to be concerned about it, and immediately I forgot about it.
Fifteen years later when my husband called from his dermatologist’s office to tell me he had melanoma I knew exactly what it meant because of my long forgotten experience. In my husband’s case, it turned out to be deadly.
2. USE – USE – AND USE - SUNSCREEN
There is some debate going on right now about how effective sunscreen really is, and whether they really block the rays the way they say they do. But each day new and better ones are coming out, so it’s worth getting the best you can afford (read up about what needs to be in there, or ask a dermatologist).
But what’s makes sunscreen effective isn’t only what’s in it. It’s how it’s applied. Most people apply it once a day, if at all. It needs to be reapplied every 2 hours, or more often if you in and out of the water, or sweating, or are, for lengthy period of time, in the sun. If you don’t apply it properly, you’re not using your full chunk of armor.
3. PROTECT YOUR EYES
Use UV Sunglasses. An opthamologist called me from Michigan (in the winter!). That’s when I first learned – not about UV Sunglasses – but about how many people get cancer in and around the eye.
4. GET SUN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
You won’t always find fabrics that feel good to your skin. But do the research. There are many companies making UV clothing today and eventually you will find something acceptable. And don’t give up. Every day new things come on the market (I know I’ve said this before, but it’s true). You’ll probably find it on the internet.
5. ACCESSORIES TO BLOCK THE SUN
There is an enormous variety of accessories, from UV head scarves, to UV gloves, to UV Hats and UV Umbrellas. And there are many, many more. Some cover part of your arms (for driving). There is enough out there to find protection that is comfortable for you and fits in with your lifestyle.
So go out and buy yourself some good health. It won’t be expensive and it could save your life.”
Afternoon- Next on the Bucket List:
We’re off to the action-packed Daytona International Speedway. Racing fans from all over the world make the pilgrimage to experience the sounds, smells and sights of a big race at Daytona. Even if it’s not a race day you can spend hours at the Daytona 500 Experience, (Disneyland meets NASCAR.) It’s an amazing complex stocked with all sorts of racing memorabilia. Get an insider’s look at the driver’s meeting room, the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage, see the actual stocker Jeff Gordon drove to win last year’s 500—driven here straight from the track that day, confetti and all, watch the Imax NASCAR 3D, or try a simulated race in Acceleration Alley. All of this was interesting even for a complete NASCAR Novice like me, but what really “revved my motor” was the Richard Petty Driving Experience. I like the real thing!
Once again, I donned a jumpsuit, helmet, and some neck brace contraption and impatiently stood in line for my turn to ride. Finally, I was next up to ride shotgun in a 2 –seat stock car driven by a professional instructor for a thrilling 3-lap NASCAR qualifying run at over 160 MPH!
The hardest part was climbing in the car through the teensy window with any resemblance of grace. I finally figured out some side-saddle way to get in and turned to my driver and told him to “just do whatever he had to do to pass Bruce, my macho friend in the car before us.” Bruce had just broken the record in the video simulated race (he even beat the computers) and had been bragging about it for the last 30 minutes. Geeze- I had the fastest girl’s time in my group but you didn’t hear me going on and on about it! So after giving my directive to let him eat my dust, I fastened my seat belt and we took off. What a blast! No way can TV do justice to the banking at Daytona, at 31 degrees it’s tougher than climbing the Matterhorn.
All too soon my exhilerating ride was over. (My driver didn’t even try to pass Bruce—guess it was against the rules.) And now I’m hooked..nothing like a little spin around the track to make you feel alive. I am sooo ready to plunk down my $399 for the 3 hour program where you actually get to DRIVE eight laps around the track.
But in the meantime I still had to Bruce to contend with. When I heard that Speed Park Motorsports was right across the way and had dragsters you could race that went from 0-75 mph in 3 seconds, the dare was issued and off we went. We made a whopping $1.00 bet for who had the fastest times in 3 runs. Crystal clear, right??? I climbed into my pretty-in–pink colored dragster packing 350 horsepower unders it’s hood, and two out of three times I kicked Bruce’s butt. But then he cried foul…”His car was faulty, the lights that gave the countdown jammed, the sun was in his eyes,”….whatever. We all know the real truth: Bruce was beaten by a Guurl!!!
