Day tripping to Key West

Morning at the pool and then watching some big lizards on our yard and Debbie Doo's sandwich lunch at the beach. Try the Capitan sandwich unless you're a vegetarian. We have been to Florida many times but we had not seen everything yet. For example, we have never seen a manatee before and today we finally saw one. It was much bigger than we anticipated. As big as the kayak in this picture. We were at Robbies to see the tarpons being fed. They were also huge but then the manatee appeared by the pier. It was amazing. As we had been to Robbies before I almost drove by but then decided to turn as Mona had not seen the tarpons before. It was a good decision. After the manatee sighting we almost drove to Cuba, or at least as close as you can drive. On arrival we had ice cream and I had rainbow ice cream to blend in. Sunset celebration at Mallory Square had actually the new performers as well but the banjo-playing guy with a money-collecting dog was my favorite. Thai and sushi dinner and then drive back to Islamorada. The distances at the Key as longer than expected. No matter where you go, you will never get there on time. And Kia is now 16 years old.

Mainly staying put today

It was the warmest day today. We stayed mainly at the pool. The girls got some sunburn and I got some tan. I ate some Conch at Mrs Mac's Kitchen. In overall the Islander Resort is a good place to stay at the lower Keys. Tomorrow some more sun and a trip to Key West for some sunset celebration. I stopped at each retro neon sign for a picture. . Stopped at Worldwide Sportsman for some lures. I bought bait lures. What is bait here is regular fish in Finland.

Driving through the gator country

Today we drove from Ft Myers Beach to Islamorada at the Keys. The next three nights we will be here at Islander Resort. We've stayed here once long time ago but since then the place has been renovated and it looks great. On the way here we crossed the Everglades and we expected to see some gators. And there were plenty lying around the roadside. There is a large ditch on the north side of Tamiami Trail and if you pay close attention you will see them waiting for teenage girls to fall into the ditch. Well, none of the girls fell in and we managed to reach our destination. Before checking in at the Islander we had dinner (not too cheap but the fish was worth it) at the Wahoo's Bar and Grill. Minna had mahi mahi, aka dolphinfish (not dolphin...), which may be the best tasting fish of all the fishes. I had tuna and I need to get mahi mahi also this week, it just can't go wrong. By the way, they don't want to give my money back. The weatherman promised above 25 degrees for the rest of the week.

Are we in Finland in May?

I want my money back. The second time in a row Florida offers us below 20 degrees Celsius temperatures. We moved to Ft Myers Beach and tomorrow the temperature will go up to 20. Tonight it was 10 degrees. Luckily the locals suffer more than us so I can handle it. Everyone keeps telling that last week it was above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (above 30 degrees Celsius anyway). The rest of the week should be OK though. Our hotel Lani Kai Beachfront Resort offers barbershop-like reception, sea views and kitchy-retroesque decoration. I have to admit that this is what we are used to. The Orlando hotel was way above our league, at a very affordable price. But in Orlando you always get more with your money, especially in Ponderosa buffet. Well, we didn't eat at Ponderosa for a reason. Lani Kai doesn't have a wifi. So I will need to find a cafe with wifi in the morning. Sorry to say, we've been eating fast food so far. Today we actually went to a restaurant and had a dinner and a couple of Margaritas, finally. The Beached Whale at Ft Myers Beach had excellent fajitas and decent ribs. And Minna got a new favorite: Buffalo Shrimp. They were so good that she had to get some for dessert after having dinner at the Surf Club the next evening... The Surf Club had very good burgers. The ride to Ft Myers was interesting. We took the scenic route instead of the highway to Tampa. We drove through the orange groves and saw an endless stretch of trailer parks and taquerias. Trucks filled with oranges and grapefruit. Needless to say the mexicans do all the picking. Perhaps we could have gotten the best tacos of the southeast if we had stopped in Arcadia or Fort Meade. Tomorrow some sun and drive to the Keys.

Change of plans

We've just spent 4 nights in Orlando shopping and rollercoasting. We didn't have anything booked for the next two nights to have some room for improvisation. Minna booked the next two nights at Ft Myers Beach. It's furher south as yesterday was really cold. We barely managed to stay at Universal for the Mardi Gras parade as it was maybe 13 degrees in the evening. The best rides: The Revenge of the Mummy and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, front row seats, with Motley Crue's Kickstart my heart playing on the speakers. And of course The Simpsons. Kia and Mona got to ride Rip Ride Rockit twice in a row as the video recording system didn't work the first time. They got to bypass the lines and got front row seats on the second ride (they had just denied front row as on the first go it was too scary...). And got the video. Unfortunately the video had just very little of the actual ride. More animation than real riding. Every time we had planned to play the minigolf here. Now we finally managed to do so at Pirate's Cove. . Very annoying when a couple of families with small kids didn't even count the score and were always coming behind us because it takes a bit longer when you actually follow the rules. They shouldn't even let small kids to come and play this serious sport.

Feels like working

On the go in Florida again. We flew in from Frankfurt for the first time with A380. It is an amazing plane and possibly has 2 cm more legroom. Anyway, intercontinental flight was just as uncomfortable as I recalled.´ Each movie on the personal display started with a Nissan Leaf commercial. I watched three movies and three Nissan Leaf ads. At immigration, Kia's passport raised amusement as it was from the time she was 8 years old. Once through the customs, we saw a big billboard with Usain Bolt and Nissan GT-R greeted us. Then off we went to the Hertz rental where we saw our rental car: Nissan Rogue. And the roads here are quite packed with Nissan's. Models which I have never seen before. And the ones I have seen, look totally different like the Pathfinder, for example. Then, after 14 hours of flying, 400 km car ride to Orlando. We have 2+1 day tickets to Universal Studios and Kia wanted to take the Hulk rollercoaster and as there was not too much rain yesterday and the weather was "not warm" we spent the morning in the Islands of Adventure. Then to Florida Mall with the ladies. The record shops and the bookstores are online nowadays so I had little to do for the afternoon.

Business and pleasure

On our way to Paris, Tex... France. I will leave for a business trip on Thursday morning, which I will extend for a small weekend holiday with Minna and Kia. They will arrive on Friday and will stay until Tuesday. I booked a room from http://www.hotelparisgambetta.com/ . Let's see if the French hospitality meets our expectations. Leevi will also go to a hotel... in Espoo.

Few and far between

Nowadays the blog posts are few and far between as I do not travel for business anymore. We spent three nights in Cancun and one full day in Isla Mujeres. Cancun was pretty useless destination but as the plane landed there we dicided to have a easy start for the vacation. Also, the hotel, Marriott Casamagna Resort, was a bit upscale compared to the one we currently have inPlaya del Carmen, Aventura Mexicana.
The weather has been perfect and the breeze makes it tolerable. The plans for the rest of the vacation are: visit Cozumel, Chichen Itza, Tulum and Merida. Possibly we will rent a car for two days. We rented a golf cart already at Isla Mujeres.

The southernmost

Moving from the subtropics to the tropics didn't make it any warmer. Key West was windy and rainy. Luckily the sun started to shine on Thursday so we were able to join the sunset celebration at the Mallory Square. The best act was the money-eating dog. Or actually it collected money for the banjo player from the audience. I don't even remember the songs the man played but I will always remember the money-collecting dog. If I could teach this trick to a dog, I would not have any difficulty in getting a permission from Minna to actually get a dog...
We stayed at the Authors of Key West for the second time and the Hemingway cottage was very cosy. I recommend the guest house because it is within a walking distance from the Duval Street and it is really well-kept property. In my opinion it was the nicest accommodation on this trip. We even got an extra heater for the second night... It was quite cold at night. The highlight for the rest of our crew was when I got dog crap on my sandal.

Snorkeling no, kayaking yes

Sea water being too cold for snorkeling without a wetsuit, Minna and I decided to go kayaking. John Pennekamp park had well-marked canoe trails so that we wouldn't get lost. Searching for the canoe trail signs was also a good opportunity to test Kia's new waterproof Canon Powershot D10 camera.

This was actually the warmest day of the whole vacation. But, I still would've liked to take pictures of the reef with the new camera.
In the evening we had dinner at Mrs Mac's Kitchen which was recommended both by Lonely Planet and the Sunset Cove's staff. Mahi mahi (or dolphin fish) was excellent and I wonder why it's not possible to get it in Finland. Kia said that the grilled mahi mahi at Mrs Mac's Kitchen was the best food she had on this trip.
As you can see, I am very interested in taking pictures of signs.

Sunset Cove Beach Resort in Key Largo

Sunset Cove Beach Resort is our basecamp in the upper Florida Keys. It is nothing fancy but the location and the sunset is great. We booked the Suite 9 already last year and thus we are right at the waterfront. We will stay here for three nights and then we will head for Key West. Today was the best weather on the whole trip. The forecast for tomorrow says rain but let's see. We will have so many beaches on the way to Key West that it would be a shame not to visit them.
We spent today on John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Minna and I rented a kayak and the girls stayed at the beach. By the way, Minna is obsessed by her 50 state quarters collection and she has only 11 quarters to go. Every time we get some change, everyone needs to declare them so that she can take a look if she is missing any of them. As the collection is almost ready, we found out that there is already a US Territories quarters program so she started collecting those as well when she got the Washington DC quarter...

Mummy and dad at the Universal Studios

Girls loved the Mummy ride at the Universal Studios. Last time Kia did not dare to ride yet but now she rode it 8 times. It is quite awesome with the flaming ceiling and everything. We had already decided to go on Saturday because it was the Mardi Gras at Universal. Blondie was performing and there was a great parade just before the concert. We also bought the ticket which entitled to bypass the lines in all attractions except the newest ones. This was worth the money. We could just go through all attractions first and then spend the rest of the day strolling around the park. Much better system than Disney's Fastpass.
The newest roller coaster Rip Ride Rockit looked worse than it really was. Before it took off, each rider could select his favourite music and listen to it while screaming. Nowadays you can buy your picture in the end of the ride but here, the whole ride was videotaped and made into a music video. Let's see if I can put it here after we get back home. Rip Ride Rockit had long queues on Saturday so we decided to wake up early on Sunday and take the ride then. Unfortunately it was broken in the morning so we had to wait before we could ride it. Anyway, the wait was shorter than on Saturday. . We all preferred Universal over Disney.

On Sunday we drove all the way down to Key Largo in search for a warmer weather. Which we actually found, but it was raining.

Slight disappointment

On Thursday we visited Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was a slight disappointment for the adults but the kids seemed to like it a bit more. Especially the American Idols Experience. As soon as we arrived, we picked up Fastpasses for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This ride actually saved the day. It was one of the best rides I've been to. The park was packed and as you can only have 1 Fastpass at a time, it was almost impossible to get to some of the rides. Toy Story and Aerosmith had about two-hour lines so we did not even try. Lights, camera, action stunt show was also worth going to. Excellent driving and stunts.
On Friday we spent the whole day at the mall and in the evening we visited the Ripley's Believe it or Not attraction.

Welcome to Miami

It's been a long time since I have travelled anywhere. After changing jobs, I must admit that I have not missed business travel a bit. Last year I did not travel anywhere on pleasure either so this is my first vacation since Australia two years ago. Maybe I cannot be considered as travel blogger anymore. Well, frankly my darling, I don't give a damn.
Anyway, here we are. How we got to choose Florida (again) is mainly because of the cheap flights. We managed to get flights for three with 1000 euros which was pretty good considering that we are travelling on a winter holiday week. Kia starts to be in the age when she is not satisfied with the parents' company only so we asked her friend Mona to join us. With this move, I wanted to get rid of the dad-are-we-there-yets.
We changed planes at JFK and there was a big snowstorm there so our plane to Miami was delayed by 2.5 hours. Once we got to Miami, the luggage belt broke while our luggage was being delivered so we waited another 1.5 hrs for the luggage. Then, to top our ordeal, Florida is having the coldest weather in about 40 years.
I had reserved Mazda 6 from Hertz already but then I got second thoughts because I figured out that we will have a lot of luggage. I cancelled the Mazda and reserved Chevy Trailblazer from Avis with the same price (about $700 for two weeks). Then we actually got Ford Edge which had enough space in the back and also looks terrific. Even if the rent is equal to Mazda 6, we are paying extra on the excess fuel Ford consumes. I also booked the first three nights with my Marriott rewards so we have not paid anything for accommodation until today.

Blackfoot in Blues Garage, Hannover

As my flight will be in Helsinki 23:30 tomorrow evening, I will miss Blackfoot (or what is left of it) at Tavastia. Luckily, I am currently in Munster, Germany. Only 200 kms from Hannover where they played today. So I took a small side trip.
It's great that showtime was at 21:00 so it's only 01:00 in the morning and I am back in my hotel in Munster. The average speed was 91 km/h for 400 kms. Not bad.
Anyway, here's the Blackfoot's set list from Hannover: Good morning, Wishing well, Morning dew, I got a line on you, instrumental blues by Bobby Barth, Baby blue, drum solo, bass solo, some song that Greg sang, Fox chase, Left turn on a red light, We'll see sunshine again, Born to lose, Rollin' and tumblin', Fly away, Highway song and Train, train. The gig was 1.5 hours and they had to catch a train (train) at 4 am and a flight to Helsinki through Copenhagen. So I have just seen all living original members within couple of weeks: Rickey in Kuopio with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Greg and Charlie with Blackfoot. Too bad that they were not all on the same stage. Possibly pictures will follow later.

Ingrid at the Islas del Rosario

The Bocagrande beach is not very nice with its hotels and touts. I decided to take a tour to Islas del Rosario which is a national park south of Cartagena. It was worth every peso. Although I accidentally selected Isla del Encantada (which is not even on the map of my Lonely Planet Colombia), the beach was excellent and snorkling was affordable. The day tour was 95 000 pesos (lunch and tax included, 29 euros). The snorkling trip, gear included with one hour of water time) was 30 000 pesos (9 euros). The fish at the lunch was _fresh_.


What I will remember most from this trip was Ingrid, the tour guide. She was just a lovely person with a great sense of humor. I think the best thing about Colombia are its people. Although I was the only non-Spanish speaking customer (maybe there was another one, but it felt like I was the only one) on the boat, Ingrid always found time to give me her presentation also in English. Ingrid promised to include me on her email list so I will be looking forward for her "funny" emails she promised to send me.

The only drawback on this day trip was that the touts were bothering us even when snorkling. Can you believe that?

Balconies and bougainvillea

Cartagena old town is about balconies and bougainvillea. This is what I expect from the caribbean. The old town of Cartagena is also one of the most beautiful places I have been. My friend Pekka was right and I don't regret coming here. Bocagrande, the place where my hotel is, is another story. I wouldn't know whether I'm in Miami Beach or here, except that Bocagrande doesn't have art deco.

This is also one of the safest places in Colombia. First of all, the old town is full of people.

I am staying in Bocagrande, which is about three minute taxi ride away from the old town. The hotel Capillar del Mar is nothing special but the staff is friendly and it is situated across the street from the beach. My balcony, however, is not towards the ocean but towards Bahia de Cartagena.
(How can I photoshop the helicopter blades off of the girl's head).
Finns, if you are planning a holiday in the Caribbean, consider Cartagena, Colombia! Where else a beer in the minibar costs 0.75 euros?

Caribbean rum and 30 degrees centigrade

I am on my way to Cartagena for some Caribbean atmosphere. Expecting to taste some local rums and finally take pictures of something else than manhole covers and political spray paintings. I'm expecting colonial architecture, Spanish fortresses and crystal clear waters but I may get Miami Beach with endless line of hotels and pushy trinket sellers.

Santa Fe de Bogota

It's been a long time since I've been to Colombia. Last time I was here, I sent postcards to everyone thinking that I will possibly not come here. Well, here I am again.
It was not because I didn't like Colombia. Actually I like it more than I like Brasil but it's difficult to say why. It must be the people. Bogota is definitely not a tourist destination but last time I was here I met the best taxi driver ever. Angél was the only English-speaking taxi driver at the Radisson hotel. I had a day-off back then and he was driving me around Bogota showing me the sights. He even took me to his home to meet his family. I remember him driving me to the hills above Bogota where I could see the panorama of the city drinking Aguila beer. Maybe it was five years ago. Maybe it's because of him that I like Colombia. And it has nothing to do with the fact that when I got back home, he called me and asked for an invitation letter for a visa...
It's been two days since I arrived and I still don't have my luggage. The luggage handlers at Charles de Gaulle are taking it easy. Maybe it has something to do with the closing of terminal 2F just before my plane left. I almost missed the flight becaue there was some incident in the terminal. The terminal was empty and there were some police doing some investigations.

As I will be flying back on Sunday, I am planning to visit the Caribbean shores before I leave. My first option was San Andres Island but I wasn't able to get a hotel so I decided to go to Cartagena, which is not bad either. I will fly to Cartagena on Friday and return on Sunday. Cartagena was recommended by my taxi driver Angel (he also recommended San Andres) and my friend Pekka who has lived and worked in Colombia as a scuba instructor. Hopefully Cartagena will be more photogenic than Bogota.