Author name: Michael

greek islands
EUROPE, GREECE, Greek Islands, ISLANDS

Greek Islands

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Which islands to choose? There are so many. We made a valiant effort over two weeks to see as many as we could, however without sacrificing the enjoyment of spending the time to see what each one had to offer. Each island was unique, with a history and archeological finds and micro-cultures to call it’s own, while still intertwined with the overall history and legends that make Greece special. Crete is a large island with numerous archeological sites to visit, beautiful beaches (the water is colder than you expect), olive farms, and picturesque towns. Santorini is home to the iconic blue domed roof white buildings. Mykonos draws a younger, more active crowd than some and it is a charming island. Also home to the centuries old windmills. Paros was a recommended stop along the way. Conveniently located in a ferry ride between Santorini and Mykonos, caught us by surprise with its charming post card corridors and a pastry shop no one could have the will to pass by without stepping in. A short boat ride around the corner takes you to Anti-Paros, a quiet charming little island also known for being location to a home of actors Tom and Rita. A short ride from Athens on the “bullet boat” is the worthwhile ride to the unspoiled, quiet and beautiful island of Hydra.  With an impressive mix of architecture from ancient to modern, and the absence of cars, this is a special island, with a quiet, relaxing atmosphere . Two weeks was not enough. Yet, with all there is to see between the numerous islands plus the Greek mainland itself, I wonder if two years would be enough . . .  

EUROPE, GREECE, Greek Islands, ISLANDS

Santorini

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For the obvious, picturesque iconic bright white with blue domed roofs image that dote the cover and ads of travel magazines – and location of the famous movie Summer Lovers that implanted the image for certain generations, it is Santorini. Located along what remains of the top of a volcanic rim jutting out of the Agean sea you will find what you are looking for here. Blue water, blue sky, beautiful sunsets and numerous photo opportunities. A fairly small island, it is easy, inexpensive, and quick to get around on by bus. Note that there is more to see on this island than just Oia and the main town, with a diverse range of beach colors and scenery. Arrivals by boat and tours require a steep hike from the water to the top of the rim and it s not for the feint of heart. However in some locations if you do not wish to carry luggage up 480 steps (requiring a few steps in between) there are donkeys or a fernicular available. We arrived by ferry with a reservation to stay at Villa Manos, who provide transportation to and from the port. The friendly couple that operate this hostel / hotel do a wonderful job with recommendations, atmosphere and accomodations. While not in a white, domed roof location, a view of the sea is present, balconies and tables, large pool, only a few minutes you can count on one hand to the main tourist areas, and 1/10 to 1/20 the price. Be sure to take the full day 3-island Santorini tour they recommend.

CENTRAL AMERICA, Costa Rica

Costa Rica Beaches

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Years ago I was of the personal opinion that the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica had to be either Playa Conchal or the pink beach located only a short walk from the private resort of Punta Leona. While there are many beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, typically somewhat crescent shaped with green mountains and seasonally colorful trees taking up the back drop, these two were my personal preferences for beauty. The popular Manuel Antonio of course is great with lush green mountainsides, a secluded beach with the picturesque large stone, and a great ambiance. Tamarindo and Flamingo are nice and have all of the conveniences to satisfy the tourists crowd. It is all a matter of personal preference,and there are plenty of uniquely situated beaches for anyone to choose from. Playa Conchal and Punta Leona were my preferences for beach and water color, landscape, ambiance and population combined. While the majority of beaches along the Pacific have that generally dark Pacific Ocean color and a darker sand, Playa Conchal is a bright white, small crescent shaped beach once secluded with water in clear shades of blue. At one time it was known mostly only among locals. To get there you would go to Playa Brasalito and walk south to the end of the dark tan colored beach. At the end was a small trail through some brush over a little short hill that opened up unto this bright white beach. The beach is white because it is comprised of bleached out washed up seashells, which have been worn soft and are actually easy to walk on. There used to be a friendly, small hotel at the end of Brasalito owned by a Dutch couple, and a little locally owned seafood shack on the beach – both great. Fortunately for tourists and unfortunately for those of us who preferred this naturally beautiful, uncrowded and secluded beach, it became home to the high end Melía Conchal, now maybe Westin, complete with water sports. I do not have current, digital photos of Conchal in its prime, so have hyperlinked here Playa Conchal images for current photos. Today I would prefer some of the less discovered and now more easily accessible pristine beaches along the Guanacaste coastline between Samara and Tamarindo. Located a little south of the well known Jaco, is the then private resort of Punta Leona. From the main resort with the cabins, pool, restaurant etc, it is a short picturesque walk to the south up over a hill, which drops down into this little secluded beach, usually with very small crowds. Sand of this little beach appear to change to a pinkish color as the day goes on, the water is a light emerald green, and outlined with a very lush,  cover photo quality tree line.  This beach was chosen for its scenery as the place where Colombus came ashore in the movie “1492.” Never seen the movie, but if you are looking for a quiet beach that is beautiful from any angle. Again, my old photos are not digitized nor current, so here is a link to Punta Leona images.  

panama city panama
CENTRAL AMERICA, Panama, Panama City

Panama City

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Panama City is a bustling city that incorporates modern development, architectural design, business, and a fast pace with a combination of ever present local and foreign cultures and influences readily co-mingling. A skyline dense with modern skyscrapers provides a wonderfully motivating and beautiful view at night backed by the moon as seen from across the water. Within the city, areas like El Cangrejo have numerous restaurants, hotels, hostels, businesses, grocery and shopping centers within easy and safe walking distance. From the expensive, modern condo developments, restaurants and shops, to the more moderate and reasonable, choices of Panamanian, Mexican, Chinese, Vegetarian, Lebanese, North American (even bagels)- it is all there. I think one could find pretty much anything they need in Panama City. If you are into martial arts you will find one of the best and most active, well known Hapkido schools in the world located in Mira Flores de Batana; Academia Panameña de Hapkido. Check it out! Impressive is that the city itself is actually growing in land mass, as earth from drudging out the canal is used to expand the land area.  Located on land that did not even exist a decade ago is a scenic drive along the water with grass, walking and biking trails on one side and high rise buildings along the other. The area known as Causeway, popular with scenic marinas and loaded with restaurants,  is now one land mass that only a short time ago was comprised of three separate islands. In the quiet suburb of Albrook just outside of the city, closer to the canal and former home to US Military housing, the view might include the Bridge of Americas to one side, the city skyline a little more to the east and greenery to the north. During one of our morning walks in Albrook we watched a Toucan, a Parrot, a Tapir and heard the beautiful purr of  a ’69 Camaro driving by. (Not sure if Miha noticed the silver SS Camaro passing by, but Mike sure did). From the Albrook Mall you can catch a bus to pretty much anywhere in the country,  or to get there faster you can go to the  small domestic airport.  

Daios cove crete greece
EUROPE, GREECE, Greek Islands, ISLANDS

Crete

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Meeting up with Miha in Athens after finishing her assignment in Cyprus, we flew together to Crete, where a car had been arranged through Manolis, Director of Sales at the new Gran Meliá Resort & Luxury Villas Daios Cove, just a little down the road from Agios Nikolaos, and brother of my co-worker in Florida.  Arriving at the Gran Meliá, we were treated like royalty from beginning to end. The resort is located in a quiet, picturesque secluded cove. Manolis and staff were spectacular, with no detail missed. Crete is a fairly large island, with ruins, historical sites, and places to visit scattered throughout. We stayed in Crete for 3-4 days, drove much of it, and did not even begin to see all of the locations, such as Zeus’s cave. From the main city of Heraklion, it is only a short 20-30 minute bus ride from the town circle to the ruins of Knossos, and well worth the trip. Tours are available, however a bus ride and personally paid entrance will get you there and back for much less than half the price. Downtown Heraklion boasts plenty of outdoor cafés in the town center, or you can dine along the water with a view of the old fortress and carouse the cobblestone streets. Travel stores are numerous and you can book your ferry to the next island from most of them. Almost all flights return first to Athens, and then depart for one of the islands. The ferrys are less expensive, and considering a would be lay over in Athens with the flights, no time is lost.   Images from Crete:

CENTRAL AMERICA, Costa Rica

Costa Rica

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Small but beautiful, Costa Rica  is versatile and developing rapidly. As an editor who once lived in the country, operating a US based publicly traded company, return visits come filled with mixed emotions. As infrastructure improves and develops,  some care-free freedoms are reduced while amenities, prices, and populations are increased. Yet from a travel perspective this is still a wonderful place to visit. Hostels and inexpensive lodging can be found, and one can pick anything from rustic, limited, to luxury resorts and anywhere in between.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, picked ripe and flavorful in their natural state. The coffee and rum are excellent, the people are quite friendly and helpful, and the myriad of mini ecosystems allow one to basically choose any climate they wish. Favorites include the beautiful and picturesque secluded pink beach with turquoise waters located within Punta Leona, just south of Playa Jaco. While Punta Leona is not available to the general public, other great locations are, such as Playa Conchal. Now the home of the large, luxurious Melia resort, we used to access this sea shell white beach by going to Playa Brasalito and walking south through the brush. Vulcan Arenal is a beautiful region, lush with green hills and colorful flora and fauna. If you sit quietly, you can hear a variety of birds contributing to nature’s symphony. Tabacon Hot Springs maintains a lush landscape and beauty second to none. Back in the main city of San Jose, in the suburb of Escazu, is the beautiful hotel Posada El Quijote, quitely nestled on a hillside just outside of the hustle and bustle, self-sufficient with an elegant living room and view of the city. When staying in the city I always make at least one trip to the restaurant Le Monastere, whose owner, Vicente, boasts a fabulous founding story. For a traditional visit to one the country’s oldest and most beautiful restaurants, lined with exotic woods, take a trip to Ram Luna in Asseri above Desamparados. Too much to list all on one page, as with any place visited frequently or extensively. (Written by contributing editor. See posts for Miha’s favorites, and other locations such the Orosi Valley, cable cars in Braullio Carillo Rain Forest, and others).

Brasov
EUROPE, ROMANIA

Brasov Romania

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Self proclaimed “Possibly the Best City in the World” it is easy to see why Brasov, Romania is a popular destination. Nestled within the surrounding mountains with a Hollywood style BRASOV sign overlooking a colorful town “square” and cobblestone pathways, I found no reason to actively debate the claim.The downtown area is cleanly landscaped and maintained, with interesting mountain views in three directions and a colorful mix of architecture from different influences. Even the Post Office and government buildings are picturesque. Like many old towns in Romania, enticing stories support historic  landmarks, and  Brasov is no different. Standing in great proportion at the edge of Piata Stafului, the charming town square, is the iconic Gothic Black Church – built during the late 14th -15th century, and noted to be the largest between Vienna and Istanbul. The black soot color remains from the great fire of a 1689 invasion. Piata Stafului, the town center is charming and colorful with stylish architecture similar to that of the attractive Sibiu, however seated within a crescent of surrounding hills that enhance the view. At the recommendation of other travelers we stayed at Hostelworld reader’s popular choice Kismet Dao Hostel. Like many, there is always room for improvement, however the environment was relaxed and welcoming, easy going, and it was a short, scenic walk to the piata, shops, stores and ever present fresh pastry stands. A short bus ride up the mountain brings you to the little mountain area and ski village Poiana Brasov, which is well worth the visit. It is only a short ride up the winding mountain road. If you have a car you can stop at some of the vistas for view of Brasov from above, with its colorful roofs and church steeples. Unless in winter, skiing and lodging there, Poiana Brasov is great for just a few hours round trip to relax, enjoy the mountains and an outdoor lunch or dinner.      

GREECE

Athens

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Athens is impressive. For those whose who dig ancient history, vivid mythological stories and a myriad of bigger than life Gods, Athens will tantalize the imagination. As well, for those academics who enjoy the ambiance of university surroundings, there is a radiant energy in the streets below the Parthenon. Walking the cobblestone streets and park in the cool evening, lush with green trees, the illuminated massive Parthenon looks down from atop the hill giving off an ora that makes one feel as though they should kneel and offer homage to Zeus and the gang right now right there on the spot. The streets expanding out from the area are lined with outdoor tables and open air cafés, bustling with people and music. Funny enough, we experienced quite a challenge in finding an authentic place with Greek bazouki music and dancing. Walking all of the table lined streets, North American dance and classic rock played from virtually every location. We finally settled on one that had a different tune playing, which turned out to be an African song, followed by American modern jazz. In any event, the service was friendly like always, the food was fresh, and the traditional shots of free Raki were kindly offered. Nearly everywhere you walk in downtown Athens, if you are paying attention – and especially along the roads jetting out from the University and Parthenon area and plaza – you will come across historical ruins and discovery of an ancient underground city at nearly every excavation site for new construction.  

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