cayman islands

This post is a bit similar to the mazatlan because this is another destination my family owns a timeshare in, therefore I have been there more than a few times. Compared to Mazatlan, I know a bit more about the Cayman Islands mostly because we started going over there when I was a bit older. There is also a lot to do on the island rather than just on the resort itself. I highly suggest checking out these magical little gems of islands (the best time to go is during the Winter). Enjoy!!!

Mini Lesson about the Cayman Islands

• The Cayman Islands, a British oversees territory, is composed of three islands: Grand Cayman (where we stay), Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman
• The total landmass of the three islands is 100 square miles 
• Its nickname is "Las Tortugas" dubbed by Christopher Columbus himself, due to the amount of sea turtles on the island
• Little Cayman has only 100 permanent residents 
• Cayman Islands is a tax-free destination supposedly thanks to the Wreck of Ten Sail and King George III giving them this gift in order to thank them for their generosity when they saved the crew members of the ten ships (which according to legend included Prince William) 
• Although the Island is protected by a reef, it gets hit, or brushed, by hurricanes on average every 2.23 years (I was there before and after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and it was really scary/interesting to see the damage and how things had changed) 
• There are more registered businesses than people, though most of them are closed on Sundays
• The Islands were a popular pirate hideout and the annual "Pirate's Week Festival" is one of the largest festivals on the Island 
• The Islands have their own currency, Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD), which has a fixed rate of 1 KYD= 1.25 USD (But USD are excepted pretty much everywhere on the Islands) 
• The Islands are the fifth-largest banking center in the world (they have more than 449 banks!) 
• There are 10 mammalian species on the islands, including the Blue Iguana and their own native Cayman Brac Parrot
• The Tortuga island in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" is based on the Cayman Islands
• The name 'Cayman' derives from the Carib word "Camanas" meaning crocodile 
• "Haven" the 2006 movie starring Orlando Bloom is about the Cayman Islands (but is pretty inconsistent) 
• It is a popular Cruise Stop Destination (I stopped here with the Disney Caribbean Cruise) 
• Want to go to Cuba? You can take a boat trip to Cuba from the Islands (they don't turn away Americans) 
• It is a very popular scuba diving location with over 159 dive sites 
• The coat of arms is very symbolic: the pineapple representing the tie to Jamaica, the turtle representing the significance of the turtle throughout the Island's history, the rope representing seafaring tradition and the thatch rope industry, the lion acknowledging the Crow Colony, and the white and blue bands represent the sea with three green stars representing the islands 
• I think that the Grand Cayman Island looks like a mermaid, others have said a footprint :P

Favorite Dishes

• Rum cake!
• SEAFOOD
• Rum
• Cayman Beer: Caybrew, Caybrew Light, White Tip and Ironshore Bock
• Conch
• Traditional Caymanian food includes turtle (I've never had it though) 
• Anywhere on Seven Mile Beach 
• I had the best food of my life, New Years Eve dinner, at Rum Point 

Top 7 Recommendations:

• Trip to Stingray City where you feed and swim with stingrays, then go on a snorkeling/scuba trip after
• Relax and walk on the Seven Mile Beach, and stopping at Rum Point for some drinks and rum cake
• Visit the other Islands: Little Cayman and Cayman Brac
• See one of the many shipwrecks near the island
• Visit "Hell"(even though it's a tourist trap) and the nearby Turtle Farm to learn all about turtles (they have 16,000) 
• Visit George Town (the capital) 
• Hike the "Mastic Trail" 

"Cayman Islands: Where the rum is never gone." -Me

mazatlán

So as I mentioned in "the basics" post, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel pretty much all my life. Looking back on my childhood, the annual trips to Mazatlán, Mexico definitely started my traveling addiction. We used to go every year in January/February for two weeks until I started high school.

Clearly I have never lived in Mexico and my time spent in Mazatlán was more vacation time than adventure time, so this post will be a bit different in comparison to my switzerland or colorado posts. Being younger I did not have as much as an appreciation for traveling and different cultures as I do now, though I was always trying to learn a bit of Spanish and always participated in the 'culture' aspects our resort provided. Basically my disclaimer is that my experiences here are very 'touristy/resort' (and I haven't been back since 2005) but I long to go back to Mazatlán to get a better taste of its culture and relive my childhood experiences. I highly recommend taking a trip to Mazatlán for some excellent R and R (rest and relaxation), plus Mexico truly is an amazing country (in and out of resort walls) that doesn't get nearly enough credit.  (PS: I still have my timeshare so if this post inspires anyone to go check out Mazatlán, let's go!)

Mini- "Lesson" on Mazatlán, Mexico:

• It is in the Mexican state of Sinaloa
• It means "place of the deer"
• It is often called the Pearl of the Pacific
• The "Pacifico" brewery is located here (I love this beer mostly because it brings back memories of my dad drinking it every time we were there) 
• It's a pretty big tourist destination because of the resorts and the port for cruise boats (We have a timeshare with the El Cid-El Moro resorts) 
• There are islands close by in the Pacific Ocean (the ones closest to our resort are Wolf, Deer and Bird Island)
• The "White Rocks" on Bird Island got their name thanks to the amount of bird dung that has accumulated over the years, permanently staining the originally gray/brown rocks white.
  
• The beaches are great but beware that they are filled with people selling touristy stuff and beggars. You can bargain if you want to buy something and I do, however, suggest getting your hair beaded (I did it every single year). I would always go back to the same beader and we would bring her beads from the USA 
• There is always a lot of different activities going on whether it is golfing, kayaking, banana boating, parasailing, fishing trips, etc (again it's a big tourist town) We would always go to Playa Bruja to horseback ride on the beach with Ginger's Bilingual Horses' 
• The lighthouse, El Faro, was made in Paris and is located on Creston Hill, a popular destination for cliff divers
• If you need to get around take a "Pulmonia" which is a taxi that resembles a golf cart and only costs a few pesos (it's unique to Mazatlán) 
• There is a lot to do at the Malecon (boardwalk) which is also home to a lot of statues from unknown artistes such as the statue of Benito Juarez, the leaping dolphins and the surprised Mermaid
• The largest statue is "Fisherman's Monument" to pay heritage to the fishing history of the town, and it is commonly used as a reference point 
• It's a popular Spring Break destination with a lot of clubs and bars. We would go to Señor Frogs :P
• The Cathedral is really pretty, with great views, and it's gorgeous at night 
• The sea shell museum is pretty cool. You will see a lot of diverse sea life including puffer fish and starfish. Don't accidentally mistake a plastic floating turtle for a real one though 
• Though I personally have not, nor would ever go... there is a mexican bull fighting stadium 
• There's a lively open market (Pino Suarez) downtown but if you are more consumer driven there is also a Sam's Club haha
• Icebox Hill has a cave where they stored ice that was shipped from San Francisco to keep the seafood cold. Later it became a hideout from pirates, then to store ammunition and now it's called Cerro de la Neveria (Devil's Cave) 
• You can probably find a mariachi band playing in almost every restaurant on the beach 
• There is always something to do here, day or night, and the people are very friendly 

Favorite Dishes:

• MEXICAN FOOD. enough said.
• Pacifico Beer
• Tequila
• SEAFOOD
• Poncho's Restaurant (really great food, right on the beach)
• El Casa Country (so much fun and some of the best homemade steak sauce)
• Pineapple drink thing from El Cid resort (It's a cocktail in a pineapple) 
• Resort life: Buffets 

7 Recommended Places to visit/things to do:

• Take a free city tour: Explore the old city, Malecon and see cliff divers 
• Take a catamaran trip to Deer Island: You leave in the morning, tour around the other islands, then spend your day doing various activities (snorkeling, volleyball, banana boat, etc)  on the island
• See a traditional Mexican Dance Show. The dresses are AMAZING
• Horseback ride on the beach
• Paraglide (I still haven't done it!) 
• Enjoy the resort life: pools, massages, activities (Spanish bingo, Mexican pottery painting (great souvenir), drinking competitions, etc), aquafitness, rest and relaxation 
• Get your hair braided and give in and buy some souvenirs (I recommend some maracas, sombreros, and Mexican/Aztec Dolls) 

                                                                                The view from our timeshare:

                                                                                  "Viva México! Viva Mazatlán!" -Me

colorado

Yesterday I jotted down a few things about Switzerland, now it's time to talk about where I come from: Colorado. Obviously you could write thousands of posts about this magnificent state, so I'm just going to note down things that I find important or interesting. My fellow Coloradoans, feel free to comment on things you think should be added to the list.

Mini-Lesson on Colorado:

• Colorado means "colored red" in Spanish. It was named by Spanish explorers for the Colorado river because of the red silt the river carried from the mountains.
• We have more sunshine than Miami or San Diego. They say about 300 sunny days in a year. 
• We are the 38th state but named the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union on August 1st, 1876 (a year after the Declaration of Independence) 
• Denver, the capital, is known at the "Mile High" because the 13th step of the capital building is exactly 1 mile (1.6 km) above sea level
• Myth has it that the Cheeseburger was invented in Colorado
• This state is much more than Columbine or the Aurora/Batman shooting. RIP 
• We host the world's largest rodeo: National Western Stock Show each year in January
• We have the most microbreweries in America
• Colorado is the 'skinniest' state of America
• It is the 8th largest state
• Marijuana is legal only here and Washington State
• The welcoming sign says "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" but the sign itself isn't colorful :( 
• We have 53 "Fourteeners" (mountains with an altitude above 14,000 feet (4.3 meters)) 
• The show "South Park" is written by Colorado natives (Trey Parker and Matt Stone)  and based in Colorado, it includes many "Colorado" things including Casa Bonita (a real restaurant) 
• Famous Coloradoans (born or residents) include: Tim Allen, Jessica Biel, Jeremy Bloom, John Elway, Missy Franklin, Lindsey Vonn, Roy Halladay, Adolph Coors, 3oh!3, The Fray, The Lumineers, John Denver, DeVotchKa, Flobots, Pretty Lights, John Kerry, and many more
• Our American Football team, the Broncos, have won 2 Superbowls and currently have Peyton Manning as a quarterback (others include John Elway, Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler, and Tim Tebow) 
• Stephen King's "The Shining" was inspired by the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
• The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a Colorado resident, was one of the survivors of the RMS Titanic
• There is a 32 feet (9.8m) statue of a blue horse with red eyes when you arrive at Denver International Airport and it fell and killed the artist that created it 
• Part of Denver International Airport is covered by 'teepees' and it is the largest airport (by size) in America 
• The flag has it's own meaning: blue for the skies, gold for the sun (or gold from the miners), white for the snow packed mountains and red for the earth, plus the obvious CO which stands for Colorado 
• Colorado is pretty damn cool. Fact. 
• Plus... much much more! 

Favorite Dishes:

• Denver Omelet
• Chipotle (Denver based)
• Mad Greens
• Prime Rib 
• Dipped Graham Crackers from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 
• Celestial Seasonings Tea 

7 Recommended Places to Visit: 

• Mesa Verde
• Red Rocks and Golden
• Climb a 14er 
• Garden of the Gods
• Tour any of the microbreweries or breweries (I recommend New Belgium and see the Clydesdales at Budweiser) 
• Go to a game in Downtown Denver and the 16th street mall then drinks in LoDo
• Skiing at Wolf Creek and then après ski at the Hot Springs in Pagosa Springs 

"The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere

is a quiet Christmas morning in the Colorado snow" 

-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 

switzerland

The most important thing you need to know about Switzerland is that it is NOT Sweden.
Oh, and "Swiss" isn't a language. So if you read all of this and have only retained those two bits of knowledge I will be very very happy. In this post you will learn some little tidbits about CH. I will dedicate other posts to certain Swiss towns.

Mini Lesson about Switzerland

• Abbreviated as "CH" for Confoederatio Helvetica
• There are 26 cantons (like states). I live in the canton of Vaud. My canton of origin is Appenzell Ausserrhoden. 
• A third of the size of New York state
• There are 4 national languages (again not "Swiss): Swiss-German, French, Italian and Romansch
• The national day is August 1 [same as Colorado Day ;)]
• It is bordered by 5 countries and is really a central location for traveling
• There hasn't been an international war since 1815, but all Swiss men are required to join the Army
• It is not a member of the European Union
• The capital is Bern but the largest city is Zurich, then Geneva
• It's one of the richest countries in the world 
• The currency is Swiss Francs (CHF) but Euros can be taken in some of the big cities like Geneva and Zurich 
• James Bond's mother is Swiss, and so was the first Bond girl 
• We have the second best public transportation (after Japan). But it's expensive :P 
• The water here is amazing and you can find a potable fountain almost everywhere 
• The song "Smoke on the Water" is about the smoke from the Montreux Casino fire on Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) 
• You are never 10 miles away from a Lake or River 
• You have to name your child in regards to the approved list of names 
• You have to bring your own grocery bags to grocery shop, or else you pay for each bag
• It is really difficult to find housing in the big cities (like mine) 
• In certain cantons you are only allowed to throw away your trash in the official white trash bags (like mine, and they are expensive)
• Roger Federer is pretty much the national hero
• Famous people include: Heidi, William Tell, Carl Jung, Hermann Rorschach, Simon Ammann and others 
• The Swiss are very punctual. 10am means 10am not 10:02 am
• You do not leave tips (unless they did really really really really good) and tax is included
• The flag of the Red Cross is the Swiss flag with inverted colors! 
• Velcro was invented by a Swiss guy
• Famous residents included Freddy Mercury, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, James Joyce, Shania Twain, Yoko Ono, the guy that created Ikea, and many more 
• Bank Accounts, Cheese, Swiss Army Knives, Chocolate, Fondue, Raclette, Cuckoo Clocks, Watches, and skiing of course 
• Traditional drinks include, well obviously wine, but Kirsh (a cherry brandy), Absinthe, and Appenzeller Alpenbitter, to name a few
• The two biggest airports are in Geneva and Zurich (for all of you that want to visit me) 
• And much more to come!!! 

My Favorite Dishes:

• Wine especially from Valais
• Fondue (Moitié-Moitié) or Raclette
• Risotto 
• Cailler or Lindt Chocolate
• Rivella (a 'soda') 

7 Recommended Places to Visit:

• Bern (the capitol, bear pit, and the Federal Palace)
• Lavaux vineyards
• Zermatt and the Matterhorn 
• Gruyères (the castle and cheese)
• Jungfrau (still on my to-do list) 
• Appenzell 
• And Lausanne to see me :) 

                                                               

                                                                      "Living in Switzerland is like the flag, a big plus."

 

the basics

This is a story.
My story.
A work in progress.
An adventure.

So lets set the scene:

I was born in Switzerland to a loving couple who had been trying to have a child for quite sometime. He was Swiss-German and she was an all-American California girl. They have quite an adventurous story as well, but we will get to that some other day.

When I was 3 years old, we moved to the "Centennial State" aka Colorado in good ol' U S of A. I would [and still] call it my home for 22 years.

After a great 4 years at Colorado State University, I packed up my suitcases, grabbed my trustee Swiss passport and headed over to pursue a Master's degree at the University of Lausanne. I have been here for a year and half, and it has been some of the most influential years of my life (not because of graduate school).

You could say that I caught the travel bug starting day 1. I travelled a bit when I was little but being in Switzerland has given me so many traveling opportunities. Not only is rediscovering my 'country of origin' an adventure, but I travel quite a bit [thank you EasyJet and ESN]. So here I am expanding my cultural diversity and creating myself with every train and plane ride.
I have no idea how this blog will turn out, so bear with me. This blog is mostly for myself, my friends, and my family. But if you somehow stumbled upon this, I hope you enjoy it.

                                 “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” 

                   ― Augustine of Hippo