21 Reykjavik, Iceland

It was approaching 8:30am on a mid-February morning as we pulled into the city of our latest travel adventure. It was as pitch black as the dead of night and the streets possessed an uncanny solitude. We were unsure if this could be attributed to a different lifestyle, a sort of sleepy metropolitanism, or simply the fact that it was a Saturday. After a few days in Iceland we realized that it was unquestionably the former.Reykjavik is a truly charming city. The center of town is filled with little shops and cafes, and there are no skyscrapers in sight. We spent our time visiting museums like the Reykjavik 871 +/-2 exhibit built on the ruins of an old settlement, and the National Gallery where we learned an impressive amount about Dieter Roth, who was actually Swiss-German, but after moving to Iceland in his late 20s grew to become seemingly the nation's most celebrated artist. Our favorite was the National Museum of Iceland. The halls of the museum are expansive and present the country's history in a very modern format with a great collection of artifacts, multimedia displays, and hands-on activities like dressing up in historical outfits. Make sure to put aside several hours for this one!

We also had fun visiting the huge 3D map of Iceland located in City Hall and Hallgrimur's Church with its statue of Leif Ericson outside. On the weekends there is also an indoor flea market by the harbor where we found Icelandic board games, 80s tshirts, and other fun items. Right outside is the most popular hot dog stand in the city--always a line! Be sure to ask for one "with everything" - onions, remoulade, ketchup, and what they call mustard. The fixings were a bit sweet for our tastes, but definitely worth a try.

Reykjavik has a surprisingly wide variety of restaurants, including the northernmost Indian restaurant in the world. We enjoyed sandwiches at Geysir, pizza at Eldsmidjan (where you can get snails as a topping!) and pastries and coffee at Sanholdt Bakery. Our favorite spot of all was Cafe Paris overlooking the town square. This restaurant is super cozy and offers a great combo of European dishes and traditional Icelandic fare. They also make a killer hot chocolate.

The city awakes from its slumberous state every Friday and Saturday night for what the locals call the runtur. The 20-somethings of Reykjavik hop between the bars and discos of the city from 12am to 6am for this weekly event. Our favorite stop was a bar located on Klapparstigur. It was so hip it didn't need a name--just a sign with a very serious man in a bowler hat. Though we did not put in the requisite six hours of revelry, we had enough Gulls to make the chilly 15 minute walk back to our hotel a little more palatable.

The really striking thing about Iceland is the setting--snow covered peaks and ice capped water guard the city of Reykjavik. Once you venture a few miles outside of the city you almost immediately enter an unaffected landscape of rolling hills speckled with rivers, lakes, and the occasional church steeple surrounded by a cluster of houses. It is hard to imagine that the Iceland we discovered for the first time was that much different than the one its settlers saw a thousand years before.

A popular day trip from Reykjavik is the Golden Circle tour. It's easy to join a group on bus through one of two rival companies: Reykjavik Excursions or Iceland Excursions, but it's much less expensive and more fun to rent a car and do it yourself. First stop is Thingvellir, where Iceland's first parliament was located. The backdrop for this landmark is an amazingly picturesque rift valley where the North American and European tectonic plates meet (for all you geography geeks like Patrick!)

The next stop is the original Geysir--that's right, the geysir from which all geysirs got their name! Unfortunately the original is no longer active, but it is still filled with steaming water and right next door is the very active Strokkur geysir. We watched maybe five or six blows that shot water 30 feet high and it never got old.

The final Golden Circle site is Gullfoss, the largest waterfall in Europe. The beauty of the falls were seemingly enhanced by the frigid landscape of frozen ice and snow surrounding the cascading water. It was also frigidly cold at Gullfoss and starting to rain, so we took some pictures and scooted out of there!

Another one of Iceland's natural wonders is the Blue Lagoon. Here we bathed in eerily blue geothermal waters that are part of a lava formation. The weather was crazy when we went: cold, drizzling, and very windy, which made swimming in the steamy lagoon that much more dramatic. The water is reputed to be very good for your skin, but it also made Katrina's hair distinctly hard and sticky for about a day. The Blue Lagoon is quite close to the international airport and it is very easy to arrange for this as a two hour stop on your way out of the country through one of the bus companies previously mentioned. Plus if you buy your entrance ticket from the bus company it is considerably discounted.

We were very excited that our visit to Iceland coincided with the annual Winter Lights Festival. We had read that this annual celebration of the return of longer daylight hours would be filled with performances, museum events and more. Unfortunately, the festivities turned out to be rather absent. We hiked to a beach where evening ocean swimming had been scheduled, but no swimmers showed. Disappointed, we made our way to the skating rink for the advertised performance of the Ice Skating Club of Reykjavik only to find that it was essentially a kids' recital. Not only were we the only tourists in attendance, but we were definitely the only people not related to one of the young skaters. So word to the wise, no need to plan your trip around the Winter Lights Festival.

Our home base in Iceland was Hotel Cabin. This very clean, comfortable hotel is about a 15-minute walk from downtown. The staff is very helpful (though not very cheery) and they not only let us check in at 8:30am on our day of arrival, they even upgraded us to a larger room for free because their standards were occupied. There is also a free basic breakfast buffet in the mornings. We've never been so comfortable for $25 a night! In closing we would like to give a shout out to the Sheffield High class of 2010. Breakfast just isn't the same with out these quirky, teenage Brits.

6 La Paz, Mexico

Located less than 100 miles from Cabo San Lucas is the sleepy capital of Baja California del Sur: La Paz. It is here that we celebrated a white Christmas (sand not snow) with Katrina's family.

Flying to La Paz is not an easy feat. Though it has its own airport, getting there from the east coast requires at least two layovers to be affordable. Much easier and less expensive is flying to the tourist destination Cabo San Lucas's airport. From there, we took an airport shuttle to the San Juan del Cabo bus station to catch an Aguila bus to La Paz (they leave every hour or so). For the return trip, you also have the option of taking a Peninsula Ejecutivo bus directly to the Cabo airport from the La Paz bus station--a much comfier ride for only a few dollars more that we highly recommend.

Experiencing La Paz is best done on foot. Though the city is a sprawling grid, most of the action is contained to a condensed area. The Malecon, the paved promenade pictured above that stretches a mile or so along the coastline, marks the length of the compact city center. Many of the larger restaurants are located close to the water and as you walk uphill, you find many small taco stands and street vendors selling candy, mini donuts, and some of the most delicious churros we've ever eaten. Also downtown is the Mercado Francisco Madero where vendors display heaps of luscious fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Directly in front of the Mercado was our favorite tortilleria; the tortillas de harina (flour) melt in your mouth.

La Paz is an absolute mecca for seafood-lovers. Between the two of us we ate shrimp, lobster, marlin, manta ray, oysters and salmon during our five-day stay. One of the best taco places in town is Bismarck-cito--but at night they only serve full entrees, which are nowhere near as good as the daytime taco fare. But one of the real culinary highlights of La Paz is La Fuente, an ice cream parlor that caused Pavlovian responses. They offer unusual flavors like corn, tequilla almond and lemon cream in delicious cookie-like cones.

Though La Paz is located on the water, there are no real beaches in town and locals do not recommend swimming in the bay. A 30-minute drive up the Pichilingue Peninsula takes you to many beautiful beaches, so originally we thought we'd rent a car. No luck: all eight or so rental spots in town were completely out of cars (we recommend reserving ahead of time if you want to go this route). We then found a local bus that goes to Playa Tecolote, but alas, the bus schedule is a bit more flexible in the winter months and after being told three different stories about departure times (from the same Aguila employee) we grew wary. Katrina's dad then found a cab driver who agreed to take six passengers in his compact cab and pick us up at a designated time for about $20 each way. Deal! Omar dropped us off at Playa Balandra, a beautiful beach in a protected cove where we played the day away.

The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the day-long trip we took to Isla Espiritu Santo. We hired a motorboat, kayaks and snorkel gear through Marlin Adventures, and our guide Javier took us on an unforgettable excursion. Our first stop was when Javier spotted the fin of a whale shark and encouraged us to hop in. We thought he was joking, but apparently these huge creatures only eat plankton and don't have a taste for humans. So we broke out the snorkel gear and chased after him. John and Nicole actually touched the 20 foot beast (we found out only later that touching is not recommended) and we found that the real danger was some vicious agua mala--three of us got jellyfish stings. We also got to see some rollicking dolphins and a spouting whale on the boat ride.

Our next big stop was a rock formation off the coast of Espiritu Santo that is home to some 500 sea lions. We again outfitted ourselves in snorkel gear and got to swim with them! Absolutely amazing, but a bit scary as these large creatures get awfully close--especially the young ones that act like playful puppies (one took a major liking to Daniel!) The water was also teeming with exotic fish that would make any snorkeling trip even without their rambunctious sea lion neighbors.

Back in the motorboat, Javier took us to the stunning Playa Ensenada Grande in a northwest cove of Espiritu Santo where we ate the delicious marlin ceviche we'd picked up from Javier's aunt at Playa Tecolote on the way out that morning. The woman makes a mean ceviche! We then hopped in our kayaks and spent the remaining daylight hours exploring the island shores.

For most of our time in La Paz we stayed at Las Gaviotas, where the family rented a two-bedroom condo. The condos are very comfortable, each with its own private oceanview deck, and there is a shared swimming pool. It was great to have our own kitchen to cook with the delicious ingredients and fresh fish from the mercado.

Since we arrived before the reservation at Las Gaviotas began, we spent our first night in La Paz at Casa Jalisco. This was a very nice hotel--spacious rooms, bubblers of purified water on every floor, beautiful pool, and an exceptionally friendly staff that spoke excellent English. The one drawback is location: Casa Jalisco is approximately a mile and a half from downtown with not much going on in the immediate neighborhood.

Though La Paz is much further than many Mexican destinations, the longer haul definitely paid dividends in the end. We found La Paz to be the perfect Mexican mixture of one part idyllic beach, two parts seafood tacos and one part ocean adventure.

La Paz on Dwellable

16 Istanbul, Turkey

While in Turkey we often got the question why Istanbul? Why Turkey? The best answer we usually had was "Why not?". Sure we were intrigued by the enormous history of the city and the whole East meets West concept, but when posed the question we could never come up with a good, concrete reason for being there. That being said, we are sure glad we went. Istanbul is a sprawling metropolis that is made of intimate neighborhoods each possessing character that make them unique. Months could be spent exploring this vast city and to say we didn't want to leave would be an understatement.

Our home base for the trip was the Dersaadet Oteli in Sultanahmet; an inn in a restored Ottoman wooden mansion. The Dersaadet is located practically next door to the Blue Mosque and has a soothing ambiance about it that makes it a welcome retreat after a long day of roaming around. The rooms are small, but in a cozy way, and the entire hotel itself is impeccable in decor and cleanliness. Our stay here exceeded all expectations and though we had only booked a room for two nights we ended up extending our stay here for almost the entire trip. Finally, the last night they had no room for us so they booked us at their sister hotel, Hotel Niles, which was not as kind on the eyes but was a little cheaper and had all the amenities a traveler could need. While in town we also visited friends of Katrina's from Pennsylvania, the Duttons, who were coincidentally touring Turkey at the same time and staying at the Sari Konak--another beautifully restored inn in Sultanahmet.

The Sultanahmet neighborhood in Old Istanbul is home to many of the city's historic sights, making it easy for the visitor. The beautiful Blue Mosque (seen below) is a stone's throw from Ayasofya--the prodigious structure (seen above) that was the major cathedral when the city was Constantinople, and was turned into a mosque under the Ottoman Empire. Thousand year old mosaics displaying Christian motifs have been uncovered here during excavations, and are displayed next to Muslim structures and large Arabic characters.

Across the street from Ayasofya is the Basilica Cistern that provided water to the area as far back as the 6th century, and down the street is Topkapi Palace. We spent hours exploring this royal residence of the sultans. The architecture and detailed tiling is amazing and the rooms go on and on. There are museum-like displays in certain sections, including imperial gold and jewels in the old treasury so opulent they make you blush. We were surprised by (and skeptical of) the exhibit of ancient religious relics including pieces of Mohammed's beard, John the Baptist's arm, Moses's staff, and Abraham's saucepan. The fee for Topkapi does not include entrance to the palace's adjoining harem, but nonetheless it's beautiful chambers were worth the extra lira. The halls of the Harem are eerily quiet, making it easier to daydream of the extravagant day to day lives its inhabitants once led.

Right next door to Topkapi is an unsuspecting series of buildings that houses the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. We almost missed it but are so glad we didn't! Once you enter through the main gates, you find three large buildings packed with truly ancient artifacts--sculptures and mosaics from several thousand years BC aplenty! Some of our favorite items were the notes and contracts chiseled in stone when writing was just beginning, including a love poem (seen at left) from 2000 BC. We had planned this museum as a short stop, but ended up spending several hours exploring the exhibits and could have spent several hours more.

Although you could spend an entire trip to Istanbul without leaving Sultanahmet, a short tram or ferry ride takes you to many rewarding sights. Chora Church in western Istanbul has an extensive display of tile mosaics. Galata Tower on the other side of the Golden Horn offers unrivaled views of the mosque-dotted city skyline. And one of our absolute favorite places was Rumeli Hisari (seen at right) to the north. For a few dollars entrance fee you are given free reign to scramble up and down the walls of this ancient fortress used during the Ottoman siege of Constantinople. A great way to get there is to take a picturesque ferry ride up the Bosphorus, and then a bus that leaves you at the entrance gate.

Another great neighborhood to explore is the young and hip Beyoglu--the perfect place for a night out. After eating a traditional meal of mezes (small plates) at Sofyali 9, we met a fun Turkish couple at a bar down the street with whom we drink away the night. Dawid and Seda directed us to explore Ortikoy for the next day, where we enjoyed cafes buzzing with activity and a most spectacular sunset over the Bosphorus. We also hopped a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul to take in a Champions league match between the local 11 Fenerbahce and Portugal side Porto. We thought the atmosphere at Fenway is intense--but Sox fans have nothing on the faithful (seen below) of the Yellow Canaries.

We enjoyed a variety of Turkish cuisine while in Istanbul with the ubiquitous kebaps and pides high on our list. For a quick snack, you can always find a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts, corn on the cob, or simit--which is strikingly similar to a sesame bagel. The alcohol of choice is an anise-flavored liquor called raki served with water and ice. We had a tough time stomaching this, so we mostly stuck to the local pint, Efes (Katrina enjoys below). The real drink of choice, however, is cay: black tea served in a small tulip-shaped glass at any hour of the day or night. We were definitely hooked on this reliable caffeine fix. Our favorite restaurant in Old Istanbul for all these treats was without a doubt Hamdi.

Shopping in Istanbul is an experience in itself. The Grand Bazaar, one of the world's most famous markets, is a maze of stores hawking everything from jewelry and home goods to leather and preppy clothing (knockoff Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Lacoste are very popular). Shopowners hound you incessantly as you make your way through the Bazaar; if you want to make a purchase, get ready to bargain. After the salesperson states the price, it's a good idea to look doubtful and offer 50% of the requested amount. Bargaining goes back and forth until an agreeable price is reached. If you are like us, you might find this process very uncomfortable, but

it's really what is expected.

The Spice Bazaar (which Katrina shops at right) is more what we expected from the Turkish

bazaars--rustic stalls, displaying mountains of colorful spices, teas and candies. This was our

favorite place to shop for lokum (Turkish delight) and hot chili peppers to bring home.

Another distinctly Turkish experience is visiting a hamam (Turkish bath). Katrina was nervous about not knowing proper bath etiquette, but we found a great place with lots of bossy staff: Cemberlitas. After paying at the entrance we were led to our separate men's and women's areas of the hamam. Once changed into a light cloth, we went to our respective sauna rooms where everyone lies down on the hot marble stone in the center of the room. After baking for a while and getting your skin nice and soft, the masseurs/euses begin to work their magic: a good scrub, wash and rinse takes about 15 minutes. We could definitely get used to bathing like this on a daily basis.

We were able to squeeze in four hours of Amsterdam on the way back from our action packed week in Istanbul. Four hours was enough to realize one thing...we missed Istanbul. Sure there will probably be a time for a thorough visit to Amsterdam, but not before a return visit to Istanbul.

9 Puerto Rico

In celebration of the US election, Patrick's company, the VAN, flew everyone down to Puerto Rico for a relaxing staff retreat on the shores of the glistening Atlantic. Katrina was happy to tag along and do some sunbathing while Patrick was in meetings.

The flight to San Juan was the easiest we've taken in a long time. Direct, three-and-a-half hour flights from Boston are offered at low rates by many airlines including JetBlue and American. Once we arrived, we took a 15-minute, $20 cab ride to our hotel: La Concha, an absolutely beautiful beachfront hotel in the community of Condado just east of Old San Juan. Every room has spectacular, head-on ocean views and the facilities, including a number of pools and a posh pool deck (seen at right), are very modern. But the most important amenity is the gorgeous beach (seen at left) that is the hotel's backyard. The only odd thing about La Concha is that the lobby becomes a very trendy nightclub in the evenings that just oozes hip. This is great if you don't want to go far for nightlife, but the blaring music can be startling as you make your way to your room.

In addition to lounging on the beach, Puerto Rico offers a variety of outdoor venues for adventure. We took a nighttime kayak tour of Fajardo Bioluminescent Bay where dinoflagellates light up the water. The experience of kayaking through a narrow, winding, mangrove-lined canal in the pitch dark is worth the trip alone, but seeing your oars glow as they blade through the water is absolutely amazing. There are only five locations in the world where you can see this phenomenon. Try to go on a night without much moonlight because the darker it is, the easier it is to see the bioluminescence.

We did not have time to take advantage of more of the excursions from San Juan, but other VAN employees reported great things about the rainforest, and opportunities for surfing and snorkeling abound. It is very easy to arrange for transportation to all of these activities if you don't want the hassle of renting a car--many of the tour companies will pick you up at your hotel as part of the package. Plus, then you get to meet some great characters like our van driver Jose who imparted much of his local knowledge to us.

One might expect this bevy of outdoor activities from a Caribbean island, but a wonderful surprise is how fascinating Old San Juan is (seen above). Brightly colored buildings line the cobblestone streets of this historical part of the city, and there are two Spanish colonial forts good for hours of exploring. Also be sure not to miss Paseo Del Morro, a stunning walkway (seen below) that hugs San Juan Bay on the west end of the Isla San Juan. Beware however, there is apparently a huge cat overpopulation problem in Puerto Rico. All along the path we saw stray cats lurking around and signs saying "Save los Gatos!" Who knew? The path finally led us to Paseo de la Princesa, a stylish promenade home to charming cafes and dozens of street vendors and an ideal place to watch the sun set. We waited in line to buy the very popular snack of china dulce, which is a giant peeled sweet orange with the top removed to suck out the juice: a very messy treat. We also learned that while taxis are a little pricey in Old San Juan, it is very accessible by public transportation. If you are staying in Condado it is easy to get to and from Old San Juan by the C53 and B21 free public buses.

The dining scene in San Juan offers something for everyone--tapas and Mexican cuisines are popular in addition to traditional Puerto Rican fare, and it is easy to find sushi, American fast food, and a very reliable pizza joint or two (Mike and Charlie's across the street from La Concha was our mainstay). One of the most popular restaurants around is Raices in Old San Juan. We were told that this was the place to try the national dish mofongo: mashed plantains stuffed with meat or vegetables (which Katrina enjoys at left). Delicious! The restaurant is an experience in itself with waitresses in traditional dress and beer served in tin mugs, but be prepared to wait in line for this popular joint. For less of a wait and equally tasty dishes, head to Cafe Puerto Rico in Plaza de Colon. Closer to our hotel we found traditional food at the Latin Star; for the adventurous eaters, the menu is full of stews like goat and oxtail in addition to their many mofongo varieties. Patrick's favorite treat during our stay (other than an ice-cold Medalla) was limber: frozen fruit juice usually served in a small plastic cup. Without a doubt a tasty way to cool down under the hot Caribbean sun.

In the end we found this charming Caribbean island to be a great place to experience Latin culture with US comforts. It's also a whole lot of fun to enjoy the beautiful beaches and natural wonders. Taking only six hours to travel door to door from Boston, a trip to San Juan is an easy getaway worth a spot on any travel list.

3 India

Through my work for the Unitarian Universalist Association, I get to travel frequently around the country to meet with generous supporters of the Association. This fall, I was given a unique opportunity to travel to India to see schools being built in the Khasi Hills, where there is an indigenous Unitarian population, made possible by donations through the Association. Patrick obviously would have loved to join me, but his own work responsibilities kept him in Boston.

My trip began with a tour of the Golden Triangle before heading further east to the Khasi Hills. The morning after my arrival in Delhi, I took a two hour train to Agra, which was a piece of cake after spending 14 hours on a plane the day before. The trains are comfortable and even serve hot breakfast, but make sure to reserve a seat in an air conditioned car. Agra is known as the city of monuments, the crown jewel of course being the Taj Mahal. This magnificent mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan in honor of his favorite wife, and the detailing is truly impressive; seemingly painted characters are actually perfectly inlayed marble in marble. The next stop was the Red Fort, where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son. From his room you can see a beautiful view of the Taj. It is so sad to think of him spending the last years of his life longing for freedom and within sight of his cherished memorial.

It is hard to avoid crowds of tourists when in the Golden Triangle but our next stop, the Baby Taj, was a surprising escape. Don't be fooled by the nickname: the only relation to the Taj Mahal is an architectural resemblance. It is much smaller but very beautiful, and the quiet lawn is dotted with dozens of monkeys out to play.

While in Agra I stayed at the Grand Imperial Hotel, a converted palace with plenty of thoughtful details and a lovely courtyard that is visited by a variety of birds and monkeys. The restaurant is also fantastic and serves the best kulfi (Indian ice cream made of goat's milk, pistachios and spices) that I had on the trip.

The next stop on the tour was Jaipur, about a five hour drive from Agra. My favorite Golden Triangle site was actually a stop along this drive: Fatehpur Sikri. It is a sprawling palace built by Emperor Akbar, who was so dedicated to his interfaith belief system that his three wives all came from different religious traditions: one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian. Each wife had her own living and eating area, but these all reflected elements and symbols from the others' faiths. A definite must see!

Jaipur is known as the "Pink City" for the terra cotta colored edifices that line its streets. In the old city it is mandatory that buildings be painted to conform with the city's moniker. Jaipur is not only known for the color of it's buildings but also for the grandness of them. Notable of the cities many palaces are The Palace of the Lake and Palace of the Winds, both brief stops. The former is built in the middle of a lake and not open to visitors, and the latter is actually simply a facade. Open to visitors is Jaipur City Palace, which is now a collection of museums and a center for local artisans. But the main attraction is Amber Fort built high on the hills. One can take an elephant ride up to the top which is a major thrill and highly recommended, but make sure to tip your driver to avoid them encouraging elephant mischief as you try to dismount! My favorite thing about Amber Fort was the Kali Temple located inside its walls. I was fortunate enough to be visiting during the festival that honors the Hindu goddess Kali, and so there was much ado and many worshipers visiting on that day.

Another interesting site in Jaipur is Jantar Mantar, which is an observatory filled with tools to measure time and make astrological predictions. The world's largest sundial is located here, which can unbelievably tell time within a two second margin of error.

Accommodations in Jaipur were at the Alsisar Haveli. Located right off of a busy street, you are shocked to find this quiet oasis down a driveway between run-down storefronts. A haveli is essentially an Indian mansion, and each room in this one was unique, comfortable, and tastefully decorated.

Unfortunately I was not able to spend time in the third corner of the Golden Triangle, Delhi, due to the time constraints of this work trip. I was fortunate enough to have a guide and

driver while touring the sites above and I would highly recommended the same for anyone else for several reasons. First, driving is crazy in India, and I say that as someone who can navigate through Boston traffic no problem. I cannot imagine even attempting to drive there. Secondly, written narratives at tourist attractions are practically nonexistant. It would be very difficult to understand what you are seeing without a guide. Most importantly, India is really another world. As someone who has done a good deal of foreign traveling, I still found it very difficult to get around without local guidance or direction. It is very inexpensive to hire a guide, and almost all travelers that I saw--from backpackers to affluent tour groups--had a guide with them.

After days of sightseeing it was time to get down to business. I flew to Guwahati for the work portion of my trip and then drove another three hours on a very bumpy road to get to Shillong, the main hub of the Khasi Hills. Visiting Indian villages is a drastically different experience from touring the big cities of the Golden Triangle. In both, white skin and western clothes immediately sets one apart. In Agra and Jaipur, this marks a person as someone with money, and I was swarmed by beggars and hawkers outside every attraction. This made it very hard to be a visitor, and deeply sad in many ways. In the villages I was seen more as alien. Kids would point at me and whisper to their parents, while some warmed to me and would giggle when I waved.

The people in the Khasi Hills were welcoming, gracious, and generous. I was visiting a school built by donations from the West, and the students prepared songs and dances to welcome us. The presented us with gifts upon gifts--traditional Khasi necklaces, beautiful shawls, and handwoven sieves and bowls. It was a special experience to spend time in such a place, so many worlds apart from my home.

It took me almost 36 hours straight of travel time to return to Boston at the end of the trip; I was exhausted and glad to be back. India is an amazing, beautiful, fascinating, and also heartbreaking place. I have never before felt so far away from home.

24 Costa Rica

We enjoyed our visit to Nicaragua last month so much that we were very eager for our trip to Costa Rica. August is the middle of rainy season in Costa Rica but it also means the low season for tourism which lends to less crowds and cheaper prices.

No sooner had we picked up our 4x4 Suzuki Ignis from Tricolor Car Rental than the skies opened up above us. Fifteen minutes later, it was a torrential downpour. This was only the first of our road challenges; after the rain died down, we found ourselves on a windy road through the hills of Costa Rica, with huge semis and buses careening around the blind curves. Luckily, all the roads were paved until we got to La Fortuna. As we turned onto the road to our first destination, Volcan Arenal, we got to experience our first of the rocky, pot-holed, dirt roads that surround Costa Rica's main attractions.

Since a major eruption in 1968, Volcan Arenal (pictured above) has earned the distinction as one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. We witnessed this activity first hand from our accommodations at The Arenal Observatory Lodge. From its perch less than two miles from the base of Volcan Arenal, the lodge is the only hotel on the lava flow side of the volcano. Originally a scientific research center run by the Smithsonian Institute, the lodge is now opened to the public. The rooms are large and comfortable with balconies offering fantastic views. At night, people watch the glowing lava flow from these balconies, the restaurant veranda, or the hotel hot tub. It is an amazing show.

There are a number of trails that start right on the hotel property which sits on a private nature reserve. We were eager to head out on the Old Lava Trail, which takes you to the base of Arenal to see hardened lava paths, steam vents, and other volcano phenomena. Unfortunately, we found the trail roped off with peligro tape--danger! The hotel owner explained to us that Arenal was currently very active, and lava was flowing down that trail. We asked for other suggestions on how to get closer to the volcano, but he explained that the restaurant veranda was the absolute closest anyone could go right now. So to avoid things like dying and death we explored other parts of the reserve area. We found ourselves hiking Cerro Chato, a grueling trail (pictured at right) that takes you up the side of a dormant volcano to the lake that has formed in its crater. We also found our way to a great waterfall. Throughout the day, Arenal would rumble and puffs of smoke would rise from the bellowing monster's peak.

After two fantastic nights at Arenal, it was time to hit the road for our next adventure: the Cloud Forests of central Costa Rica. Though less than ninety miles from Arenal in actual distance, the road to Santa Elena has been purposely left extremely rough by the eco-conscious residents, resulting in a long, arduous journey through the sleepy countryside (pictured below).
Our speed wasn't helped by the entrepreneurial endeavors of townspeople along the way. In Quebrada Grande, we passed an unmarked left turn and one minute later, there was a very helpful man standing in the middle of the road telling us we were lost, that we needed to take that left turn we passed, and that he would sell us a map. As we backtracked, we saw that a sign pointing to our destination had been knocked over. The sale of that map was very carefully orchestrated.

We finally arrived in Santa Elena after four and a half hours on the road. Our first stop was the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Santa Elena (pictured at left) is smaller and less celebrated than Monteverde, and combined with the fact that it was low tourist season, we had the reserve almost entirely to ourselves. We happened upon only two other hikers on the trails that meandered through the rainforest's depths. As we hiked, rain started to fall, and just as Patrick was remarking how well the arching canopy above protected us from getting wet, the skies opened up and we got drenched. We ran the last mile back to the Reserve entrance in full appreciation of rainy season in a rain forest.

We found our way through the rain to El Sol, where owner Elisabeth, as promised, greeted us with big hugs. She set us up in one of the two cabins on the property that she and her husband Ignacio rent to visitors, and arranged for a warm dinner and bottle of wine to be delivered to our door.

When we woke up the next morning, the clouds had cleared and we were greeted with an amazing view of the valley from our cabin window. Elisabeth and her crew prepared an amazing spread for breakfast in the main building, and as we ate, she gave us and the other guests recommendations for the day and predicted good weather for the next two days.

And she was right--for the next two days we enjoyed extraordinarily sunny weather for the rainy season. We hiked through the lush Monteverde Cloud Forest where every plant is growing on another and we studied flowers and trees unlike

anything we'd ever seen. We saw exotic wildlife there and especially at the nearby Ecological Sanctuary--including coatis, agoutis, Morpho butterflies, insects (like the ladybug above), and some crazy birds.

While the main attraction in Monteverde is the Cloud Forest, the main industry is the cheese factory. We didn't have time to catch a tour amidst all our rain forest visits, but we did stop at their ice cream shop, Sabores, for some of the most delicious milkshakes we have ever had. Absolutely not to be missed!

On our last day in Monteverde, Elisabeth arranged for her friend Manuel to take us on a

horseback ride through the valley. This was Patrick's first time on a horse and we figured the

trail would be pretty tame. But Manuel took us down steep, rocky paths and through waterfalls

and streams. Lots of fun, but not for the faint-hearted! We broke for lunch at a large waterfall at the bottom of the valley and ate on a bed of rocks in the middle of the rushing river. We returned to El Sol several hours later dirty, sore, but with big smiles on our faces.

Shortly after our return it was time to say goodbye to El Sol. Elisabeth gave us our goodbye hugs, and Katrina a parting handicraft gift. But if you stay here, be forewarned that they accept only cash, which caused us a two hour delay as we drove back to town, dealt with stringent rules and signature scrutiny at the bank, and finally returned. Plan ahead!

Our last Costa Rican afternoon was spent on the rugged roads (see video below) driving back to San Jose. We spent the night at the Adventure Inn. The entire hotel is decorated in a jungle theme--amusing if not charming. But if you are willing to bear the tackiness, it is a clean, inexpensive option very near the airport. One added bonus of staying there is they used their local knowledge to book us a steal of a car rental with the aforementioned Tricolor Car Rental.

One final note about travel to Costa Rica: originally, we booked our flights with Spirit Airlines. They offer shockingly inexpensive flights connecting through Ft. Lauderdale to many Central American locations. However, Spirit Airlines changed our flights twice in the weeks after our purchase, including added overnight layovers in Ft. Lauderdale and a 30-minute connection in Myrtle Beach. We decided the price wasn't worth the increasing possibility of not making it to/from our destination, so we canceled the reservation and forked over a little more to fly on trusty American Airlines. We recommend resisting the dirt cheap allure of Spirit Airlines.

13 Nicaragua

After deciding it had been much too long since we had left the country, we settled on a brief weekend trip to Nicaragua. Upon arrival at Logan we were joined at the American ticket counter by the New England Revolution who were on their way to LA for an upcoming match. While our flights were uneventful that day (the way we like it!), we found out on the news later that the Revolution were not as lucky.

We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua's capital city, after dark and quickly found our hotel shuttle. Along the road we saw numerous red and black Sandinista flags being waved as people were getting ready for celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 revolution the next day. Our first and last nights of the trip were spent at the Intercontinental in Managua. The accommodations would certainly be considered deluxe by Nicaraguan standards, with spacious rooma, a pool, and a bar that served delicious cherry daiquiris. Thankfully, the hotel was practically free thanks to a great Orbitz flight plus hotel deal.

Still unsure of the safety of our surroundings, we gently settled in to our time in Nicaragua with a visit to a nearby mall that offered a number of restaurants. This mall was not too dissimilar from an American one on a Friday night, with teenagers abound waiting to see dubbed versions of Mamma Mia! and The Dark Night. Though we do love ABBA, we passed on the movies and settled on Tacontento for dinner and Tonas--Nicaragua's most popular domestic beer.The next morning we hopped a bus to Granada (pictured above) to get out of town before the Sandinista rallying, and presumably American villifying, really began. Riding a Nicaraguan bus is an experience in itself. There is no schedule--the buses leave as soon as they fill up with enough people. Along the way an agent stands at the open door of the speeding bus yelling out the destination, hoping to coax more passengers aboard.

Granada is best known for being the oldest colonial town in the Western Hemisphere, founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in 1524. Upon arriving in Granada we oriented ourselves by first visiting the Parque Central, the city's hub of activity. We refreshed after our bus ride with juices and a vigoron--a local favorite of yucca and fried pork skin. As we slowed our eating pace we were approached by a 12-year-old boy who pointed at our food and gestured to ask if he could have some. He sat down, finished off the plate, and told us the dish was "picante" and pointed to our juice. Before slurping down the last of the drink he was joined by his friend, who was not going to miss out on this fun. And thus, we made our first Nicaraguan friends: Kevin and Jonia!

Unfortunately they did not recognize our hotel name, but we knew it was south of the Parque Central, so we set off to explore. Two blocks later we were in the middle of the bustling city market, the street lined with vendors selling everything from fresh produce to homemade cheese to new white sneakers! We navigated our way through the busy streets, asking people for directions to the Hotel Terrasol, finally realizing we had gotten ourselves much too far from the center of town to be anywhere near our hotel.

Back at the Parque Central (pitctued above), we finally found someone who could direct us. For those of you who decide to stay at Hotel Terrasol--which we highly recommend--it is located three blocks west and one block south of the Parque.

The Hotel Terrasol is owned by a married couple, Victor and Katja, who built the hotel from the ground up just last year. They are wonderfully attentive and helpful; within minutes of arriving they directed us to many must-see sights and booked us on an afternoon boat ride on Lake Nicaragua to explore Las Isletas.

The archipelago is composed of 365 little islands off the coast of Granada that are said to be formed from a volcanic eruption by nearby Mombacho some 20,000 years ago . Our tour weaved in and out of the many islands with a few stops along the way. Our favorite stop was Monkey Island--residents of the neighboring islands rid themselves of these pests by transporting indigenous monkeys to a single island of exile. Since they can't swim, they're stuck there. As we sat in our boat watching the monkeys swing on trees, another boat of visitors arrived and two monkeys hopped right on board! One of them moved to an empty seat in the back and sat patiently waiting to go for a ride. The other (pictured above) was pushy and wanted food. Both took a good amount of coaxing to disembark the boat, and the pushy one put up a real, and momentarily terrifying, fight.

We spent our time on land visiting Granada's old cathedrals, museums, eating delicious food and drinking delicious Tona. The best view in the city is to be had at Iglesia de la Merced. For the price of one dollar you can climb the bell tower of the city's oldest church, built in 1538. To catch some of the sights we missed by foot, we took a horse-drawn carriage ride through Granada's colorful streets to the city's outskirts. Our carriage driver, Otilio, brimmed with pride as he described the sites and history of Granada. The only problem was his descriptions all came in Spanish, leading to many interesting exchanges between him and Patrick who speaks Spanish on a pre-school level. After one particular miscommunication where Patrick generically asked "personas entrada?" we ended up on a private tour of the closed and dark Forteleza la Pólvora.

We were sad to leave Granada after only a short time there. It is beautiful, charming, and most amazingly, wholly unspoiled. The people living there are some of the friendliest and most welcoming we've met in all our travels.

Managua, on the other hand, is one of the most depressed cities we have seen. It has yet recover from the catastrophic earthquake of 1972. Even the cross on the top of the historic old cathedral has been left broken. Managua is not safe to explore by foot, but there are guided bus tours designed for visitors. However, we found a surprisingly cheaper option--hire a taxi for a few hours! At a rate of $10/hour, our cab driver, Guillermo, took us all over the city, offering us his personal narrative in very good English. We saw Loma de Tiscapa crater lake, the 6,000-year-old footprints of Acahualinca, the official presidential palace, as well as the real, heavily-guarded mansion residence of President Ortega. We also saw the huge city plaza, still dotted with red and black flags, that had the day before been packed with tens of thousands of Nicaraguans rallying in honor of the Sandinista Revolution Anniversary.

On our last morning in Nicaragua, we scavenged the Mercado Roberto Huembes. Much larger than the Granada market, we got lost in the aisles of hanging raw meat and walls of T-shirts. We polished off a final plate of gallo pinto, a popular rice and bean dish served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then returned to our hotel for final packing.

As we sat by the Intercontinental pool waiting for our shuttle, we brainstormed destinations we can cram in to our next year of travels. Stay tuned.....

1 West Coast

We have enjoyed our recent trips to the left coast so much that we decided to plan an action-packed Memorial Day getaway out west. Accompanying us for the trip was Patrick's brother, Riley "Carl" Foster, for his first visit out west since the time he prowled Disneyland in a stroller. Much to the delight of the brothers they were able to catch all of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals en route thanks to Jet Blue's 34 channel's of Direct TV (yes we are a walking Jet Blue ad). Much to their dismay however, the Celts lost their first home game of the playoffs. Upon arrival at the Days Hotel in Oakland late that night we were checked in by a large man wearing a sky blue Days Inn polo, suspenders, and a mickey mouse timepiece around his neck. A more welcoming sight I cannot imagine.

The next morning we took a stroll along the highway to get to the Oakland BART station. We obviously looked a bit lost upon walking in to the station as we were immediately approached by a friendly Oaklander looking to help. He asked where we were going, showed us exactly how much fare we needed, and helped us purchase our tickets. As we very gratefully thanked him, he pointed to a destination where he was going, and showed us exactly how much he needed to get there. While it was clear he wasn't going anywhere, we very happily provided him the fare. Our conclusion: the beggars in Boston have much to learn from their helpful West Coast counterparts.

We rode the BART to the Mission District, San Francisco's Latin Quarter, to begin our day of exploring the city. The streets of the Mission District are colorful, lined with fabulous murals, cafes, and markets displaying fresh produce. Dolores Park, a sprawling greenspace located in the heart of the Mission District, provided fantastic views of the city skyline. After a few hours of wandering around we refueled with a strawberry soda from a local shop and hopped a bus to the other side of town. No first trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to Lombard Street and that was our next stop. This is the crookedest street in the world--tourists' cars line up to take a turn to wind their way down the hill, dodging people who jump into the street to take pictures (like us).

It has long been a Bergmann family tradition to visit Ghiradelli Square when in San Francisco. The chocolate shop offers free samples as well as every flavor, shape and gift basket they make. The adjoining ice cream parlor makes phenomenal sundaes, including a gigantic creation called "The Earthquake". The 10-scoop, fully-loaded treat taunted us, and we decided to take on the

challenge. The first bite was delicious, but as we worked our way through the task grew more arduous, the process messier. Eighteen minutes later, we finally took the last bite. Victory! As Riley and Katrina hobbled outside holding their stomachs, Patrick boldly declared that he was hungry, and the two looked on as Patrick downed an In-N-Out burger and fries. Once Patrick finished stuffing his face, we walked along Fisherman's Wharf to work off our mid-afternoon gluttony. We passed by street artists, musicians, and the infamous Bushman who jumps from his leafy disguise to scare tourists for tips. When comparing notes with Bay Area natives later we found out that this guy has been working the Wharf for years.

We returned to the Days Hotel in Oakland to get ready for that night's Sox-A's game at McAfee Coliseum. To prepare for the game we decided to indulge ourselves with some of the prominent local fare- Jack in the Box and 40's of Budweiser. After many ounces of Bud we were ready to be loud, rowdy, and represent. Unfortunately the Sox weren't quite as prepared and fell to the local nine 8-3. After the game the suddenly cocky hometown fans decided to verbally berate our red and blue clad crew. Patrick was more than up to the task and the walk back to our hotel was heated to say the least.

Before anyone came looking for the loud Sox fan in the number 24 shirt, we got out of town the next morning. We swung back by the airport to pick up our rental car for the day, Black Beauty, and set off northward for Seattle. The first few hours of the trip were rainy and quiet as people caught up on sleep but all were quickly roused by the promise of a visit to the northernmost In-N-Out burger in Redding. The next leg of the drive was truly scenic with vistas ranging from Mt. Shasta in northern California to the rolling, fir tree speckled terrain of Oregon. We were able to squeeze in a short visit to Portland, Oregon and were impressed by the green downtown and the local Thai food. That Saturday was a busy one as in the span of 5 minutes we came across two weddings and a prom (obvious Hugh Grant joke omitted here). The last miles of our day long drive were highlighted by a Celtics victory over Detroit with an assist from XM radio and a stunning setting sun to the west. After a 3 minute stand off between Patrick and traffic spikes at the entrance to the Rental Car Return, we finally reached our destination...at 10PM on the dot which was Black Beauty's curfew that Saturday night.

It was early to bed that night and late to rise the next morning as we continued our adjustment to PDT. Once the crew, now including Katrina's family, was assembled we set off for Tiger Mountain for a hike in the Washington woods. Tiger Mountain is well-known as a take off point for local paragliders and we were treated to quite the aerial show at both the top and base of the mountain.

Dinner that evening was at the heralded (at least by us) La Cocina y Cantina in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle. There are two musts when you visit La Cocina, the massive La Cocina Burrito and an equally massive Margarita. Impressively, more burritos were finished than not, a rare feat that will undoubtedly live in lore for decades if not centuries to come. Jump-started by the aforementioned margaritas a night of game playing and imbibing ensued that lingered into the morning hours.

The next morning we slept in even later, but determined not to let our next to last day slip away. We rallied and headed to Pike Place Market, Seattle's famous destination for all things commerce (and tourist). There we scoured the sizeable selection of scaly seafood, contributed to the impressive yet disgusting gum wall, and received a singing fortune from Elvis. Next we skipped crosstown to the International District for a delicious dinner at Shangai Garden featuring Katrina's favorite--hand shaven green barley noodles.

From the the International District, Safeco Field is a short walk. Another baseball game you ask? You know it! The Olde Towne Team was facing off against the Mariners and this time the outcome (and ballpark) was much more to our liking. Thankfully following the 5-3 victory the post-game shouting matches were limited to deciding who was going to sit on who's lap as the six of us wedged into a Honda Civic. The loser was Katrina.

The majority of the final day of our trip was spent at the Museum of Flight housed at Seattle's captain of industry's Boeing Field. To say this museum is a must-visit is an under statement. Think Air and Space Museum times ten. We first toured a British Airways Concorde and then an Air Force One that made many historic flights and was in use from the Eisenhower to Clinton administrations. Other highlights included an entire wing on World War I and II history, an exhibit on flight attendants featuring the risque past of airline advertising, and enough interactive simulators to occupy Patrick for hours. The 4 hours we spent there was not nearly enough and we will probably go back to see what we missed the first time.

We were sent off in style that night with a gourmet home BBQ. Armed with a belly full of food to fight off hunger and induce sleep, we boarded our red-eye flight back to Boston. Though we once again had the luxury of our Direct TV there really isn't much on at 3AM. We aren't ashamed to say that a mini marathon of "The X Effect" did help pass the time. Morning greeted us at Logan and we bid goodbye to Riley as we hopped the T for work. Vacation days are a precious commodity and we certainly weren't going to waste one sleeping.

10 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Long, cold winters in Boston make you dream about a place like Punta Cana. Needless to say it felt pretty amazing to disembark into the 80-degree Caribbean air. From the airport, we found the "shuttle" to our hotel-- a beat-up minivan circa 1985. While we had understood that transportation was included in our Orbitz package, we lacked the vouchers requested by our driver and ended up paying $40 to get to our hotel. So if you do book a trip to Punta Cana, it is important you work out these details ahead of time.

*At the time of publication, we have not resolved the issue with Orbitz. We did make sure to secure a receipt (chicken scratch in spanish on the back of our printed itinerary) from our driver to aid us in this dispute.

The all-inclusive Riu Resort in Punta Cana were our accommodations for the long President's Day weekend. The property is comprised of two super swanky hotels (Palace Punta Cana and Palace Macao) and three less deluxe (Naiboa, Taino, and Bambu). We stayed at Naiboa (pictured at left), which was the least expensive of the five, and thought it was an amazing deal. At arrival we were greeted by a bright, airy and very pink lobby. The room was clean and comfortable, with it's own complimentary liquor dispenser offering undoubtedly the finest bottom shelf rum and vodka of the area. The less than deluxe features included a small size, hardish bed, and a taped up handle on the sliding door to the balcony. Guests of the Naiboa, Taino and Bambu can use each others pools and restaurants (the food is all the same), and the deluxe hotels can use any hotel's facilities.

We were apprised of these rules upon checking in, when we also received our all-inclusive certification card and instructions on making reservations for dinner. Patrick was told that "large pants" were required at dinnertime.

While reservations are required for your seated dinner hour, we found that we were essentially eating nonstop throughout the day. Little distinguished the buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, but we certainly never went hungry! We also learned to make pina coladas a staple of our diet. There were plenty of bars by and even in the pool and at the beach with bartenders ready to shake the fruity, rummy concoction of your choice. Katrina preferred to sip citrus-based cocktails before noon, since that seemed more morning appropriate.

But let's get serious, the real reason we and everyone else was there was the beach, and it did not disappoint. Neither of us had ever seen water that color--or that clear. The sand was soft and made for excellent long walks on the beach. And the constant off-shore breeze helped keep us cool in the blistering sun. We were delighted to find that the all-inclusiveness extended to water sports as well. We spent a gorgeous morning kayaking on the open water of the Atlantic and another afternoon playing water polo.

What was amazing about the resort was its mix of appeals. There were college-age spring breakers partying by the pool, retirees laying on the beach, and families making sandcastles and playing in the waves. The Riu Resorts are a European chain so there were lots of French, Spanish and German visitors, and not many Americans.

To help the intermingling of this diverse clientele, there is a staff "Animation Team". By day they are in charge of leading water aerobics, dance lessons and other such acitivities. They always pick up quite a following of new friends. But at night is when they really shine--we start with a rowdy game of Bingo followed by varying entertainment. One night there was a Mr. Naiboa beauty pageant, another was karaoke. Whatever that night's show, we could count on the Animation Team's signature dance routine and our emcee's ridiculous antics. While our active participation was limited to Katrina winning a Tshirt in Bingo, we had alot of fun watching German renditions of British pop and middle-aged, potbellied stripteases (captured below in video).

This all-inclusive vacation was definitely a change of pace from the past independent, more adventurous traveling that is our style. There is not much opportunity for exploring, and you really don't see anything of Dominican culture. That being said, it is a beautiful beach and perfect location for a resort. We were looking for a relaxing beach getaway and we definitely found it! Highly recommended for anyone planning the same.