Notourguideneeded

The Birth of a Hot Air Balloon

October 11, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 10 Comments

Have you ever wondered “how is a hot air balloon inflated?”

At the Albuquerque Balloon Festiva, I had many opportunities to witness the hot air balloons opening up. I filmed this one for you. It is amazing.

It should answer your questions like:

How do they get the air in there?
How many people does it take?
How long does it take?
When do they add the fire?

I hope you like it! They are posted in certain order so you get a sense of how they did it.

The third video is of the balloons at night. The night balloons was the highlight of my trip!

** One Note: In the video I called the officials “tigers”. They are “zebras”. I was so excited I got confused! 🙂

VIDEOS

All opinions are mine. I was sponsored by the event.

Solo-Travel is good for the soul…

October 5, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

When I was about 20 I decided to go to Italy with a group of people that I really didn’t know well. One of my professors was hosting the trip. I met a great group of folks but it was my first taste of independent travel. They wanted to see a bunch of stuff that I couldn’t care less about. I think half of the time I did my own thing. The joys of solo-travel.

The reason I am telling you this is because that was in 1995 (ish) and I haven’t really traveled alone since. How did I let that happen??

Yeah, I have traveled alone for work jobs but does that really count? I am not counting it.

And yes, I have had the occasional trips with people where we split up for the day/night. But that isn’t the same either.

In my head, I have traveled alone many times. Funny how the mind works.

So, today I hopped on a plane alone. I am going to the Albuquerque balloon festival in the morning.

I get off the plane. I can do whatever I want. There are no co-workers anywhere. No sweet hubs to lead the way. No family or friends.

I sat in the car. What do I do. I had a plan. But now it is real. What do I really want to do.

After a series of getting lost and not being able to find things in my purse, I decided to take the gal at the Hertz counter’s advice and drive to Santa Fe. If I get there early then I can drive back via the scenic route and catch the sunset.

And so I drive.

I stop off at some shops in Santa Fe. The town is lonely but not really my cup of tea.

Then I drive back. WOW.

To be alone at sunset with the natural wonders of the middle of New Mexico is incredible.

So, this trip will be two things – being alone with myself and killing it at the festival with my photography.

Follow me on Instagram of FB if you want to see my photos. I’ll post later.

Will you watch my cans? Another adventure in Rio

September 4, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 11 Comments

When we travel to other parts of the world, we like to go where the locals go. Especially for drinks. We sometimes find ourselves in funny situations, like this one time in Rio where a guy asked us to watch his stash.

We went to Rio for my birthday a few years ago. I have written about Rio before and how the culture is so different there that several things threw us off. For example, we could not find a place to buy souvenirs anywhere. We looked and looked. Then we went and laid on the beach and there they were! People were walking around selling stuff. It was a great idea – what do you need a store for when you can go to your customers.

One night we went to listen to some music. I had read about Bip Bip and how the music there is outstanding. I was overwhelmed.

The place is tiny. And ridiculously informal. There are no waiters. You grab a chair and sit in the sidewalk/street area. Want a beer – they are in the fridge in the back. Walk on in and help your self. You let the owner (or his helpers) know you took a beer. They write it down. You pay when you leave. Do not dare try to tip. He got really offended when we wanted to tip.

The musicians play the music inside and a few people can sit in there with them, but why? All of the action is outside. Don’t make too much noise because you are there to listen to the music, but there is plenty to see. Tourists who have no clue what they are doing, lovers on a date, families and even the occasional eccentric person.

So, we were sitting there listening to the music and noticed that this guy, who was wearing a chefs jacket collecting cans. I guess you can get some money for them by recycling. After people finished their beers, he would grab the can from you. No one cared as that meant you didn’t need to get up.

After awhile we noticed he had quite a large bag full of cans. He then started arguing with someone about something. Clearly he needed to be somewhere else. He came over to us and asked us in Portuguese if we would watch his cans.

We speak Spanish but it was clear enough that he wanted us to keep an eye on his stash. So we did. We told people to put their cans in his bag. We told other people to leave the bag alone. The bag became our bag. His cans became our responsibility.

And then we had enough. Ready to go home. But the guy was no where in site. Where did he go? Was he coming back? Did we just think he asked us to watch his cans but he was really, I don’t know, telling us they were ours? Sigh.. now what do we do?

We took the responsibility of watching the cans. How could we just turn our backs on them? Especially now that time was invested in them.

What is the appropriate amount of time when asked to watch something that you can abandon your post?

So we decided. When we finished our final beer, our shift was over. We got up, paid the bill and left.

As we walked back to the hotel, we felt so bad. What if that guy needed his cans? What if..

And then there he was. Standing in front of the restaurant having a smoke. Clearly one of the cooks. We waved. We told him his cans were over there. He didn’t really care.

If you find yourself in Rio, go check out Bip Bip. But do not watch anyone’s cans.

For safety concerns, we did not take our cameras out at night with us in Rio. It might have been okay, but we did not want to risk leaving it anywhere. Instead you can see my photos of the beach!

If you want to see what Bip Bip looks like, this site has a great photo of the place. Also see Here or Here.

New Orleans – The land of food, fun and festivities!

August 30, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

I live in Houston and New Orleans is just far enough for a good long weekend trip but not too far that will require you to fly. So, it becomes a great alternative for college kids rather than Cancun or other beach towns. Then as you get older you start appreciating it less for its cheap daiquiris and more for its architecture and charm.

I have been to New Orleans so many times I cannot count. Between college roadtrips, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and work events, I have experienced a lot of the city. Even with all that, it is one of the cities that I can just keep going back to over and over again.

Now, before you start reading this and get all opinionated, remember that there are so many things to do in NOLA that you cannot begin to have a complete list of everything. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments below.

By the way, if you don’t know it already: NOLA = New Orleans, Louisiana

Food

I could go on and on about the food in New Orleans. If you have been there once, you know what I am talking about!

First, let’s just go ahead and say that you should not go to New Orleans if you are on a diet. Just don’t. You will be miserable. Most of the food there is in a fabulous gravy or on bread, or fried! I guess you could eat salads, but that would be so sad!

Things you must try:

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde – These are little fried donuts. The place is open 24/7 so take advantage of that. Do not go at morning time as it will be packed. There is mainly outdoor seating but there are a few tables inside. People line up to sit outside because of the view of street performers, but trust me you will see enough of that. Go sit in the AC! Be ready to order when the staff come to take your order. The menu is on the side of the napkin holder. They only take cash.
NOLA – Or any of Emeril’s restaurants. I prefer this one as it is snappy casual and has a great menu. The others are just as good.
Red Fish Grill – I have had many parties (work, wedding, fun) here. They have fabulous food, and the staff knows how to treat you. It is on Bourbon Street, but don’t let that fool you as it is high quality and a good time.
Chop House – If you want a nice dinner this is the place to go. You will spend some money and it will be so worth every penny. I don’t eat beef, but it is still one of my favorite places.
Mothers – This is the restaurant that I must go to each time I am in NOLA. You cannot find food like this anywhere else. It is a steam table set up and you wait in line to order. Their etouffee omelet is to die for and the biscuits are just wow. Also the beans and rice are insane. Yes, Beans and Rice. Just try them and you will never be able to eat them anywhere else.

Activities

There is just so much to do in NOLA that it can be overwhelming. You could just spend your entire trip walking around the French Quarter. I highly recommend you spending at least three, er one, day just walking around. You will find street vendors, performers, shops, etc that will take up your entire day. Best of all, with the exception of the tips that you will give the performers, it doesn’t cost much. And please don’t be a jerk and not tip. You stood their and watched the show; cough up some change.

There are significant amount of street vendors (and palm readers!) around Jackson Square.
The aquarium is something fun to do on a hot summer day.
At the end of the French Quarter is the market. It is worth a stop in to see the various alligator on a stick and buy a souvenir. People rant about it. I do not.
The trolley is a neat way to see the city for cheap. There are several stops in the Quarter and you can just ride around.
The garden district is something nice and different to do. If you have a car I’d recommend you spend a little time looking at the homes. There are tours you can take too but I just like looking at the older homes.

Tours

As you know I am not big on taking tours. However, there are a set of tours that I just love. I find them entertaining and sort of educational. The Haunted History tours is something you should definitely check out. They meet in front of Jackson Square. You get to walk around the Quarter and see things you wouldn’t normally notice (like the corn fence). I prefer the vampire tour to the ghost tour but they are both a fun time. Plus, you stop half way at a bar to get a drink where you normally wouldn’t.

NOTE: I was there once and unable to consume alcohol. My husband ordered me a hurricane without alcohol and the bartenders didn’t even flinch. They made me a fabulous drink that I also enjoyed with the crowd. Don’t let the massive amount of booze prohibit you from going to NOLA. You will be fine.

Places to stay

I have stayed in many places in NOLA. Do not even attempt to stay anywhere but the French Quarter unless you have a good reason to do so. It isn’t worth the hassle.

My favorite spot is the Sheraton on Canal. Followed by the JW Marriott on Canal. If you are looking for something a little more touristic, Monteleone is really nice and in a great location.

Things to remember

First and foremost, unless you are going in the dead of winter, New Orleans is hot. And I don’t mean dry hot. You will be on the gulf and Mississippi River. That is a lot of water. The humidity is about 100%.

Do not bring nice clothes or nice shoes. New Orleans is super casual. Women dressing in sundresses is as formal as you need.

Do not wear open toe shoes. Just don’t.

Bring cash to tip people. The city makes its money on tourism. They are not out there to show off their skills. They are performing to make money. If you can afford a vacation, you can afford to set aside a little money to give performers. If you watch the show and you don’t pay, I recommend you evaluate your karma.

What other things do you like to do in New Orleans? Let me know in the comments below!

(Special thanks to Andres Salaverria for taking these photos for me)

You will see tons of performances like this. See the guys in the back? Do that – get a drink, stand against the wall and just enjoy! And don’t forget to tip!

Here is the festivities outside of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Get there early before it gets too hot.

More street performances. This guy stands still with his dog, never moving.

This is typical French Quarter architecture. The Spanish occupied Louisiana and had much influence on the way the balconies were done. This style can be seen in parts of Spain now days as well.

What else??

You can see the rings of Saturn from Mauna Kea

August 21, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

One of the highlights to our trip to the Big Island was going up top of Mauna Kea. It was such a remarkable experience and I would recommend anyone do it while on the island. If you are big into stars, I think it is worth the trip to the Big Island itself.

Hawaii’s five islands

Hawaii has five islands that are very different from each other. We opted to spend our entire vacation on the Big Island (yes, that is its name) and I am glad we did because there was so much to do. There are the coffee farms, Kona, Volcano National Park, the farthest point in the US, swimming, etc. Tons of stuff to do.

Logistics of our Stay

We stayed at the Sheraton which was a decent place to stay during the week. It is a great place for kids, so if you are having a weekend get-way, maybe not. One of my favorite memories of the trip was walking across the street to this little pizza place and getting the pizza to-go, bringing it back and sitting on our balcony having dinner and watching the ocean pass the time.

We rented an SUV, which is advisable if you are going to be on the island. You could get away with a car, but there were several off road spots that we wanted to see as well.

Mauna Kea Tour

First note: Because going up to such high altitudes can be somewhat dangerous if done incorrectly, we opted to take a tour up. Afterwards I mentioned to someone that they should also take the tour. He did not and did not have any issues. I am not a fan of tours, but when it comes to your safety, always opt for the tour.

We chose the Hawaii Forest & Trail. While Maunakea isn’t an active one, it is still a volcano. If you want action, you have to go to the other volcano on the island Mauna Loa.

The tour was small so that was good. The guide brought dinner for the trip and half way up we stopped at a camp and enjoyed some tasty stew. Then we were given coats and gloves for the trip up. If you plan to venture up alone, make sure you have proper gear as it is freezing. Also there are lots of guidelines and rules that you need to be aware of if you do not take a guide. Read more about them at the visitor center.

As we approached up we were told there were two things that could happen. If there are clouds, we get a super awesome sunset. If there were no clouds, we could see the green snap of light that happens at sunset. Either would have been great; we had clouds.

The View from Mauna Kea

We spent a good time up above the clouds with the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. I have been above the clouds before (i.e. airplanes) but to stand there and walk around is spectacular.

Once it was dark, we found a spot where the guide set up his telescope. He pointed out different constellations and we were able to make out Andromeda. Then he had us look in his telescope at a planet. It was Saturn. The rings were clearly visible. Just there. Up on a volcano. Looking at Saturn.

Satellites at Mauna Kea — On our way up we stopped off and saw these monsters!

Driving Around the Big Island. Here is an example of the wonderful landscape.

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The Birth of a Hot Air Balloon

All opinions are mine. I was sponsored by the event.

Solo-Travel is good for the soul…

Will you watch my cans? Another adventure in Rio

New Orleans – The land of food, fun and festivities!