Caribbean Cruises on Orbitz: Sail from $40 Nt, Free Upgrades and more!

Royal Caribbean: Up to an EXTRA $200 Off and FREE Balcony Upgrade on Orbitz!

Alaska Cruises: FREE Upgrades on cruises starting at $499 on Orbitz! (exp 3-14-10)

Many of the travel booking sites are offering deeply discounted offers and who doesn’t need a break during these difficult financial times!  Travel to Hawaii is easier when you receive 50 % off on hotel stays.
Hawaii Hotel Sale: Save up to 50%! – Expires 3/31/10

For the baseball fans out there, now is the time to visit your favorite team in a warm location. Spring training specials: Hotels from $70 at Expedia

An ad that caught my eye from Expedia offers ways to lower your travel carbon footprint.
Travel Green: Reduce your carbon footprint with Expedia.com

Travelocity, not to be left out, offers discounts on travel like this Save $100 on a Flight + Hotel package of 5+ nights through Travelocity, courtesy of Crest Whitestrips! Use code CREST100 at checkout!

For those wanting to wander further a field, how about a trip to Europe?

Riu Hotels offers dicounts on rooms in many of their hotels. Riu Hotels Offers and Promotions

And to get there Expedia offers air fare and 4 night discounts Europe: Book early and save! Air + 4 nights from$545

To get around in Europe, I would highly recommend EuroRail and they now have discounts on first class travel Save 20% on 1st class Eurostar tickets

If you prefer cruising, Travelocity has a sale on cruises to Mexico 7-Night Mexico Cruises from Royal Caribbean starting at only $599

Deals for travel are out there and I’ll be searching this site’s sponsors and updating you as they come in!

Planning travel to Costa Rica?  Tortuguero National Park is a destination that I can and would recommend.

Tortuguero National Park is more of a preserve than a national park.  A park ranger once explained to me the difference between a park and a preserve.  In a park, if a raccoon were to attempt to steal your food while picnicking, the raccoon would be moved. In a preserve if the raccoon were to attempt to steal your food, then you would be removed. In this preserve, you would probably substitute a monkey instead of a raccoon.

The park is result of the efforts of Dr. Archie Carr, Joshua B. Powers and John H. Phipps. Dr. Archie Carr, who received his doctorate from the University of Florida, had done extensive research on sea turtles. His researches lead him to write the book “The Windward Road”. This book documents the plight of the sea turtle as it travels from its nesting grounds and then its return to the same beach to laid its eggs. This cycle continues throughout the turtle’s life.  Through the work of these men and many who assisted them, they laid the foundation for the creation of the Tortuguero National Park.

As I prepared to write this article, fresh from a trip to the park I received the latest edition of the newsletter, Velador, from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, which was founded to protect sea turtles and their habitats.  The CCC has recently celebrated the 100^th birthday of Dr. Archie Carr. Being slightly younger than me the CCC is in its 50^th year. Time flies when you’re having fun.

To arrive at our jumping off point at the marina at Parismina, we travel by bus on dirt roads. Pasting the homes of the locals, many of these were what are called shotgun houses in New Orleans, because you could shoot a shot through the front door and not hit anything as the buckshot cleared the back door. I was surprised to see how many lacked a front door, but had a blanket covering the entrance. Those residents we did see usually waved enthusiastically.  Tourism has become what the turtle trade and logging was not that many years ago, a source of income. English lessons are advertised almost everywhere. I am be wrong, but everyone appears to be eager to secure a position in tourist trade.

Our stay in the preserve began by river ferry.  We left from the quaint ferry station in Parismina, where you buy a little of everything. I chose the ice cream bar.

A series of canals lace the landscape and were created by the almost 200 inches of rain yearly, and by plan. Traveling by boat in the Caribbean can be risky and these canals were created as a safer alternative to the ocean.

I have always loved traveling by waterborne vessels and these were beamy and fast. Being open to the air, you can experience the rivers and canals very up close and personal and may get wet.

Leaving Parismina, the landscape is open grazing fields, with cattle on banks that have been eroded banks by the flow of the river.

Later you enter the rain forest areas or jungles. From time to time, I saw iguanas scurrying along the banks and could hear the distance sound of howler monkeys in the tree tops.

On our trip, the day was clear and dry. Arriving, we checked into the Laguna Lodge Tortuguero

Being on a tour, we ran into the tour group traveling a day ahead. A new friend, we met at the airport in San Jose, who was with this tour group, told us that when they arrived, it was raining and had just stopped that afternoon, prior to our arrival.

After placing our luggage in the room, we walked around the grounds.  The hotel is feast to the senses.  A hobbit looking building serves as the reception center and gift shop, the restaurant and bar is open air and located over the river.  The rooms are Spartan and for me, very comfortable, no air conditioning, or televisions, or radios. Creating for me one of the best places that I have ever stayed the night and we were staying two nights!!

After enjoying the pool and of course the pool bar, we went back to our room. On each porch are two rocking chairs. The porch of each room is large enough to shelter guests from rain with its overhanging roof. The construction of the block of rooms is a crawlspace design, permitting the air to flow under the rooms and the windows can remain open due to the overhanging roof covering the windows. The breeze from the Caribbean was our air conditioning system.

Then the rains returned.  For many travelers, the rain would be an inconvenience or a disaster, but we found it somehow comforting.  Walking to dinner was not uncomfortable, kind of an adventure.  Before dinner a local group of musicians performed during happy hour.  Our tour guide told us they also perform at the local disco. Disco, in Costa Rica, is what they call a night club.

Umbrellas were provided by the Lodge and after dinner we strolled back toward the room in the rain. Jan wanted to see the beach. If you haven’t been to a beach without the hundreds of lights from a major city, I will tell you now that a beach in a preserve at night is dark, very dark. The sands of Tortuguero are a dark brown and the only way to tell where the Caribbean water starts are the breaking whitecap waves. The waves could blanket the sound of an approaching jaguar, which our guide assured us stalks these jungles. You can bet I was watching.

The rain continued. It was steady. It beat a constant rhythm on the roof, on the overhang and on the ground outside the windows.  It was a siren song for sleep and it had been a long time since I had slept so soundly. Combine that with the sounds of the birds and insects that added their songs to the evening serenade and those two nights of sleep were worth the entire trip.

During the day, tours were conducted by guides who had grown up on the banks of the rivers and canals and knew the area by heart leading us to where we could spot the local animals. Though it continued to rain, it added a sense of adventure to these river treks. Anybody can go out when it’s dry.

In the afternoon we visited the Turtle Museum and after watching the video presentation, adopted a beautifully green sea turtle which we keep in the bathtub. Seriously, you can adopt a sea turtle and help with the work of the CCC in protecting the turtles. Contact the Caribbean Conservation Corporation at www.cccturtle.org or call 352-373-6441 to donate.

We then strolled through the village and observed the local school house, open air, of course, browsed the stores and purchased local clothing and crafts.

Personally I was sorry to leave the Laguna Lodge and would like to take the room and the rain home.

Laguna Lodge Tortuguero

http://www.lagunatortuguero.com/

It is reported that four carriers, Delta, American, US Airlines and United, added a $10.00 charge for bookings on the busy days around Thanksgiving and the New Years. The airline industry has experienced a sharp drop in revenue due to the worsening economy and these fees; they believe will help with the bottom line. But with the airline industry under attack, this will not turn public opinion to their favor.

Of course not all carriers are following suit. Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines have not added fees for holiday travel. As you know Southwest has always considered its self a maverick and has used the bag fees charged by other airlines as a marketing tool.

Travelers in the past have postponed booking the holiday flight until the last moment in the hopes of securing a deal. Industry experts don’t expect that airlines will be offering discounted fares this year.

It would appear that if you are planning to travel by air to see your family and friends this holiday season, it would best to book early or avoid flying on the days immediately surrounding the holidays.

Sources:
Bloomberg News
Mary Jane Credeur and Mary Schlangenstein
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=agTUQApaQj3c

Chicago Tribune
Julie Johnsson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-airline-fees-uaua-amrsep26,0,4171728.story

St . Petersburg Times
Steve Huettel
http://www.tampabay.com/

We found out about this organization through a friend who is a member.

Who and what is Friendship force? The Friendship Force website describes itself this way:

“Friendship Force International (FFI) is a worldwide network of clubs (local chapters) and individuals that advance our mission of promoting global understanding across the barriers that separate people. We do this by connecting people from different countries at the personal level. When local hosts open their homes to visitors from other countries and cultures, true understanding can develop through the sharing of meals, conversation and the routines of daily life. Since its founding in 1977 FFI has brought together millions of people. In 2007 alone, 5767 friendship ambassadors traveled between 58 countries, with thousands more serving as hosts. Our mission, structure and activities are described in our website: www.thefriendshipforce.org “.

Have you ever visited a foreign country and wondered how the people live and what a typical day is like for them? Or what it looked like inside their homes? Or what do they eat for dinner? These questions are answered in the friendship force because the idea is for members to allow visitors from other groups to stay in their homes for up to a week. This is called hosting. The hosting members provide meals and take the guests to places of interest that reflect the local culture and activities that they and their families enjoy.

As an example our local group visited the Washington state Friendship Force of Lower Columbia. While there we visited the Kalama Marina Park on the Columbia River where there are two giant totem poles and the host group provided a potluck dinner. We attended a lecture at the Lelooska Long House a Native American ceremonial lodge. Picnicked at Ecola Park at Cannon Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean and sea stacks, a must see if visiting the area. The view is breath taking. The host group arranged a steamboat ride on the Columbia River followed by a stop at Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Dam. The final day was visit to Mt. St. Helens volcano visitors’ center. While we there we had an opportunity to dine with the host families and their friends and came away with friends we would never had met if we hadn’t joined the Friendship Force.

The cost usually is a fee to the hosting group through headquarters in Atlanta and that might include airfare or you may have to make your own arrangements and each visitor pays for one dinner for the host family. It’s a bargain with a purpose. By living with the host family you get a feel for how people in other countries or states live. It promotes understanding and goodwill.

One upcoming trip is to Koriyama and Kyoto Japan with includes a seven night home stay and ten night post tour. This trip includes airfare and hotels. For more on this tour visit the Friend Force website:

www.thefriendshipforce.org.

All and all it is a win/win, less expensive travel opportunities and the chance to make new friends in the far corners of the world.

This blog is dedicated to all things travel. During my travels if I find a restaurant, park, trail, cruise or anything odd or interesting I will pass it along.

The blog is two way street, if you know something of interest about a destination please pass it along.

We can discuss budget travel and deals. Everyone needs those these days.