London September 2013

I started traveling more often starting in September 2013. I was working on a large project which required me to often be in different places around the globe. Many of my trips started to become multi locations.   I have decided to create a post for each location of my travels. These new posts will be shorter as I spent less time in each location but I will be able to post more often. 

I was asked by my employer to help support training on a large project. The caveat was the training was in India. I naturally accepted this opportunity and worked with a team of other individuals to support training. I was going to be in Chennai India for 3 weeks but I decided to take advantage of long flights and I spent a night in London on the way to Chennai and a night in Munich on my way home.  

Since I have been traveling with United Airlines I wanted to continue trying to get more points so I researched my flights carefully. Lufthansa Airlines is a partner with United and are a member of the Star Alliance meaning I can get points for my flights with them. Lufthansa is one of the few carriers that fly into Chennai India. I was going to fly from Phoenix to Houston on United l then switch to Lufthansa and fly to London directly. We flew into Heathrow airport and landed in London at 7 in the morning. I did some research and decided to stay at the Marriott Heathrow Airport because our flight out of London was going to be early. After collecting our bags and passing through customs we caught a London Black Cab to the hotel. We had 24 hours to see as much as we could. After checking in and dropping bags off we headed directly to the center of London. The easiest way to travel in London is to use the tube. We caught the bus from the hotel to the nearest Tube stop and headed into the city. 

The train ride from Heathrow to the center of London is long, but is much cheaper than taking a Black Cab. The goal was to walk through the center of London from west to east seeing all the sights along the way. We decided to get off the Piccadilly Line at Knightsbridge Station next to Hyde Park. Since we had been traveling all day the first stop was to grab lunch. Being in England there were a few items on the culinary tour. Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, and Cask Beers were items we looked for in the local restaurants. Lucky for us every corner pub has this staples on their menus. The benefit of having others around is you can share dishes and since I’m not a seafood eater I wanted to try the dishes but not commit to eating the entire plate. Fish and Chips were not my thing, its not that it was bad i just don’t eat fish. My few bites were good but not something I would eat often. Bangers and Mash is a dish of English Sausages, mashed potatoes, and peas. This is a dish is more in my wheel house, I enjoyed it much more than I did the fish and chips. With our meal each one of us ordered a local beer. From what I have been told the English serve their beers warm, but that is a misconception. In the UK many beers are served from a cask and are not pumped through CO2 lines. The bartenders use hand pumps to pour you beer, and even though it is served at room temperature, the temperature they are referring to is the temperature of a basement where the casks are stored. This means the beers are between 50 and 55 Fahrenheit. I was surprised by the beers, I really enjoyed the style and flavor. To this day any chance I can get as cask beer I do

Guard at Buckingham Palace

After lunch we walked along the park towards Buckingham Palace in hopes of watching the changing of the guard. We didn’t plan any of the stops on our mission to sight see and because of this we were not able to do any of the tours. The area around Buckingham Palace is beautiful and full of parks. After taking pictures of the Royal Guards marching back and fourth we continued towards Big Ben and the parliament building. The large clock tower is located right on the River Thames and is surrounded by other government and royal buildings. This clock tower stands majestic on the skyline and is immediately identified from afar. 

We continued along walking up the River Thames and stoped at some pubs along the way continuing our beer adventure we started earlier in the day. We passed by the London Eye but decided to skip the lines and the attraction. By this time it was getting later in the afternoon and the jet lag was kicking in. All of us were becoming extremely tired and decided to head back towards Heathrow Airport and the hotel. The train ride was long and we all fell asleep on the ride, the long flights had caught up with us. After arriving back at the hotel we ate dinner and went to bed. Morning came early and so did our flight. After check out we grabbed a Black Cab and headed to Heathrow to continue our journey, on to India. My time in London was too short but London is such a beautiful city. I could easily imagine myself living here. 

Phone Booth, Double Decker Bus, and Big Ben
the three famous London Landmarks

Puerto Rico June 2013

View of Old San Juan and El Morro Fort

This post has a familiar feel to it, because I'm Back on the island, second time in 3 months but this time I get to explore more. Puerto Rico was an awesome adventure the first time. I spent 2 weeks working on the island in the town of Aguadilla on my first trip and this trip will be exactly the same. Monday through Friday I spend my time, 8 to 6, working at my companies facility.

This trip I decided to fly directly into Aguadilla airport, United Airlines and Jet Blue have direct flights from Newark airport. This flight is interesting, first off I can get an afternoon flight from Phoenix to Newark, as the flight from Newark doesn't leave until 9 at night. Since the flight is late night it is easy to sleep on the plane which makes the 4 hour flight seem much shorter. You land in Aguadilla at roughly 1 am and as soon as the wheels touch down the planes occupants start clapping. The first time on this flight I found it strange but learned that it is a custom to show the pilot you appreciate them getting you safely to you destination. You exit the plane on the Tarmac and are ushered into what looks to be a small airplane hangar. The baggage return is directly inside the door and it usually only takes 10 minutes to get your bag and get out of the airport. It's that small, the smallest airport I have ever been in. The rental car lot is down the street and does not have a large selection. This trip I cruised around in a small Chevy that had manual windows and door locks, but at least I had my own car. 

This trip I decided to stay at the Courtyard Marriott in Aguadilla. The hotel was converted from an old army hospital and was not on the beach but there were 2 big reasons I chose to stay here. There were no mosquitos eating me alive and I could get internet even if the power went out. I learned on my first trip that power outages are common in this part of the island. The locals just carry on with their activity and some local businesses even have back up generators. If they done have a generator you just have to kick back and drink your beer in the natural light provided by the moon and the stars. Not the worst situation but when you are trying to work after hours it becomes difficult if you have no juice. Besides the Internet the other benefits include restaurants on site, you don't have to drive anywhere, and a Casio in the lobby. I'm not big on gambling but this place was always packed. The hotel was not luxurious by any means but it had clean rooms, air conditioning, wifi, and no mosquitos. I am also a Marriott rewards member so it was a no brainier to try and rack up more stays to improve my status. 

One of the places I made sure to revisit was One Ten Thai. I fell in love with this restaurant the first time I ate here. The restaurant is small with only 10 tables inside and 10 on the patio. The restaurant shares a space with a bar that specializes in craft and local beers. There is always a wait to get a table so the best thing to do is grab a craft beer from the bar. I said this before, but this place is a must do if you are in the west side of Puerto Rico. The prices are low, the food is amazing, and there  is a great variety of tasty cold beers. My recommendation is the red curry with chicken and a Boquerón Blonde Ale. 

There are a few other restaurants in the area that I explored on this trip. There were a few occasions where I dined alone and others where I was joined by colleagues and friends. Of the restaurants I stopped at was Desacheo's, it is a restaurant that specializes in local Puerto Rican food. The restaurant is a bit on the high end but has great churrasco(grilled skirt steak) and rice and beans, plus they have great drinks and sangria. Another restaurant/bar where I would go with friends was Ocean Front. This establishment was multi functional, it has a hotel, inside "fine dining" restaurant, and outdoor restaurant and bar. The property is beach side at Jobos beach and has a beautiful view of the water. Again many of the restaurants in the Aguadilla area specialize in local cuisine, Ocean Front is no different. One of the dishes I enjoy here is Mofongo, which is a dish of fried, seasoned mashed plantains  with your choice of meat. Many people like the seafood versions but I prefer the Mofongo with churrasco. Ocean Front is perfect to grab food and a cold local beer called Madalla while sitting on the patio watching the sunset. In the later parts of the evening many of the restaurants on Jobos beach turn into bars which have live bands, music, and stay open until the early morning. It's easy to lose track of time in these ocean side spots. 

Saturday was spent hitting the local beaches again. I met a colleague and we walked from her hotel condo to Jobos beach. We packed our pockets with  Madalla which is sold in 8 ounce cans. The walk was great as the day was beautiful and we found a spot to sit near the water on the beach. Jobos beach has beautiful clear water that is great for surfing because there are a number of rocks in the area. Because there are rocks the shore is not completely sand like some of the other beaches in the area. As you wade out into deeper water it's important to pay attention to where you step so you don't step on rocks or sea urchins. After a few hours on the beach we headed back to grab some lunch and relax before having a bbq with other team members who live in Aguadilla. 

Inside El Morro Fort

Blue Cobble Stone Streets in Old Town San Juan

Sunday morning I met my friend/ colleague as we were going to take a day trip to San Juan. We grabbed breakfast on the way out of Aguadilla. The drive from Aguadilla to San Juan is about 2 hours if the traffic is low. It started raining, which is common, but it didn't last long and made for some beautiful sites. The rainbows appeared to be coming directly from the dense jungle and ending in the ocean. Once we got to San Juan we went directly to Old Town San Juan. We had a mission, tropical drinks and site seeing! After parking we found the first bar to grab a drink. As we imbibed we planned out our day of walking Old Town. The must see attractions in Old Town Puerto Rico are the fort "Castillo San Felipe del Morro" and the blue cobblestone roads that cross cross the area. The fort was built in the 16th century to guard the entrance of San Juan Bay. The fort has been restored and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. If you are in San Juan this is a definite stop on the trip. Other than the fort there are plenty of shops and restaurants in the Old Town area. Remember San Juan is a major stop on many Caribbean cruises. Many of the stores and restaurants are geared towards selling products to tourists.  Even though there are many "touristy" spots there are some hidden gems if you are paying attention. One of the little shops I like to stop in are the cigar shops where you can get hand made cigars from local vendors. 

I was a little more adventurous on this trip and I had my own rental car so it was easy for me to explore the nearby towns. One evening I decided to drive to nearby Mayaguez. This small city has a more metropolitan feel to it, as there is a large mall and numerous restaurant chains in the area. I prefer to eat local food when traveling but every once in a while it's nice to have a comfort meal I'm used to from a big chain restaurant. Mayaguez provides many options from Fudruckers to Macaroni Grill. All of these places are about 40 minutes away from the center of Aguadilla but the drive is beautiful and it passes quickly. 

Since the flights into Aguadilla land early in the mornings the outbound flights are also early morning. The United Airlines flight leave at roughly 2 am and land in Newark at 6am. You don't have many options once you check out of your hotel so I met friends for happy hour on Friday afternoon, then had dinner and drinks until about midnight. Again the airport is small so I check in and head to the only bar and grab a beer and kill some time until I need to go the thought security. I didn't know what to expect so, as I would at other airports, I make my way through the TSA checkpoint roughly and hour and a half before my flight. That was too early! There is only one gate at this airport and nothing to do. The gate area has seats and 2 very small shops selling duty free goods like alcohol and perfume/cologne. Absolutely nothing to do, no restaurants, not bars, not even windows. You just sit there waiting for boarding. The bright side of a small airport is boarding is quick and the flight is off within minutes. The connecting flight from Newark to Phoenix is an hour after you land. This leaves very little time to do much and since it is 6am and most of the Newark Airport is closed. You have just enough time to stretch out grab a bite of food and hit the restroom. I found a breakfast spot that makes New York bagels. Perfect to grab on the go and head towards home!

Puerto Rico April 2013

View over looking downtown Aguadilla at sunset 

Asunsets is easy to come by but its difficult to match the beauty found when your on a Caribbean island. Puerto Rico is Americas tropical paradise, it has amazing weather, people, and scenery.  Puerto Rico has a culture unto is own, the people are warm and the beers are cold but most importantly this island is all about the good time, it will make you relax, it will make you forget.

Old Town San Juan Buildings and cobble stone roads

This was a business trip and I was going to be working in Aguadilla which is on the west coast of Puerto Rico. I flew in and out of San Juan which gave me an opportunity to see the capital city. Generally speaking flying out of Phoenix to the east coast is a super early flight. I left at 5 am for a connection in Charlotte, North Carolina then on to San Juan.  I decided to stay Sunday night in San Juan then get up early and drive into Aguadilla first thing Monday morning for work. My hotel was located near Old Town San Juan a block away from the beach. After checking in I headed up to the bar on the roof and got my first view of the beautiful water surrounding the island. I tend to mix the cliche activities into my trips because they are popular for a reason. What this meant was a night full of Mojitos which I'm sure every bartender think are a pain in the ass to make. After sipping a few of these tasty rum cocktails I hopped into a cab and headed to the Old Town area. Old Town San Juan is a neighborhood full of historic buildings, restaurants, bars, and historical sites. There was a buzz in Old Town but unfortunately this trip was not my opportunity to explore its adventures, only spending Sunday night in San Juan put a damper on night life exploration.

Monday morning came early but it was necessary to get on the road to drive to Aguadilla for work. 

The drive is roughly 2 hours but the island is a beautiful site. Tropical and green the road winds through cities, jungle, and coast line on its way to the west coast. Aguadilla is a sleepy surfer town with a few facilities from large fortune 500 companies.  

In Aguadilla I stayed at Villa Tropical Condos. These condos were right on the beach and had beautiful views. This was my home for 2 weeks, but the condo’s came with both positives and negatives. These condos were in a neighborhood right on the beach, positive was the beach footsteps away, negative was the trash man at 5 am. The condos were clean, beautiful, and very private. The only issue I ever had was when the power goes out, so does the Wi-Fi.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the town at first. I quickly explored most of the town and surrounding areas and was intrigued to find a rather large airport. The airport was a former air force base and is currently used for a few commercial flights, cargo, and a Coast Guard Installation. Many people choose to fly directly into Aguadilla on one of the 3 daily flights rather than drive to and from San Juan. Within driving distance were a few other towns all containing different stores and restaurants. With Aguadilla being a smaller area the restaurants are limited. It also seemed many of the business were not open or closed early in the evening. The only places that stayed open late were the bars on the beach and the airport. Since this was a work trip and I was in the office until late I generally ended up eating at a local bar in the evenings.

Since I was working long hours my first week in Aguadilla was spent mostly in the office. I was looking forward to some free time on the weekend. On Friday night I went with some colleagues to a restaurant named One Ten Thai. I fell in love with this amazing little place. There is always a wait which tells me it has quality food and drinks. This restaurant is a must stop if you are in the area. They are only open a few nights a week so plan accordingly there will be a wait. 

Crash Boat Beach

Jobos Beach

Saturday and Sunday were spend beach hopping. Saturday afternoon was spent at Crash Boat Beach. In my opinion this is the best beach in the area for playing in the water. The beach was named because a boat crashed on its shores and part of the wreckage is still there today. The beach is busy and has some shops around but is a great place for a BBQ and some sun. On Sunday morning I walked down the beach from my condo to Jobos Beach. Jobos is another popular beach in the area and is known in the surf community for its waves. I didn't mean to walk all the way to Jobos but the weather was beautiful so I decided to have lunch and a beer at one of the beach bars. After my long walk back to the condo I met up with some colleagues and we took a road trip to nearby Rincon. Rincon is another area known for surfing and has a number of sights to see and restaurants to stop at.

Most of my first two weeks in Puerto Rico were spent working so I did not get to hit all the attractions I was hoping to see.  All in all Aguadilla is a great place to kick back and enjoy the island life. I met so many people who take pride in showing me their town and culture. Many of those people I still talk to today! I laughed and really enjoyed my time in Aguadilla. There are some great people, beaches, restaurants, and beach side bars in this sleepy town. Kick back enjoy some local beers with friends and listen to the sound of the waves and local wild life! 

View of Jobos Beach Area from one of the local bars.