Updates

Wow! 

It has been a while since Sarah, Caroline and I have posted and adventure. 

No worries though!! 

We are all busy enjoying the summer; compiling wonderful stories and photos to post for you all.

Stick around.  We have tons of excitement to share. 

Serena

Mayan Riviera

In this blog I'll be taking a look back a holiday region I visited in June 2009 and again in June 2010.  If it's the sun, sea and sand you're after, you can't go too far wrong with Mexico's beautiful Mayan Riviera, located on the Yucatan Peninsular.  The area referred to as the Mayan Riviera stretches from Cancun down to Tulum.

http://www.virtualmex.com/mayan_riviera_map.htm

Both times I have visited I have given Cancun a bit of a wide birth and headed instead for Playa Del Carmen.  Still touristy but on a much smaller scale and with a more intimate ambience, this resort lies on the Carribean Coast about an hour South of Cancun.  The main strip is La Quinta Avenida, or 5th Avenue, which runs the length of the resort and is set a block back from the coast.  It's all about restaurants, bars and hotels here.  There are some mini-mart style convenience stores and there is a big supermarket in town (called the Mega) set a few blocks back from the beach, in case you are in self contained accommodation and need to pick up a few groceries.  You can get hassled a lot by local merchants as you walk up and down 5th Ave.  As with most touristy destinations, everyone wants you to come and check their goods out or eat in their restaurant and drink in their bar.  I found it best just to take this as part of the experience, otherwise you could end up a little frustrated by the end of your holiday!

The 'must do' night club in town is the Blue Parrot - a very funky club set right on the beach.  Wear your flip flops because the floor is sand!  They often do special promotion nights here where ladies drink for free and it's definitely worth going to see the fire show which the locals put on at 11pm nightly.  It's pretty spectacular.  Then the live DJs crank up the tunes and fill up the dance floor.  I have to say it's a pretty memorable experience partying right on the ocean!

Chilling at the Blue Parrot

Although 5th Ave is definitely where all the action is come night time, it's worth venturing off the beaten track and checking out some of the restaurants along the less visited 10th Ave.  You can find a perfectly respectable meal for quite a bit less money.

The beach at Playa is very nice - white sand and turquoise water can never be bad ;)  We found the beach to the Northern end of Playa to be prettier and slightly less crowded than to the South.  But in the midst of Summer you are going to have crowds wherever you go.  Various beach clubs set their lounge chairs up along the sand and you can hire these for the day.  There are plenty of waiters who will be only too happy to fetch food and drinks for you all day long (at a price of course!!)  There are also plenty of places where you can just find a patch of sand to lay your beach towel on.

But don't spend your whole time in Playa, as there are so many great things to do along the rest of the Riviera.  By far my favourite beach is Akumal.  About half an hour south of Playa, down the coastal Highway (307) this gorgeous small beach is dotted with palm trees.  The shallows are perfect for little ones to splash about in, and older kids and adults should definitely bring their snorkelling gear.  Loggerhead and Green turtles nest here and you don't have to swim very far out to see them.  The sea floor is covered in sea grass and you will spy plenty of them munching happily away just a few meters below you.  There are coral reefs here as well with the usual myriad of beautiful tropical fish swimming in and around them.  There are plenty of barracuda too, so remember to take off any shiny jewellery you may be wearing.  The first time I swam here I also saw a Nurse shark!  It was so exciting!  She was very frightened of me though and took off into the blue beyond at a break-neck pace.  But I was just chuffed to have seen my first shark in the wild!  (I'm a bit of a shark nut).  There are a couple of dive shops here, if you do need to hire any equipment, and a restaurant as well.   When you're in Playa you will hear a lot about the snorkelling at Cozumel, but I rate Akumal above it.

Akumal

Very near to Akumal is Yal Ku, a gorgeous natural lagoon where you will, again, see plently of wild life including turltes and rays.

Yal Ku

A tip for getting up and down Highway 307 (much cheaper than hiring cars and taxis) is to take the local mini bus service, or the colllectivos, as the locals call them.  These will pick you up anywhere along the highway.  Just flag one down and it will stop for you (unless it's full).  The loose change in your pocket should just about cover the fare.

The temple ruins at Tulum (although not as grand as those at Chichen Itza), are definitely worth a visit.  They are set on a cliff overlooking an absolutely stunning beach which you can access via a flight of steep stairs.  Take your bathers because after traipsing around the ruins, you will definitely want to cool off in this gorgeous water.

Back up the Northern end of the Riviera, it is definitely worth doing a day trip over to Isla Mujeres (Women Island).  Ferries depart daily from Cancun and it's about a 40 minute journey over to the island, where yet more bars, restaurants and absolutely stunning beaches await!

I have so many great holiday memories from my trips to this beautiful part of the world and I hope to make it back there again some day.

Until next blog,

Sarah.

Tarot Reading for a Graduation Party?



River, Cedar and Meadow



May 25^th was my husband’s graduation from the University of Alberta’s Project Management Professional program.  I had successfully managed to find some wonderful friends to watch all 3 of my children for the afternoon so that I could witness this important event.  Dressing somewhat fancy, I drove myself into the heart of Edmonton just in time for his 1:00 start up.  Then I received a text from him stating I had to be at the University for 3:15…hmmm…2 hours to kill. 



I walked over to Jasper Avenue from my 105^th Street parking spot and was immediately approached by 2 women asking me if I wanted to “Ride a bike for 5 minutes?”  My answer, “Ummm sure?”.  The purpose of this bike ride was that it was part of the Mitsubishi City Chase, an equivalent event to the television show The Amazing Race.  Since hearing about this annual event last year, I have wanted to participate but haven’t since commitments always seem to fall on that particular weekend.  This year was my husband’s program.  Luckily, I got to enjoy 5 minutes of the race.  Perhaps next year I will get the full experience.



Downtown Edmonton Farmer's Market

After my bike ride, I continued down Jasper Avenue.  I hadn’t walked one block more before I discovered an amazing Farmer's Market that contained everything from handmade jewellery to local produce.  I decided to peruse the sale tents only to discover that this was a BIG market and my feet were not accustom to the high heels I was wearing.  Once the pain was too unbearable to ignore, I decided to try to find the Russian Tea Room.

The Russian Tea Room was very easy to find.  Once entering, I wasn’t sure if the rumours I heard about it were true or not.  Did you really get your fortune read here?  I was greeted by an Asian lady who asked me if I wanted a menu and my fortune read; “yes” I said, to both.

 After scanning the area and realizing there weren’t any ‘Russians’ in the room, I tried to figure out how this operation worked.  I saw multiple tables of 2’s scattered all around the restaurant.  Were these people just eating?  Were they getting their fortune read?  What was this single guy doing beside me?  I felt so unsure as if the room was filled with old veterans and I was the obvious newbie.  Finally the Asian greater said, “You go see him” and pointed to a solo table.  I grabbed my tea and possessions to make my way to his table.  He provided me with a menu of reading options with varying degrees of prices for me to choose from.  I chose a Tarot reading with Destiny cards for $60.00. 

Now being somewhat of a sceptic, I made sure that I kept my personal information to myself to ensure that whatever reading I got was from the psychic was definitely from him.  The verdict…it was truly amazing.  I highly recommend dropping by the Russian Tea Room the next time you are in the Downtown Edmonton area.  The last good reading I had like this one was at A Sense of Serenity in the Whyte Avenue area.  What did he say you ask?  That is for me to know…and you to watch unfold. 

After the reading I made my way over to the University Professional building and watched my hardworking husband receive his certificate.  Way to go baby…I am so proud!

Congratulations Chris!

Happy Travels...

Serena

Shetrekkers has gone global!

I would like to give a shout out to our fans so far.  We have traffic in Canada, UK, Poland, USA, Bangladesh, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia and India.  Keep spreading the word people!  Shetrekkers has gone global.

Keep tuned…Caroline is doing some very unique travelling right now across Alberta and Saskatchewan.  You will not want to miss her report!

Thank you again Shetrekkers fans.  We love you!

An Edmonton Art Gallery Adventure

It has been brought to my attention that while I don’t consider my local adventures too terribly exciting, someone from another country might.  So…with that being said…look out readers, you are about to get a dose of Canada!

Last weekend we travelled to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for the weekend.  The purpose of this trip was to enjoy being a tourist in my own community.  On Friday night, I had found a festival guide in my hotel room at the Royal Inn Express, which by-the-way had an amazing Continental Breakfast and was so comfy and quiet.  This guide became an inspiration to try some of the things that many people actually travel to Edmonton to do.  The one major thing that stood out for this trip was the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Muttart Conservatory.   

The Art Museum of Alberta has always been a peek interest for me but I could never seem to find the time or excuse to drive into downtown Edmonton to see it.  This weekend would be that weekend for me, rain or shine.  On Sunday we decided to take the Light Rail Transit (LRT) into the city from Century Park. Originally we were planning on parking at the Southgate Mall station but after circling the parking lot numerous times, we came to discover that there was NO park n’ ride at this station.  To me this is completely bewildering.  I have never in my life been to a major transportation station and not found a park n’ ride, but this is one of the many things I find strange about Alberta’s urban planning.  Honestly, where was the thinking here?  After travelling further south to the Century Park station, my overly excited 3-year-old finally got his train ride.

We got off the LRT at the Central Station.  I had to laugh at this stop because Calaway Park located in Calgary, AB, had completely spammed to walls of the entire underground platform.  If we hadn’t already been to this park, I honestly might have been swayed by all the propaganda…but alas, I have, and will not be going back again.  I don’t enjoy an over-priced day at an over-rated amusement park.  Following this, we walked through a maze of urine scented hallways until we finally found sunshine in downtown Edmonton.  As we walked down the sidewalk I noticed The Russian Tea Room, a place to have a cup of tea, cheesecake and your fortune read which I mental noted for my next trip down.  In addition to this we hoped to eat at Healthfare, which of course was closed on Sundays.  My spoiled husband has already eaten there and says it is delicious. 

Once we arrived at Churchill Square we found that there were people playing in the giant fountain…so of course we joined in. 

After a good cooling off, we headed to the Art Gallery for some culture.  I highly recommend seeing this if you find yourself in the area.  It is a smaller gallery but carries some amazing pieces.  My favourite is Emily Carr.  She is a West Coast British Columbia gal who painted West Coast and Indigenous art…I could have stayed by her exhibit forever.  I honestly felt at home…my sense came alive again.  So beautiful.  But, with that said, Art Galleries aren’t the best places to take 3 children, 2 of which are young and needed naps at that particular time.  As a result, my beautiful daughter decided to protest our culture break and inform the building that it was time to go…Now. 

Unfortunately, the following day it was raining and windy so we postponed our Muttart Conservatory excursion for another tourist-in-your-town vacation.

Until next time….

Serena   

London Dungeon

Hi All,

Welcome to my first blog.  I don't have any holidays planned for the rest of this year (having used up most of my annual leave already on a trip to Canada to visit my sister and fellow she-trekker, Caroline, in April).  So the majority of my blogs this year are going to revolve around day trips in and around London.  I have lived in England's capital for 7 years (being originally from Australia) and have seen a fair few of the 'must do' attractions in that time.  But with a city of this size, the variety of things to see and do can be a little overwhelming.  So there is definitely a healthy list of things I still haven't got around to seeing yet.   One of those being London Dungeon.  It seemed like as good a place to any to start, so today I roped 3 of my friends into coming along with me (thanks Amy, Carolina and Emi!)

www.the-dungeons.co.uk/London

Emi, me and Amy at the entrance

With it being Summer, a weekend, and a bank holiday weekend at that, we wanted to get a fairly early start to the day and try and avoid the crowds as much as possible.  We arrived at about quarter past 10 in the morning and only had a few small groups of people in front of us, so a few minutes later, we were inside.  The whole place is themed, as the name would suggest, as a dungeon.  Dark, smokey and foreboding.  The visitor is instantaneously transported back to 17th and 18th century London, a world of disease, petty criminals, torturous activities and of course, Jack The Ripper.

                                                         

Me 'entering at my peril'!

Not knowing much about London Dungeon before I went, I was under the impression that it would be a sort of museum where you could walk around different exhibits at your own leisure reading gruesome details about the harsh realities of life back then.  But I have to say, the way it was set up was much cooler than this.  The visitor finds themselves channeled through the dungeons in a very systematic way, going from one room to the next and being greeted by a character from that era in each room who then informs you about the Black Plague, or the Great Fire of London, or some other important event of the time.  

In one room, which was set up as a court, we were all treated as criminals and selected people were put on trial for various petty offences and then sentenced to their fate, usually a burning at the stake or a beheading.  In another room, a torturer showed us his various 'tools of the trade' and described in great detail how he used each implement.  I would say at this point that, although a tad on the gruesome side, it is all fairly tongue in cheek and definitely done in a kid-friendly way.  I think children of 7 and upwards would enjoy themselves so it's definitely a family day out.  In another room we were greeted by Mary Jane Kelly, one of Jack the Ripper's victims, who outlined the terror he reigned on London's East End prostitutes in 1888.  

Next we were lead onto a 3D ride which simulated a seance at 50 Berkeley Square, supposedly one of London's most notoriously haunted addresses.  This was definitely kid friendly but did illicit a few screams from Amy, lol.  Probably the scariest part of the day was the final ride, in which you are supposed to be a criminal who is about to be hanged for your sins.  This involved a free-drop, only for a few seconds, but at the moment when they drop you I did feel as though I'd left my stomach behind!  And of course, that is the moment they take a photo of you, which you can later view and purchase for £10 if you want.  As tempting as it was, I didn't think the screwed-up-face-screaming-my-lungs-out look was my most flattering moment, so I declined the purchase.  From here you are guided strategically out into the gift shop which is chockers with the usual array of things that, if you were to purchase, you would inevitably regret soon thereafter.

All in all, to go through the dungeons takes about 2 hours.  And upon our exit, we were definitely pleased with our decision to get there early.  By midday the queue went half way down the street and I imagine the wait to get in would have been upwards of 45 minutes.  

To sum up, pretty good value for money (especially if you can get your hands on some half price vouchers from Tesco as we did) and definitely a recommended day out if you have children.

The next day trip I'm planning will be to Hampton Court, residence of King Henry VIII, and another London attraction I am yet to visit.

So watch this space!

Until next time, 

Sarah.

The Joys of Planning.

So, what do I do when I have an international trip on the horizon? I start planning other trips!

Since Spain is in October of 2011 I decided that 2012 needed some attention as well.  Sarah has mentioned a fantastic idea to drive down the coast of Croatia! I am totally interested in joining her and am so completely excited.

My research on the Croatia area began at Lonely Planet’s website http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2058704 where there was a ton of posts related to the topic of travel as well as informative responses to my enquiries. The plan is to travel from Rijeka to Dubrovnik which I hear is completely breathtaking. All I am waiting for is Sarah to land the dates for us.

My second plan is to travel to Bangladesh.

I recently bought the book Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 purchased through amazon.com http://www.amazon.ca/Lonely-Planets-Best-Travel-2011/dp/1742200907 and found a section on affordable travel destinations. Apparently, Bangladesh is extremely cheap, with the book claiming that you can eat for less than $1 US and find lodgings for even cheaper. As well, it is reported to be a far superior travel destination to the neighbouring India.

Since I was already planning a month stay in India, perhaps I will do Bangladesh first and India in future years. I have also researched this trip on Lonely Planet’s website and have received a bunch of tips and information about the area (such as, don’t travel during monsoon season!).

I hope to do this trip next year as well.

As for my October Spain trip, I have discovered that travelling around Spain as I originally planned to do will probably not work out. I have recently redirected my focus to Barcelona only, though I will definitely squeeze in some time in Valencia since I hear the food there is amazing. If it works out however, I will head for Granada also.

Happy Travels!

Serena

Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

Hiya Folks...Welcome to my first post..and now I am feeling somewhat camera shy as if it my first public speaking event!  But this is all about breaking out of my comfort zone (being a wife and mother of two young boys) and saying hey...I am still a women in my own right and I have needs and wants, as well as something of value to say, (eg. travel).  So HELLO WORLD, I love you and here I am...and with my children too!
When my husband mentioned Grande Prairie and wanted to check the place out...I thought what a wonderful TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY...and nothing is too big or too small for me to conquer. 
I have little doubt that I am the planner of our little group (Sarah, Serena and me).  Serena loves fly by the seat adventures, I like planned adventures using an itinerary (that is made to be broken) and Sarah , my sister, likes any kind of adventures at all.   So this eclectic group of travellers should make for a varied blog sight.  My appreciation of structured travel means I do like itineraries so  HERE IT IS!

GRANDE PRAIRIE ITINERARY, May 2011
Day One  Head West on Hwy 37 then North/West on Hwy 43 arriving in Grande Prairie evening time.  Find a hotel to lay our heads at.
Day Two Start our morning with a visit to The Grande Prairie Museum and then a walk around the grounds of Muskoseepi Park before taking a drive to the lookout at Saskatoon Mountain Viewpoint and then on to Beaverlodge to have my picture taken with a giant beaver! (totally excited to have a pic of me and a beaver to add to my picture archive ;)  and after all this excitement...back to our hotel to swim and waterslide.
Day Three Leave Grande Prairie via Hwy 2 stopping in Sexsmith to take pics of the grain elevators, then on Rycroft turning East on Hwy 49 to McLennan, stopping off to explore the Kimiwan Bird Sanctuary, then following Hwy 2, detouring slightly to take a quick drive through Winagami Lake Provincial Park and back to Hwy 2 all the way home.

After a fairly uneventful day of driving to Grande Prairie, we arrived on the outskirts of town and were a bit taken aback by the suprisingly hefty hotel charges (Welcome to Oil Country)!  But tired and in much need of stretching our legs and giving our ears a rest from a crying 5 month old baby, we were willing to fit the bill.  Ramada had a fairly standard room with beds, tv, small bathroom and the Holy Bible.  No bells and whistles but it did the job and we spent the night fairly comfortably.  During a morning search for another hotel room in the heart of town, we discovered the Pomeroy where for only $10 more we got a larger room, larger bathroom with a kitchenette and pool with waterslide for the kids.  Now this hotel was a Mothers Day treat for me and the family!  After we were comfortably settled and had visited with friends for a Mothers Day brunch, it was off to see the sights.
First stop was the Visitor Information

(http://gptourism.ca/), where I tend to go first in every town I visit, if I can find it easily enough.  This one had a downstairs museum with a moving dinosaur that my 3 1/2 year old son Isaac thought was pretty cool, especially when he figured out that he could make it move by standing infront of the sensor!
Then it was a short drive to The Grande Prairie Museum (http://www.grandeprairiemuseum.org/) which has indoor displays and a small heritage village outside.  The indoor display housed an impressive seashell collection and Isaac, was suitably impressed with the puffer fish.  It had a large room displaying different aspects of Canadian history and to me the most impressive display was that of the albino moose.  By far my favourite part of the museum was the heritage village outside.  It was a gorgeous day weather wise and I took some nice pics of the interesting architecture.

The Grande Prairie Museum is in the grounds of Muskoseepi Park (http://www.musko.cityofgp.com/)

and with baby in backpack and Isaac walking, we took a stroll through the park along the river and then had a play in the playground, getting some nice pictures of the river and gently rolling hills with the church in the distance.

Using Mother's Day as an excuse to see all that I wanted to see, we then took a drive down Hwy 43 to Saskatoon Mountain Viewpoint (http://www.albertaparks.ca/siteinformationaspx?id=502), the hightest point in the area and although the view was okay, it was a bad time of day to take pictures and I thought that the day use area with fire pits was of more interest than the view.

So our last stop for the day was further down Hwy 43 in the town of Beaverlodge (http://www.beaverlodge.ca/)  where I got my pic taken with the town mascot...A GIANT BEAVER...and I think every girl should have their pic taken with a giant beaver at least once in their lifetime...if they possibly can!

After all these adventures it was high time to head back to the hotel for a swim and a waterslide.  And no...the waterslide wasn't at all scary, I just screamed to make my husband laugh. ;) TRUE.

After a good night's rest we left Grande Prairie following Hwy 2 North, stopping in the town of Sexsmith to take some pictures of the impressive Grain Elevators

(http://www.sexsmith.ca/pages.php?page=rhouse) , then on to Rycroft, there turning East on Hwy 49 to McLennan where we stopped to take a walk along the boardwalk at the Kimiwan Bird Walk (http://www.kimiwanbirdwalk.ca/)  located on the wetlands near Kimiwan Lake.  Although we only spotted two or three of the many birds that frequent this area,

it was quite pretty and relaxing in the late afternoon light and the fresh air gave us some courage to take the long drive home

with a somewhat loud and cranky baby, who was SICK AND TIRED OF RIDING IN THE TRUCK, THANKS VERY MUCH MUMMY!
Ah...and as much as I love travelling about the countryside, I do enjoy arriving home. 
Stay tuned for more adventures in and around Grande Prairie, as we'll be back there for sure. 
As for my next up and coming adventure, ROADTRIP THROUGH SASKATCHEWAN...well, it is already set to be a completely different travel experience to that of Grande Prairie.  It will probably end up being something of a survival guide for women travelling with small children.  Should be a HOOT so stay tuned!
By She-Devil trekker, Caroline Swinkels

Viajar a España (Travelling to Spain)

In T-Minus 5 months...I will be flying to Spain.  While this particular trip involves my husband, it will be no less exciting and truly blog material.  The initial purpose of the trip was to satisfy the years of putting my true ambitions on hold.  Now, with the youngest of my 3 children nearing 2 years by that time, I am free to begin my solo journeys again.  After much thought was put into what to do on my debut trip out of the kitchen (and Canada), I decided that I would like my husband to awaken his inner travel bug and join me.  Since he is much more content with the stability and monotony of regular life, this was potentially going to be a hard sell.  I chose Spain due to its culture, architecture and other-worldly charm.  Additionally, the language barrier, which would create a challenge, and the relaxed way of life, which I hope will transfer onto my husband countering his workaholic nature, were major draws also.  In short, I think it would be an easy international trip for my less adventurous husband that could possibly lead to his desire to travel more…and of course who doesn’t love Spain?

 So to make this more exciting, we are travelling with no itinerary.  With backpacks packed full of necessities, we will step off of the plane and onto Barcelona soil with hope and ambition.  Chances are though that I will book the first night in a hotel to ensure that we are rested prior to our adventure, but after that warm, soft, inviting sleep, we will be finding hostels (or park benches) to lay our heads.  I would like to explore Barcelona for a few days and then make our way to the Granada area.  I am not certain as to whether we will fly or take the train.  The Lonely Planet books all describe Spain’s train system in comparison to “Alice in Wonderland” since “nothing is as it seems”.  This could create some challenges for us…but also could make for some great blogging stories. 

In preparation for our trip over the next 5 months I need to:

A)     Learn Spanish.  I have some French since my son is in Immersion and did well in French class as a teenager, but as experience has shown me, once I am put on the spot to use those skills I become a deer in headlights.  I recall driving through Quebec and stopping at a gas station.  As I looked around for a trash bin a man spoke French to me.  I looked at him as he pointed to a garbage can.  I searched frantically in my brain for the words “Merci” but could I find them?  NO.  A sheepish “Thank You” came out.  I fear this is what will happen in Spain. 

I need to brush up on my Spanish before I go.    

B)      Read my Lonely Planet Spain book.  I am sure a lot has changed since the “Europe on a Shoestring” book came out which I have been basing my knowledge on.  Knowing the ins and outs of Spain will ensure I won’t miss anything or waste too much time on problem areas (like the trains!).

I need to stop procrastinating and read the book.

C)      Stock my bag.  Thankfully I have a friend who has travelled in this style many times before.  I have my list of ‘must haves’ and have been prepped in hostel etiquette.  I still call her with questions and concerns from time to time.  Like the beautiful person she is, she answers my enquiries with grace and patience.  Thanks Nat!  Check out her blog at http://footlooseadventurer.blogspot.com/

I need to shop for my ‘must haves’.

Wish me luck!

Serena

Welcome fellow travel enthusiasts.

Hello and welcome to our travel blog!! 

Here you will follow the exciting adventures of Sarah, Caroline and Serena as they explore the planet, for the most part, completely 'man-free'.  The trips will include solo travel, women-only travel and travel with children.  This will further emphasize that the only boundaries in life are the boundaries we impose upon ourselves...or so we hope.

Enjoy our explorations, our trials and errors and our life changing experiences, in mind, body and soul.

Let the wild rumpus begin!