{the shoemaker has no shoes}

...and the travel agent doesn't know where to stay during a June visit to St. Maarten...

I'm so intrigued by this little island of dual nations. 

...largely due in part to the great marketing efforts of the St. Maarten Tourist Board's new campaign... they can be credited with these amazing photos...

There are so many options for cheap flights... maybe you want to join me?

St. Maarten is also referred to as the culinary capital of the caribbean... so I think I'll have just as hard a time trying to decide where to dine... 

...maybe my style...

I can't wait for my trip! Any ideas on where to stay?

The Music Industry's Live Future

Random but interesting fact of the week (ok to me at least): the UK music industry now makes more money from live acts than recorded (e.g. downloads and CDSs).

Something for me to ponder over during the Tender Trap gig went to this week in Shepherds Bush. The above rubbish photo is yet another reason to hope the next iPhone has a better camera if nothing else.

This band from down under do have a song called Down River which I was thinking of using to give this post a nautical theme, but to be honest it's not their best and you'd be better off watching this or this YouTube video.

Update: Time's review here.

Keep Turning Left Right

I was going to post an entry about Keep Turning Left's videos but I've been short of time and Adam got there first - it will have to wait.

Furthermore on the eve of a general election here in the UK there is a danger in this blog being seen to being partisan with such subliminal messages about what direction to take.

So for balance here's a story from the BBC about a sailor who tried to "Keep Turning Right". Apparently he left the Medway aiming for Southampton using the simple rule of KTR.

Alas this simple algorithm failed when it encountered the Isle of Sheppey, around which he circled until he ran out of fuel, after which he ran aground and had to be rescued by the RNLI.

Turn left, turn right - it's your choice.

Just make sure you don't hit the rocks on the way (Gordon Brown you know what I mean)

Book the Royal Retreat at Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The Royal Retreat at Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica:

Whether you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable getaway with your closest friends or a romantic escape with the one you love, the Royal Retreat Package adds the special touches to an already perfect vacation.

Package is $249/per person and includes:

* Relaxation: $150 Red Lane Spa Credit.
* Indulgence: Champagne and berries in-room upon arrival.
* Rejuvenation: 2 complimentary yoga sessions.
* An amazing morning on the beach: A special breakfast on the beach with local fresh
   fruit in season, pastries and a bottle of "bubbly".
* A fun night on the town: One night dine around at Ocho Rios' best local Italian
   restaurant - Evita's.
* Caribbean Flavor: "Fresh Catch" cooking class with the resort chef.
* Goodies: Complimentary beach bag.
* Shopping: 10% off Gift Shop.

{I was lucky enough to crash the honeymoon of one of my favorite clients while she was at Royal Plantation a few weeks ago. It was great to meet Amy in person after hundreds of emails & phone calls back and forth for months while we planned her Destination Wedding. She was a dream to work with and I actually miss our communication! Stay tuned to my Destination Wedding Blog for photos documenting her amazing event! While she enjoyed Royal Plantation, I think it is safe to say the superb service and the luxury of having a private butler were certainly the highlights.}

* Package valid at Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica for travel between Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2010 in Royal and EP Plans. Price is based per person. Inclusions subject to change and availability. To take advantage of all inclusions, package is recommended on stays of 4-nights or longer. No cash back for unused portion. Package not combinable with other spa credit offers. Package can be changed or withdrawn at anytime without notice.Offers can be changed or withdrawn anytime.

The Tropic of Cancer

Last night the BBC broadcast the last in the travel series the "Tropic of Cancer" in which Simon Reeve followed the line of that name around the globe. For those with access to the BBC's iPlayer it can be found here.

He started in Mexico and kept going east until he reached journey's end in Hawaii. There he found the plastic beach I blogged about earlier and he made a good point: the plastic doesn't come from Hawaii itself. That's a rather scary thought, as it means the plastic has travelled a very, very long way, and there must be an awful lot of it out there, bobbing about in the Pacific.

Simon also dropped in on the bird sanctuary to visit some of the very few Hawaiian Crows in existence. The 'Alala as it is also known is now extinct in the wild, the only ones left are being bred in captivity. In a room containing a large mural of birds his guide went round pointing at those that are already extinct.

It was a sobering moment.

In a previous series when Simon travelled around the Tropic of Capricorn I was struck by his travels through Madagascar. 90% of the forest, he discovered, had already been cut down.

There are no easy answers for a world who's population is increasing while at the same time getting richer, and when getting richer means consuming more.

But like politicians at election time (such as here in the UK) no one likes to connect the dots and identify where the compromise is going to be. I am pretty convinced that we must use our brain power and technology. To save the planet we need to protect it's species, and that means protecting vast areas as natural parks.

That means increased efficiency in what we use, which means GM food and nuclear power, and taxation on consumption, including on CO2 generating sources of energy.

And that means a lot of angry people across the political spectrum.

Can we as a species do it? I have no idea, but we can should at least try.

AZUL Beach - Best Baby & Toddler Inclusive Hotels in Mexico!

{This is Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma, located in the Riviera Maya, Mexico.}

As told by the photos, the hotel is PERFECT for adults... chic, stylish, and beaconing relaxation. What you don't see, is that this hotel is also PERFECT for kiddos. Azul Hotels offers an enviable Baby & Toddler Inclusive program. 

{For Babies}

• Babies up to the age of 2, stay FREE!
• The hotel provides: strollers, cribs, bottle warmers, bottle sterilizers, Gourmet Gerber Baby Food, itty bitty baby bathrobes, baby bathtub, baby monitors, a great pack 'n play program.
• A Jogging Program for stroller babies.
• Yoga for Mama & Babies.
• Baby-sitting Services (at an additional fee)

{For Toddlers}

• Welcome smoothie and Azulitos Journal by Fisher-Price at check-in.
• Kids Swimming Pool
• Kid's Club
• Jugueteca Toy Lending program by Fisher-Price.
• Kids menu at ALL restaurants.
• DVD Menu with popcorn delivery. 

If you need a break from your little charmers, Azul Hotels offer's a great "Parent's Night Out" program where the children will enjoy a movie & popcorn at the Kids Club and Mom & Dad can relax to a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach... 

Ready to go? We have great all-icnlusive vacation packages that can be combined with discount airfare from the US or cheap flights from the UK. Contact us - info @ caribbeanjourney.com or 866-236-1924.

America's Cup 2028

BJ: G'day guys! It's Buff Junior here - Junior by name and junior by brain! I'm here on behalf of Queensland Community Cloud and JP's representing ye olde bloggers, say hello JP

JP: Hi all

BJ: And first a big thanks to all those kind words about my uncle, ol' Buff Staysail, what can I say, all choked up

JP: It's the way BS would have wanted to go, Junior. Drowned after capsizing a Laser while sailing on a vat of the amber nectar.

BJ: But enough reminiscing, it's time for the 2028 America's Cup, being virtualized live from Rio de Janerio, with the first race about to start.

JP: So lock your cloud-pad to the Google-Sail channel. Thanks of course to Google-Sail to providing real-time streaming data feeds including wave mapping, lidar wind measurements for the sail-zone, and full archival facilities so we can re-sail these matches over the cloud at any time in the future. Of course there are some dis-

Google Sail Adverts: Fantastic life style hats and goodies available now! Just make the buy gesture now and we'll scan your face, get ID match, charge your PayBuddy account, and dispatch, all automatically.

BJ: - but no one prosecuted him. And those wanting to follow the Sail-XXXX co-race, it's live on augmented overlay as we speak.

JP: Yup, that's been a lot of fun, joining and racing the actual AC fleet in real time on virtual communities. I think the video chat mode really adds to the experience

BJ: And its a good thing that boat location sensors are mandatory so that all protesting and judging can be done automatically or things could have got nasty.

JP: I tell you, it was a programming glitch, the iRules site clearly doesn't understand 3.52k

BJ: Enough of that, the two finalists are entering the start area, and we're about to see some real racing. The two skippers meet at last -

Google-Sail: Get your steam powered JetSki's 20% off now! Say "Wow" now for voice scan and we'll transfer you direct to the O'Docker Spring Sale!

JP: - with Sabrine behind the sail wing lock-up, completely naked - but enough of that, might be children on-feed. Wasn't it a great Facepad Challengers Series?

BJ: Fantastic! That final where China just pipped USA on the last downwind leg!

JP: Their hull shape tweak program is clearly superior. I heard the USA hull only had two settings, upwind and downwind

BJ: That's not much is it? China really has got the edge of memory and electro-form structures, that can re-shape the bow at the touch of a button, and they have hull-trimmers that really know their stuff.

JP: A shame about the English boat - well they did get to the semi's, before the USA team knocked them out.

BJ: You're not still blaming the sinking of St. George on sabotage by the Welsh Republic, JP? They lost fair and square - though not the epic battle of China vs. the New Iranian Republic.

JP: Re-sailing the race on virtual sail the English team had a 23.7% probability of winning. But at least that decade long legal battle is finally out of the way.

BJ: Amen to that. And it worked out fine, with the rejected foiling technology being picked up by the Red Bull Round the World Race, while adaptive hull technology was accepted, though not-

Google-Sail: Red Bull discount offer! Nod your head now if interested in entering for the chance for a ride on the Red Bull Round the World Race in-port events! Purchase and ID public mode required

BJ: -the two boats are lined up for the start, Brazil to port, getting powered up, really making some way, have they timed this right?

JP: That doesn't look right, at this rate they'll be across the line early

BJ: China leading, Brazil just behind, matching them move for move

JP: Oh my god! Did you see that!

BJ: Wow! The Chinese boat re-shaped their bow into a flat surface, breaking them just enough to be this side of the line as the gun went. We haven't seen that before, a super weapon for the finals.

JP: And Brazil were early! They are having to return!

BJ: On the Chocolate Factory augmented overlay you can see that the idealised virtual competition is slightly ahead, but not by much, so China is working at 99.98% close to optimum efficiency.

JP: Brazil are across the line, they're in chase mode, this will be a Cup Race to remember -

McAfee Cloud Protect Warning: Our systems have identified this feed as viral.

All your data has been deleted.

Your ID has been deleted.

END

Welcome to the Plastic Beach

I've recently been listening to Gorillaz's latest album, Plastic Beach. You can get a flavour of it from the YouTube site here.

The title sounds like a contradiction, after all who would want to go to a beach made of plastic? Well it appears that we might not have a choice, given the amount of plastic floating around in the oceans today.

The BBC is currently broadcasting a series called Tropic of Cancer, in which Simon Reeve travels along the line of that name. In the last episode, to be broadcast tomorrow, he ends up in Hawaii, where they found a beach with more rubbish than sand.

The biggest trouble was the plastic breaking down into smaller and smaller grains, until it merges into the sand, impossible to remove (see below).

You can get a taster from this extract on the BBC site.

Sorry to keep blogging downer environmental posts, but this bugs me: it just isn't right.

Friday Quiz

In a previous quiz we asked what this contraption is doing and why, as is explained here.

Here is another of them, just up river from it's sister, like giant four legged monsters walking up the Thames.

Hopefully a couple of you will recognise that as Putney Bridge in the background, together with Fulham's All Saints Church, nearly opposite Putney's St. Marys Church.

So what fanciful story connects these two churches with the naming of Putney and Fulham?

Google, Buzz, Peter Ackroyd's Thames - Sacred River etc may be used

Valley High Villa - Runaway Bay, Jamaica

{Welcome to Valley High}

Located in Cardiff Hall,

 Runaway Bay, Jamaica. 

Valley High Villa is a gorgeous Luxury Villa, situated in the prestigious Cardiff Hall Estates,  Runaway Bay,  in Jamaica's north coast. Located high up on the hills,  overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the surrounding mountains, the villa provides breathtaking views.

  There is a large private pool,  romantic pavilion,  many terraces and 3 

acres of lush plantation with a spring fed river for a cool dip.

I was able to visit this lovely property on my recent trip and these are my own photos of the property. Aside from the commanding view, I was surprised at how peaceful the villa was... how calm and quiet it was... how easy it was to relax.

The villa is fully staffed with a housekeeper, caretaker 

and excellent cooks.

You may dine indoors, or al fresco on the patio.

The grounds are lovely and tropical flowers & lush greenery are noted at every turn.

The villa offers 7 bedrooms, new modern bathrooms,  20 ft vaulted ceilings,  fans, air conditioning and  mesmerizing views from all rooms.

This is the lower level terrace, a the perfectly shaded spot to curl up with a good book or enjoy easy conversation after a long day in the sun.

And the view... 

Guests of Valley High, and all other Cardiff Hall Estate Villas, have access to the private Cardiff Hall Beach, adjacent to Tropical Spice Villa. Combining these two villas would be the perfect solution to accommodate a large group. 

Runaway Bay, Jamaica... one of the best beaches in Jamaica.

For more information or to book your trip to Valley High Villa, please send me an email - laura @ caribbeanjourney.com or call 866-236-1924.

Access to the water - Gaza style

A story today on the BBC site reminded me that some people have more trouble getting on the waters than others.

The clip you see above is of the few fun things to do in Gaza - surf. The territory is currently under a blockade that is more like a medieval siege, with materials like glass or even paper banned, along with more useful things like parts for the sewage system, and so there was no way to import a surf board.

Enter one enterprising Californian, the surfing legend Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, who took it upon himself back in 2007 to personally deliver 15 boards. What can one say but "respect dude!"

Getting them through the blockade was a major achievement: usually when they say that you have to do a bit of kiss-up to the border guards you are only speaking metaphorically - here it was apparently literal.

But it must surely have been worth it - doesn't that look good!

There are other dangers, apart from dodging the sewage. Go too far out and you'll end up like this poor Palestinian fisherman, courtesy of the Israeli gunships enforcing the blockade:

That's not what I consider counts as the Freedom of the Seas.

Tropical Spice Villas - Runaway Bay, Jamaica

Welcome to Tropical Spice Villas in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. This is where we stayed last week on our vacation to Jamaica. This is one of the best values on the beach! 

The property has 2 villas, each with three bedrooms. Each villa has 2 master suites upstairs and one smaller bedroom downstairs.

We arrived to find the villas clean and comfortable.

If the villa itself was lacking in any regard, it was lost on us because once we set foot down the garden path, we knew we'd found paradise. The little yellow building to the right, is the main kitchen where the chef holds court and prepares all of the meals.

The beach is beautiful....  (to the left of the villas, just past a small private beach, is Breezes Resort. This shot is from the beach, looking left.)

even at night... amazing...

You might be visited by an ice cream vendor from time to time... never a complaint from our group:

To the right of the villas, is another villa, Sweet Spot, home to a very lovely lawn:

If you continue to walk down the beach, past Sweet Spot, you will pass a few local vendor beach shacks other lovely little beach villas:

 

And the sea will entice you all the way...

Here are the good people who took care of us:

Mr. Obrian, the bartender.

Our trusty security guard showed up every night at sunset.

Miss Althea runs a tight ship.

Miss Juliet kept our bedrooms clean and free of sandy footprints.

 And last, but certainly not least, the CHEF. We devoured his culinary talent with gusto! To see the CHEF in action, and see a sample of what we dined on - click here!

If the beach proved too tiring, there was plenty of room to relax in the garden filled with the most amazing tropical flora and well kept by Mr. Jack.

Then there was the pool. It is HUGE - plenty of room for all.

And a popular spot for the little ones due to the adjacent baby pool.

We miss the beach, the staff, the delicious meals and cool drinks at sunset. For more photos of the gorgeous beach - click here.

Seasonal Weekly Rates for Villa Tropical Spice are as follows:

1-3 Bedrooms - $2800/low season & $3150/high season

3-6 Bedrooms - $5600/low season $6300/high season
Holidays - $8500/week

To read more about the villa, click here! You may contact me - laura @caribbeanjourney.com if you would like additional information or to start planning your own Tropical Spice Villa Vacation!