Our bloggers travel pictures are on the move.

Our bloggers travel pictures will be switching hosts in the coming months. Please bear with us during this painstakingly slow process. Once updated, you will see many more photos in a much more user friendly display. We thank you in advance for your patience.

I LOVE FUNNY FOREIGN FOOD!

What is this? Does anyone know? The only English on the package is on the inside of the box lid & says “Pudding Chocolate”, but the pictures on the box look like cartoon flan. It contains individually wrapped candies that resemble soft white chocolate with a brown top. It doesn’t taste like anything else, especially not chocolate & is super sweet. I acquired this bizarre confection at my local Uwajimaya store.

Uwajimaya has a lot of strange Asian candies & packaged foods. Shopping there is like a wee vacation to a major Asian metropolis encapsulated in a one block area. It’s crowded but fun. I can hardly read any of the food packaging. You can spice up a dull day by purchasing something there which you have no idea what it is & making it. It’s a surprise! Fortunately, many of the cooking instructions are accompanied by pictures.

They not only sell groceries & produce, which are often cheaper than at most chain grocery stores, by the way, but contain a bookstore that stocks periodicals, stationery & manga. The candy section & impulse racks are unbelievable, you won’t have a clue what most of it is, & some of it looks like REAL BUGS. (I dare you.) The food court, inexplicably, has a Herfy’s hamburger stand in addition to Japanese, Chinese, Korean & Filipino food stalls. There are also Asian specialty housewares, appliances, & Sanrio products. Combining the latter two, I once saw a waffle iron for sale here that made waffles in the shape of Hello Kitty’s head. I wish I had bought it. Regrets…

So if you want to feel like you are in a foreign city for the day or you just need a takoyaki maker, take a trip to Waji. It’s an adventure. FP

Alaska's First Class Service...with a prayer card?

For the second year in a row J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Alaska Airlines #1 in customer satisfaction among traditional carriers in North America. Alaska has long been know for it's service; however, like many in my opinion, it has slipped in recent years. Still, riding Alaska's "bus in the sky" is typically a pleasant experience and their Mileage Plan is a step above.

Congratulations Alaska! Now if you could only remove those creepy prayer cards included with your meals in First Class.

Air New Zealand has nothing to hide.

Do you ever find yourself not paying attention during the pre-flight safety instructions? Well, Air New Zealand has found a brilliant way to get you to watch every moment. The employees featured in the Bare Essenstials safety video are nude. N-A-K-E-D. A little body paint and some strategically placed items make it PG for the whole family, but it still makes you want to take an extra good look. Enjoy.



Related:
New York Times article

Inside Coach-Bump & Grind

Have you ever purchased a ticket only to hear an announcement your flight has been oversold and they are asking for volunteers to delay to a later flight? Airlines oversell flights for a number of reasons. By overselling, it is a way to ensure that each plane goes out full and the airline receives the maximum revenue. Sometimes there is such high demand for travel on a certain day of the week, the airline will oversell flights one day, knowing they have additional flight later that day or the following day. Although this can be very bad for travelers needing to get to their destination on that day, it also has its benefits. Most airlines offer a Bonus Travel Ticket for volunteers who agree to take a later flight. If you have flexible travel plans it can be the perfect incentive. But don't feel sorry for the airlines, they are not losing money on the Bonus Travel Ticket option. Most report that over half of the free tickets they give out never get used.

If you have questions or travels tips you would like to share, please send us an email.

FORGET UNCLE SAM, MEXICO NEEDS YOU!

It may seem an unlikely time to push tourism in the southern portion of our continent, but now more than ever, North American travelers should choose to spend their precious vacation time & money in the Republic of Mexico.

The recent North American furor over the Swine Flu outbreak has been a terrible blow to the economic health of Mexico, but its physical health does not seem at all compromised. The dangers have been blown completely out of proportion by the US news media & the risk of healthy adults contracting any type of illness in Mexico is very low. It’s impossible to stress the use of common sense enough. Exactly like in the US & Canada, clean hands are of utmost importance. Always wash them thoroughly with soap & water before eating. Wash or use hand sanitizer after using ATM’s, handling money, opening doors, holding hand rails, riding in taxis or on public transportation. Keep your hands away from your face. Just as you would at home.

As a frequent Mexico visitor, I’ve never been struck with the flu or a food-bourne illness there. I often ride the bus & I do enjoy street food. I always apply hand sanitizer first, and when available & appropriate, I squeeze a little lime juice into my food or beverage. Did you know that lime juice has antibacterial properties? I have, however, seen other Americans get sick after failing to keep their hands out of their mouths. Mexico is not a more germ-ridden place. The normal germs on things like door handles & table tops just proliferate better in the humid, warm climate, like they did in your gym locker. Don’t be afraid, just be careful.

Currently, the exchange rate for pesos to other North American currency is incredibly reasonable. Of course, this contributes to driving down the cost of living in Mexico. Prices are plummeting, saving money for travelers, but Mexican nationals need you to spend it so much more than North American & European travel markets do. In a conversation I had recently with a Mexican cab driver, he revealed that due to the recent flu related travel restrictions, his monthly income had dropped from 13,000 to 8,000 pesos. This was a significant hardship for him, a parent putting a child through college. Many restaurant & hospitality staffers also told me about major decreases in their work hours & tip earnings due to the reduced tourism. Difficult times for these young adults, many of whom support children or elderly parents. US news agencies also report reductions in income sent home to Mexican families from relatives working abroad.

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, in the Pacific Coast town of Puerto Vallarta, I lived extravagantly off of 3,000 pesos for about 5 days. Bought groceries, restaurant meals, street food, drinks at the bar & souvenirs from vendors. Paid cash only. Didn’t use my debit card once. According to my bank, this withdrawal was for $228 USD. Much, much less than I spend in a week on these items in the States. My lodgings were booked through VRBO, where I scored an amazing condo for $390 USD for 6 nights because rental rates are dropping. If you’ve ever stayed in even a mid-priced hotel, you know this is a ridiculously low price, and it included a rooftop swimming pool, balcony, kitchen, & was a single block from the beach. Also enjoyed PV Restaurant Week, where gourmet 3 course meals were priced between 179 – 299 pesos at top eateries throughout the city. As you can see, great values are abundant. So please, when planning upcoming trips, consider the wonderful cities & kind people of Mexico. They look forward to your visit much more than the amusement parks attendants and motel employees of the US do. FP

BAR NUN-The Canterbury Eats & Ale Seattle, WA

The Canterbury Eats & Ale

“Work is the Curse of the Drinking Man.”

Let it be known that I care a great deal for the Canterbury & that this piece will be neither unbiased nor objective. ACTUALLY, I FRICKIN’ LOVE THE CANTERBURY. It is unequivocally the coziest bar in my town. It feels like home, perhaps because for years I lived 4 blocks away & whenever my internet-porn addicted roommate used to chase me out of the apartment so he could look at skeezy websites, I would walk to the Canterbury.

Naturally, since those days I’ve spent much time in its Tudorian splendor of my own free will. Truly a dive, there’s been many a frigid winter evening snuggled into a roomy cracked vinyl booth enjoying the fire place and a glass of Jameson in this Olde English bar. Cathedral ceilings & cobwebby wrought iron chandeliers contribute to its haunted castle aura. Despite the décor, it is mercifully free of Gregorian chanting. In fact, the Canterbury has one of the best juke boxes in Seattle & it hasn’t been changed in at least a decade. Typical of a night’s playlist: Neil Diamond, Murder City Devils, Pixies, Tom Waits, maybe a little Van Halen, some Dolly Parton or Patsy Cline, possibilities are endless.

The cast of characters here is also unlimited. The staff is fantastic, consisting of no nonsense, hard pouring bartenders & cute, snappy waitresses. Patrons are generally heavy drinkers, few hipsters. Perhaps you will meet the elusive Ice Wizard, whose sheer absurdity rivals Spinal Tap. I promise this guy is for real. He looks like a Scandinavian death metaller, won’t divulge his actual name, wears a massive pewter belt buckle in the image of a wizard in a pointy hat holding a crystal ball & hangs out by the juke box urging folks to play his favorite selections from Screaming for Vengeance. You can’t miss him, just look for the leather biker jacket bedazzled with “Ice Wizard” on the back. Honestly.

Though not the place to find the cheapest drinks, the Canterbury provides excellent quantity for the price. Certain cocktails historically served as shots have been known to come in a rocks glass here, such as Chocolate Cakes & Oatmeal Cookies. Order your drink with or without mixer, you get the same amount of liquid. Happy hour is Monday – Friday 3 to 6 PM. The deal is 50 cents off all beer & cocktails. Not a great savings, but your $8 double call liquor drink is still going to come in a pint glass, even when it’s not happy hour.

For entertainment, there are several pool tables, pinball & shuffleboard. Pool is free until 4 PM every day. Better yet, bring a book or the newspaper & settle in. Feel free to treat it like your living room, whether it’s relaxing times or a lively gathering you’re searching for. It’s an ideal place to meet a few friends or arrange a shindig. Just don’t arrive hungry. Food here is often questionable, but the menu is sprinkled with fantastic quotations about drinking. If you’re really drunk, you should just have some nachos. FP

534 15th Ave E. Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 322-3130